Iago and Othello In Shakespeare's Othello, the character Iago, Othello's lieutenant, is the cause of all the tragedy that occurs as the play progresses. Iago is the antagonist of the play, but rather than being the direct adversary of the tragic hero, Iago is a manipulator, who opposes Othello not directly but through other characters he induces to act for him. In the first scene of the play, Iago warns the audience that he is not all he seems when he says, "I am not what I am." (I,i,65) In this scene he is seen for the first time while he helps Roderigo, Desdemona's suitor, who has fled with Othello, a Moorish general of the Venetian army. Iago hates Othello for another reason. Instead of choosing him as his lieutenant, Othello chose Cassio, another foreigner, and relegated Iago to the position of his ancient. When Roderigo asks why Iago continues to serve Othello, despite how the general has treated him, Iago replies, "I follow him to serve him my turn." (I,i,42) Then he gives an example of how he intends to serve him, behaving like the perfect servant, secretly enriching himself, and then says: "Following him, I follow only myself." (I,i,58) From this one might think that he is still quite straightforward in his plans, that he simply intends to betray Othello at a later time. However, in the third scene, he shows the audience his ability to manipulate people, when he convinces Roderigo to follow him to Cyprus and take all his money with him, presumably to win Desdemona back. After Roderigo leaves to do what Iago suggested, Iago says, "So I always make my fool of myself with the purse." (I,iii,37 y9) Later, in Act IV, we find that Roderigo has given jewels to Iago to give to Desdemona, which Iago, it is implied, has sold for his own uses. Thus, it is seen that Iago is simply using Roderigo to further his own ends, just as he said he was only serving Othello to serve himself. Also at the end of the third scene, Iago lays out his plan to take Cassio's place, telling Othello that his lieutenant "...is too familiar with his wife." (I,iii,402) From this speech it also emerges that he suspects Othello of having committed adultery with his wife.