What Are Iago's Blackest Sins

In William Shakespeare’s tragedy Othello, Shakespeare aligns Iago, the villain of the play, with a vice figure of morality plays through Iago’s scheming and lack of remorse. Through his manipulation of various characters, Iago spins the truth and creates a tale of destruction. This is especially made clear in his soliloquy outlining his plan to destroy Cassio, Desdemona, and most importantly Othello. Each character is virtuous in his or her own right, but Iago alters that virtue, transforming it into sin whilst claiming he is not the villain. Through the outline of his plan and the selective use of language, Iago reveals his true nature to the audience, establishing dramatic irony. However, Iago uses the parallels between religious diction

(IV.iv.339). Upset with the Moor for choosing Cassio over him, Iago devises a plan to undo all the characters of the play and explains his ideal outcome to the audience. While upon first glance the “blackest sins” may suggest the worst sins possible, upon further examination one finds Iago plays on the meaning of “blackest” to refer to the Moor as well as to the evil acts Iago has planned. The Oxford English Dictionary defines “blackest” as “Having or demonstrating evil intent; malignant, deadly; sinister” (“blackest”). In this sense, blackest is used to qualify the sins in which Iago hopes his plan will culminate. Not only are the sins transgressions against a Christian god, but they are of the most evil quality. The sin Othello commits supports this, as he kills his chaste wife without solid reason. Killing his wife is a sin in itself, but to do so without reason is of the “blackest” quality. Through the alternative OED definition of blackest as “having black hair or eyes; dark-complexioned” (“blackest”), it is made clear that Iago wants Othello to be the sinner. Being that Othello is a Moor, his black characteristics are mentioned throughout the play. When Iago discusses his desire for the “blackest sins,” he explains his desire for the downfall of the Moor, using black imagery to illustrate Othello as different, both

As a image of purity, Desdemona is frequently described in terms of whiteness, and even Othello does this before he kills her. Describing Desdemona’s skin as whiter “than snow/And smooth as monumental alabaster,” Othello casts Desdemona as symbol of innocence and purity (V.ii.4-5). Established as a near-angelic character, Desdemona is the principal agent in Othello’s downfall as Iago manipulates her image. In his plot, Iago focuses on Desdemona’s virtue, which has a duality of meaning. In the OED, virtue is defined as “A moral quality regarded (esp. in religious contexts) as good or desirable in a person” but also as “chastity, esp. On the part of a woman” (“virtue”). Her status as a symbol of purity depends on her chastity and generous character, and yet the fate of each character depends on her shedding these qualities. When Iago plans to turn these qualities into “pitch,” defined in the OED as “A sticky, resinous, black or dark brown substance” (“pitch”), it is the kiss of death. By staining Desdemona’s virtue with pitch through his questioning of her chastity, a quality important in a Christian woman’s commitment to God and her husband, Iago plants the seed that leads to the destruction of Othello. Like the tar substance pitch represents, it is impossible for Desdemona to convince Othello otherwise