Why should Othello be titled Iago?

While the play revolves around the rise and fall of Othello, that fall would not be possible without Iago. If Othello is taking center stage, Iago is the puppetmaster pulling the strings.
Othello has, in a short time, achieved the rank and distinction that Iago has spent years trying to attain. Othello has also earned the love of Desdemona, whom Iago loves despite already being married to Emilia. When Iago sees Othello lavished with success, he decides to make sure that Othello is too miserable to enjoy it. The entire play centers around Iago's quest for vengeance; by convincing Othello that Desdemona is having an affair with Michael Cassio, he is ensuring that Desdemona will die at Othello's hands. So not only will Othello no longer have the woman that Iago loves, he will also earn the derision of the system that chose to honor him over Iago.
Ultimately, none of the events in the play would have happened were it not for Iago.


An interesting question! If you are asking why the play should be titled Iago, I can understand why. As a major character, Iago dominates nearly every important scene in the play. It is also Iago's lies and machinations that drive the plot forward to its dismal, tragic end.
Although Othello is the protagonist of the story, Iago's unrelenting jealousy and ambitious nature dominate the play. In Act 1, he laments Cassio's promotion and begins to manipulate Roderigo for his own ends. Iago's goal is to wrench Cassio's position away from him, and he has no qualms about using less-than-honorable means to do so. Iago is even willing to destroy Othello's life in the process.
Essentially, Iago is the quintessential amoral villain; he has no redeeming features. Iago treats both men and women with contempt, seeing them as pawns to be manipulated for his own aggrandizement. Iago is central to the play because he encloses all the major characters in malicious traps of his choosing. By the end of the play, Iago is shown to have destroyed the lives of Roderigo, Othello, Desdemona, and Emilia (his long-suffering wife): basically all the main characters of the play.
It is Iago who tempts the easily manipulated (and strangely naive) Othello into believing that Desdemona is cheating on him. In Act 5, Scene 1, Iago manipulates the lovesick Roderigo into making an attempt on Cassio's life. In the ensuing struggle, Cassio stabs Roderigo, but it is Iago's fatal stab that ends Roderigo's life. There are more deaths in Act 5, Scene 2. Here, Othello finally gives in to his inflamed emotions (which are wholly instigated by Iago) and kills Desdemona. When Emilia discovers that her innocent mistress has been murdered, she exposes Iago's part in Desdemona's death. For her pains, Emilia is stabbed to death by Iago.
Later, Othello commits suicide after realizing that he has murdered an innocent woman (his wife). So, even though he is not the protagonist, Iago is seen as the most important power broker in the play. He is able to switch between personas in order to lull each one of the major characters into a false sense of security. So, one can argue that because of Iago's dominant influence of events, the play should be named after him (rather than after his general). In the play, Iago always plays offense, leaving the other characters so destabilized that they can only make defensive moves.

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