The character of Iago has traditionally been considered the most infamous villain in all of Shakespeare. The conniving ringmaster of the Othello tragedy, Iago serves as the necessary catalyst for the action of the play. He takes such an important role in the play that the play has commonly been described as the tragedy of Othello, but as the play of Iago. Scholars, however, disagree as to whether or not Iago can be described simply as an ingenious villain lacking any regard for morality. Many have seen some of his more inhuman or evil qualities as what makes him human; others have attributed his manipulative ambition to a deep psychological need to belong and have drawn clear parallels between Iago and the play's tragic hero, Othello. Clearly there is more to Iago than just his lack of a moral compass. In becoming the vehicle for the play's tragic actions, Iago also brings about his own downfall. He is the second tragic figure to Othello, and the defeats of both Iago and Othello demonstrate both the scope and limits of human potential, and Shakespeare's implication that no single man can ever be greater than the world around him. It is intuitive to say that one of the play's greatest antagonists is actually one of its tragic figures, Iago fulfills many of the criteria for a tragic hero in a Shakespearean play. According to A.C. Bradley, a Shakespearean tragedy involves the downfall of “an exceptional being,” a man or woman who demonstrates extraordinary ability and whose greatest attribute, or tragic flaw, is also the most significant cause of his or her death (“The Substance of Shakespearean tragedy" 3154). Iago consistently demonstrates exceptional cunning and skill...... middle of paper...... 7.2 (January 1918): 349-359. Rpt. in Shakespearean criticism. Ed. Mark W. Scott. vol. 4. Detroit: Gale Research, 1987. Literature Resource Center. Network. March 6, 2012. .Maginn, William. "Iago." The Shakespeare papers of the late William Magin, LL.D. Ed. Shelton Mackenzie. Redfield, 1856. 155-170. Rpt. in Shakespearean criticism. Ed. Mark W. Scott. vol. 4. Detroit: Gale Research, 1987. Literature Resource Center. Network. March 6, 2012. .Newton, K. M. "Othello: Overview." Reference guide to English literature. Ed. DL Kirkpatrick. 2nd ed. Chicago: St. James Press, 1991. Literary Resources from Gale. Network. 4 February 2012. .Shakespeare, William. Othello. Literature: reading fiction, poetry and theatre. Fifth ed. Robert Di Yanni. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2002. 1307-1392.