Appearance and Deception, Iago as a Satan Figure The play Othello by William Shakespeare we encounter Iago, one of Shakespeare's most evil characters. Iago is an ensign in Othello's army and is jealous of Cassio's promotion to Lieutenant. Through deception and appearance, we see unfolded a plethora of lies and clever schemes. The astonishing thing about Iago is that he seems to make up his malicious schemes as he goes along without any forethought. Iago seizes every opportunity to further advance his plan to his advantage. Greed plays a major role as a motive for his various schemes. Th