Shakespeare's Othello explores the tragic flaw in humanity's relationship to the hero who exemplifies the very best in human nature. Insight, intelligence, diligence in the search for what is true, courage and beauty.
Iago represents the anti-hero - the ego who allows small-mindedness, jealousy and bigotry to control his ambitions. The anti-hero relentlessly offers false claims, fake news, to destroy the hero rather than look for ways he could challenge himself and seek the better person within.
My imagination and desire seeks the Othello in myself but has stooped to Iago at times. Right now it is so easy to become cynical, and wallow in all the bad news that fills our media. If it bleeds it leads. Corporate media loves to fill its front pages with the mindless quotes of our modern Iagos while the gullible public believes the lies they are fed.
We read, write and speak of the reprehensible in public life, as if celebrity equals leadership. We know its bad news and it is scary that politics is driven by the lowest common denominator, but we fill the air with this until it becomes very difficult to trust in the power we all have to build better worlds. When love turns to hate, community turns to war.
In the end Othello the hero, murders Desdemona the young beautiful wife whose counsel was loving, calm and wise. His reputation was one of honour, integrity, and good judgement until he allowed Iago's lies to corrupt him.
After Othello sees what he has destroyed he then kills himself.
When we are aware of the evil that mobilizes political power our awareness begins to silence the calm, inner voice of wisdom of love. When we become cynical we look for strongmen rather than good men (or women) to lead us. But they can't because their capacity like Iago is invested in chicanery. They only know how to destroy civil society and replace it with their own narcissistic mirror.
This is happening to democracies all over the world. Can we save our inner Othello before Iago destroys us?
An interesting comparison!
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