The Role of Iago | Othello | Royal Shakespeare Company

Lucian Msamati discusses the character; Iago in Iqbal Khan's production of Othello with the Royal Shakespeare Company.
Royal Shakespeare Theatre 4 June - 28 August 2015
Othello will be broadcast live in cinemas in the UK on 26 August 2015
#RSCOthello

[@undead_corsair]

One of the best villains ever written. I don't think racism comes into Iago's motivation, he only uses it in his speeches and soliloquy's to emphasize his hatred of Othello, what motivates Iago is jealousy, the central theme of the play, and that's a far more common thing, perhaps then also far more dangerous.

[@brandonburrell8517]

I've always wanted to play Iago.

[@sullyb23511]

Brandon Burrell I've always wanted to play Othello.

[@brandonburrell8517]

William Sullivan Let's do it.

[@sullyb23511]

:-)

[@tomashize]

Make it happen!

[@johnsabin1235]

You can play him in real life you know? That’s an option too.

[@LowellMorgan]

I always thought Iago was too smart to be racist. Of course he’s one of those characters actors will play any way they want, they can have fun with him like Hamlet, in ways you can’t play with a role like Othello or King Lear.

[@kxmode]

Interesting. Most of the plays I've seen always has Iago acted by a white man. This really changes the dynamic.

[@oscarlorde2145]

Sahllador Saan

[@sallysmith920]

The character of Iago is bad, whatever colour he is.

[@JMrealgamer]

We need to keep the stories as they were meant to be told. Shakespeare deliberately told that story like that for a reason. The Moors fell in Europe because there were racist people that didn’t like them. That’s also why the Moors history and contributions were almost erased from history. The Caste system from Spain was also very bad. You can look up all that info. So I have to disagree with it wasn’t racist. Europe had a good thing going then they bit the hands that fed them. There is a reason the rebel (that archetype) is popular today.

[@johnsabin1235]

The Moors weren’t good people by any stretch of the imagination. They were great at war and slavery. That was their bread and butter and Catholic Knights put them to the sword.

[@JMrealgamer]

@@johnsabin1235 the Catholics were some of the worst warmongers ever. So that’s not much of a triumph seeing as how they would kill people blessed by God who could heal people with the HolyGhost in them because they thought they were witches. Made people pay money to make sure their loved ones made it safely out of purgatory which Martin Luther later proved that was utter nonsense. They tried to take over the world at one point and hide the truth of the word of the Most High God from everyone. They put the Moors to the sword is a good thing? Really? I’ll let you contemplate that for awhile. And if that wasn’t enough have you ever seen the evil place below the Vatican? Why would those evil statues and dark relics be under there? All Catholicism is is pagan worship mixed terribly with what little bits of Christianity they have literally stolen. That’s why popes and high people in that church can be gay and it’s okay. It’s not the real good news (gospel) I hate to burst your bubble. The moors may have not been perfect but what nation of people is? I’m no Muslim so I disagree with them there but the Catholics killing them makes nothing better.

[@claudeyaz]

It wasn't so much as a racist reason it was a great cultural conflict.. Plenty of Moore's descendants survived, the ones who adapt it to the culture and language

[@JMrealgamer]

@@claudeyaz yes cultural conflict. It’s another way to say prejudice and or racist things going on. No need to sugar coat it. I’m not mad at you. Just don’t bs me. Call it what it is. You ever seen the Caste System? That’s based on skin color my friend.

[@tomashize]

Thos dude is a brilliant actor. Never thought of a black Iago before. Very interesting.