Iago's War

Iago's constant references to war, create a clear line between himself and his enemies. Many times through out the first few pages of the play, he refers to his former comrades under Othello as "duteous and knee-crooking knave[s]" who are nothing but the offices they serve. His disregard for his enemies makes them seem inhuman and unreal. Iago distorts reality with his creation of a warlike atmosphere. The very nature of his grudge against Othello is warlike. As justification for the wrong he is planning, Iago finds or invents anything that makes Othello seem unworthy of a second thought. In many wars soldiers lock on to the ideas that their enemy is the dark side of human nature. Then, instead of killing another human who may be somewhat like them, they are killing the evil nature of humans.