William Shakespeare
Roderigo has been Iago's assumed ally from the beginning of the story, and he has taken the role of dutiful henchman to Iago's deeds. However, it is in Act IV that he is fed up with Iago, and begins to crack through the mountain of mischief Iago has constructed. The money that Iago had Roderigo save up was used to buy jewels as a gift for Desdemona. Iago told him she accepted the gift as a token of love, but Roderigo saw no signs of such affection. It may be due to his frustration, but Roderigo attacks Iago for his wrongdoings done to Roderigo and no longer believes Iago is the honest man everyone thinks. It is here that Iago shows his greatest act of villainy. Iago even applauds Roderigo for noticing his lies by saying "your suspicion is not without wit...thou hast...purpose, courage, and valor" (Shakespeare 1441). He turns Roderigo back into his favor by baiting him with Desdemona, the very thing he has proven to not have gotten for Roderigo in the past! One would think Roderigo would be wary to follow a man like Iago, but he is blinded by lust, and even agrees to kill a military commander to get to her. Roderigo doesn't even consider the consequences of murder and then the stealing of a general's wife. It is because of this blind loyalty that I believe Iago has dealt with Roderigo for this long. Roderigo will kill Cassio, and Iago will have an easy time of pinning the murder on Roderigo, telling authorities that Roderigo was an insane lunatic, and honest old Iago had nothing to do with it...
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