In 1604, Shakespeare presented Othello to the world.  The year before, in 1603, the Scottish king, James, ascended the throne of England.  Othello is an adaptation of earlier stories, but Shakespeare applied his genius to greatly deepen the human drama.  Shakespeare needed to create a villain who was the ultimate evil.  At the time, Spain was England's mortal enemy.  Therefore, the villain must be Spanish.  If the wise, benevolent, and pious James was the epitome of rectitude, why, then, the Spanish villain must be the polar opposite of James. The name "James" is the Scottish (and sometimes English) equivalent of the Hebrew Jacob.  In Spain, James is "Iago."  Othello's Spanish villain must therefore be Iago – the antithesis of James. Throughout the play, until the very end, Iago does no physical harm to anyone.  His wounds, deep though they are, are made with words.  Iago...(Read Full Post)