Unequivocally, Iago plays an important and major function in the tragedy of Othello. By the end of the play, Iago has been directly responsible for the deaths of Roderigo, Emilia and the protagonist and his love. Iago's importance to the play is revealed by his contribution to the plot and his significance relative to other characters. Iago's function, which invariably adds to the importance he has on the play, is to lead to the downfall …showed first 75 words of 2696 total…

…showed last 75 words of 2696 total… his ability to exploit the character's innate weaknesses. Iago perceives the protagonists 'seeds' of self-destruction and merely fertilisers them with base bestial language and non-'ocular' proof. This ability to find and exploit weakness has made him such an accomplished villain. Although there is contention surrounding Iago's significance in the downfall of Othello, one thing remains true: Iago is one of Shakespeare's most complex, intriguing and malignant characters. Without Iago there would be no tragedy.