A Moral Pyromaniac?

Iago is the logs from which the fire of Shakespeare's Othello burns. He provides the irritation and the fuel to push Othello deeper into the realms of jealousy.

The beginning of the play is swimming in imagery and references to war. The actual war in which the Italians are fighting with the Turks is only the most obvious. There are many other personal wars boiling. "Thou told'st me thou didst hold him in thy hate" (Shakespeare Act 1 Scene 1), Roderigo snivels this to Iago under the cover of a tree, thus in the first ten lines hatred is brought to the light. Roderigo is fighting an unknown war with Othello, while trying desperately to hide behind Iago whom is using him only for his money. Iago mentions war in his first major speech to Roderigo "But he, as loving his own pride and purposes/ Evades them, with a bombast circumstance/ Horribly stuffed with epithets of war" (Shakespear Act 1 Scene 1). Within this samee speech he refers to the battles he has been in with Othello, thus announcing his personal war with Othello. His first speech gives his reasons for the actions in the play.