'Iago's Luck' raises interesting questions

On Tuesday, March 31, many faculty members attended Professor Glen Cannon Arbery's lecture titled "Iago's Luck: The Question of Providence in Othello" in La Maison Francaise. His lecture reflected the question of whether or not providence, the workings of fate by a divine being, apply to Iago in Othello. Arbery answers that Iago is seen as an artist and counter playwright in a form of human providence through comical events in the play. Iago remains in the background, replacing the divine figure for the human one. "In other plays, what A.C. Bradley calls 'the guiding power', Shakespeare doesn't hesitate to call providence," Arbery said. He argued that Shakespeare's plays contain many forms of providence in the religious and Christian sense through plays like Julius Caesar, Hamlet and The Tempest. But, he believes that this idea of providence is consciously absent in Othello, due to its tragic nature and its devious antagonist Iago.

Arbery added, "one can't be helped but be struck by the good luck of a character generally acknowledged to embody pure evil." Arbery credits Iago for his skill as a mastermind behind his deception and trickery towards many characters in the play. Events such as Desdemona's dropping of her handkerchief, Cassio's drunkenness in front of Othello and Bianca's roles all fall to Iago at perfect moments, such moments are at times seemingly too perfect. This raises the question, as Arbery believes, that there could be a sense of providence working in the play.

"The play puts Iago's good fortune before us as a question. Is it merely luck? ...Or fate of some description? Or if providence is at work in the world of the play, why does it seek the favor of Iago?" questions Arbery. The answer seems to place the play in a view that the providence occurring is not tragic but comic; not divine but human. Here, Arbery reflected on Machiavelli and how this thinker took the place of a providential God. He referred to a "comic thrust of providential order" and questioned whether Shakespeare uses Othello's tragic qualities as a caution against the idea of depending on providence. Scenes such as Desdemona's "second death" seem to show a sense of comedy in its impossibility.

Arbery argues that Machiavelli's satirical play Mandragola serves as a "comic template" for this idea of providence in Othello. It is a providence that ends in, what Arbery argues, comic endings. The human comedy of Machiavelli replaces the divine comedy of Christian literary works.

"The princely manager becomes the source of order," stated Arbery in his explanation of a new idea of providence. He argued that there is a "reconstruction of Christian providence" thanks to Iago and his ability to create misery between the characters.

Arbery added, "the smartest man becomes the providence behind comic resolutions." Iago plays a major role as a form of human providence in a comic medium and he becomes the person working behind the scenes, seemingly as his own providential god. Yet, he doesn't follow benevolence in his aims. Unlike the providential God of Christians, Iago is driven by jealousy of rank to Othello. Iago, Arbery noted, brings evil out of good events and rebels by spoiling the happiness of others.

Later in the lecture, Arbery discussed Iago in terms of an artist and counter-playwright within Othello. There is an idea of a play within a play because of Iago's scheming and creation of roles to be carried out by the many characters in the play. Iago again becomes his own type of providence as he watches most of his schemes coming to fruition. This follows Arbery's idea of Iago as an artist and the tragedy of Othello and Desdemona his own work of art.

The d'Alzon professor also reflected on how Iago, while seemingly lucky, does meet his own demise by the failure of his plans. As an artist, creating his tragic play, Iago is unable to bring all of his scenes to reality, leading to his death. The final scene, the death of Othello, Desdemona and Iago, proves to be the "monstrous birth" of Iago's art.

The idea of providence in Othello follows not a divine providence led by a benevolent God, but of a human providence led by a malicious, jealous character named Iago who seeks tragedy through seemingly comic results. In the lecture, Arbery concluded that while providence does seem to play a part in the work, it is not the same in a Christian sense. While Iago was lucky in making his play manifest, he doesn't succeed in brining it to the conclusion that he wanted.