--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As his wife, Emilia must know Iago better…" description: "\"“As his wife, Emilia must know Iago better than anybody else. She does not know, any more than the others, that he is malevolent, but she does know tha..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/19f/w-h-auden-2-7412_iago_as-his-wife-emilia-must-know-iago-better_28719.jpg" --- # As his wife, Emilia must know Iago better than anybody… ![“As his wife, Emilia must know Iago better than anybody else. She does not know, any more than the others, that he is malevolent, but she does know that her husband is addicted to practical jokes. What Shakespeare gives us in Iago is a portrait of a practical joker of a peculiarly appalling kind…” quote by W.H. Auden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/19f/w-h-auden-2-7412_iago_as-his-wife-emilia-must-know-iago-better_28719.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/19f/w-h-auden-2-7412_iago_as-his-wife-emilia-must-know-iago-better_28719.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/19f/w-h-auden-2-7412_iago_as-his-wife-emilia-must-know-iago-better_28719.jpg) > ““As his wife, Emilia must know Iago better than anybody else. She does not know, any more than the others, that he is malevolent, but she does know that her husband is addicted to practical jokes. What Shakespeare gives us in Iago is a portrait of a practical joker of a peculiarly appalling kind, and perhaps the best way of approaching the play is by a general consideration of the Practical Joker.”” [W.H. Auden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-h-auden-2/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote suggests that Iago’s malevolence is disguised as a harmless love for practical jokes, urging readers to view him as a twisted joker rather than a straightforward villain. **In simple terms:** Iago is a twisted practical joker. Key Takeaway Seeing Iago as a joker reframes the tragedy. Themes deception character analysis theatrical archetype moral ambiguity humor Mood intrigued critical thoughtful Type analytical interpretive When to use this quote - literary analysis class - theatre director’s rehearsal - psychology of humor - character study essay Key Concepts Iago’s dual nature the role of humor in evil Shakespearean villainy Practical Applications - reinterpreting Iago’s motives - teaching deception in drama Questions to Reflect On - How does labeling Iago a joker change our empathy? - What does this view reveal about the play’s moral structure? A Different Perspective null ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Iago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/iago/) [Marriage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marriage/) [Practical joke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/practical-joke/) ## Related quotes > [“Iago’s treatment of Othello conforms to Bacon’s definition of scientific enquiry as putting Nature to the Question. If a member of the audience were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-h-auden-2/iago-s-treatment-of-othello-conforms-to-bacon-s-definition-of/) [W.H. Auden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-h-auden-2/) > [“As for Iago’s jealousy, one cannot believe that a seriously jealous man could behave towards his wife as Iago behaves towards Emilia, for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-h-auden-2/as-for-iago-s-jealousy-one-cannot-believe-that-a-seriously-jealous/) [W.H. Auden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-h-auden-2/) > [“All practical jokes, friendly, harmless or malevolent, involve deception, but not all deceptions are practical jokes. The two men digging up the street, for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-h-auden-2/all-practical-jokes-friendly-harmless-or-malevolent-involve-deception/) [W.H. Auden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-h-auden-2/) > [“Practical jokes are a demonstration that the distinction between seriousness and play is not a law of nature but a social convention which can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-h-auden-2/practical-jokes-are-a-demonstration-that-the-distinction-between/) [W.H. Auden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-h-auden-2/) > [“The practical joker despises his victims, but at the same time he envies them because their desires, however childish and mistaken, are real to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-h-auden-2/the-practical-joker-despises-his-victims-but-at-the-same-time-he/) [W.H. Auden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-h-auden-2/) > [Othello' was my first Shakespearean discovery. I was obsessed with drama at school, and I studied the play for my English GCSE. Desdemona is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-dockery/othello-was-my-first-shakespearean-discovery-i-was-obsessed-with/) [Michelle Dockery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-dockery/) > [“Coleridge’s description of Iago’s actions as "motiveless malignancy" applies in some degree to all the Shakespearian villains. The adjective motiveless means, firstly, that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-h-auden-2/coleridge-s-description-of-iago-s-actions-as-motiveless-malignancy/) [W.H. Auden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-h-auden-2/) > [“For when my outward action doth demonstrate The native act and figure of my heart In complement extern 'tis not long after But I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/for-when-my-outward-action-doth-demonstrate-the-native-act-and-figure/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Iago is the dominant trance state of our planet. It influences our relationships, our sexuality, our parenting, and our attempts to relax. It permeates…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arjuna-ardagh/iago-is-the-dominant-trance-state-of-our-planet-it-influences-our/) [Arjuna Ardagh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arjuna-ardagh/) > [“In scenes like these, any man could be Iago.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/in-scenes-like-these-any-man-could-be-iago/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [“Iago shrugged his furry shoulders. “As you like. Saves me the work of picking the lock with my incisor.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherynne-m-valente/iago-shrugged-his-furry-shoulders-as-you-like-saves-me-the-work-of/) [Catherynne M. Valente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherynne-m-valente/) > [What makes Iago evil? Some people ask. I never ask.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-didion/what-makes-iago-evil-some-people-ask-i-never-ask/) [Joan Didion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-didion/) > [“Shakespeare's Iago could be played as a soul in hell, driven, dark and desperate, willing to do anything, willing to use anyone, in order…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-lee-guhrke/shakespeare-s-iago-could-be-played-as-a-soul-in-hell-driven-dark-and/) [Laura Lee Guhrke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-lee-guhrke/) > [IAGO: She that was ever fair and never proud, Had tongue at will and yet was never loud, Never lack'd gold and yet went…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/iago-she-that-was-ever-fair-and-never-proud-had-tongue-at-will-and/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“if I were the Moor I wouldn't want to be Iago.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/if-i-were-the-moor-i-wouldn-t-want-to-be-iago/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) ## More by W.H. 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Auden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-h-auden-2/) > [“In any first-class work of art, you can find passages that in themselves are extremely boring, but try to cut them out, as they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-h-auden-2/in-any-first-class-work-of-art-you-can-find-passages-that-in/) [W.H. Auden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-h-auden-2/) > [“Healing is not a science, but the intuitive art of wooing nature.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-h-auden-2/healing-is-not-a-science-but-the-intuitive-art-of-wooing-nature/) [W.H. Auden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-h-auden-2/) > [“For a desert island, one would choose a good dictionary rather than the greatest literary masterpiece imaginable, for, in relation to its readers, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-h-auden-2/for-a-desert-island-one-would-choose-a-good-dictionary-rather-than/) [W.H. Auden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-h-auden-2/) > [“Sorry, my dear, one mustn't be bohemian!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-h-auden-2/sorry-my-dear-one-mustn-t-be-bohemian/) [W.H. Auden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-h-auden-2/) > [“Our hunting fathers told the story Of the sadness of the creatures, Pitied the limits and the lack Set in their finished features; Saw…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-h-auden-2/our-hunting-fathers-told-the-story-of-the-sadness-of-the-creatures/) [W.H. Auden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-h-auden-2/) > [“After Portia has trapped Shylock through his own insistence upon the letter of the law of Contract, she produces another law by which any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-h-auden-2/after-portia-has-trapped-shylock-through-his-own-insistence-upon-the/) [W.H. Auden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-h-auden-2/) > [“Iago’s treatment of Othello conforms to Bacon’s definition of scientific enquiry as putting Nature to the Question. If a member of the audience were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-h-auden-2/iago-s-treatment-of-othello-conforms-to-bacon-s-definition-of/) [W.H. Auden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-h-auden-2/) > [“But round your image there is no fog, and the Earth can still astonish.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-h-auden-2/but-round-your-image-there-is-no-fog-and-the-earth-can-still-astonish/) [W.H. Auden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-h-auden-2/) > [“O dear white children casual as birds, Playing among the ruined languages, So small beside their large confusing words, So gay against the greater…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-h-auden-2/o-dear-white-children-casual-as-birds-playing-among-the-ruined/) [W.H. Auden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-h-auden-2/) [Explore all 89 W.H. Auden quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-h-auden-2/) ## More Iago quotes > [“if I were the Moor I wouldn't want to be Iago.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/if-i-were-the-moor-i-wouldn-t-want-to-be-iago/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“Iago’s treatment of Othello conforms to Bacon’s definition of scientific enquiry as putting Nature to the Question. If a member of the audience were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-h-auden-2/iago-s-treatment-of-othello-conforms-to-bacon-s-definition-of/) [W.H. Auden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-h-auden-2/) > [“Coleridge’s description of Iago’s actions as "motiveless malignancy" applies in some degree to all the Shakespearian villains. The adjective motiveless means, firstly, that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-h-auden-2/coleridge-s-description-of-iago-s-actions-as-motiveless-malignancy/) [W.H. Auden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-h-auden-2/) > [IAGO: She that was ever fair and never proud, Had tongue at will and yet was never loud, Never lack'd gold and yet went…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/iago-she-that-was-ever-fair-and-never-proud-had-tongue-at-will-and/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“Shakespeare's Iago could be played as a soul in hell, driven, dark and desperate, willing to do anything, willing to use anyone, in order…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-lee-guhrke/shakespeare-s-iago-could-be-played-as-a-soul-in-hell-driven-dark-and/) [Laura Lee Guhrke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-lee-guhrke/) > [Iago is the dominant trance state of our planet. It influences our relationships, our sexuality, our parenting, and our attempts to relax. It permeates…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arjuna-ardagh/iago-is-the-dominant-trance-state-of-our-planet-it-influences-our/) [Arjuna Ardagh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arjuna-ardagh/) > [“For when my outward action doth demonstrate The native act and figure of my heart In complement extern 'tis not long after But I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/for-when-my-outward-action-doth-demonstrate-the-native-act-and-figure/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“In scenes like these, any man could be Iago.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/in-scenes-like-these-any-man-could-be-iago/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [“Iago shrugged his furry shoulders. “As you like. Saves me the work of picking the lock with my incisor.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherynne-m-valente/iago-shrugged-his-furry-shoulders-as-you-like-saves-me-the-work-of/) [Catherynne M. Valente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherynne-m-valente/) > [What makes Iago evil? Some people ask. I never ask.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-didion/what-makes-iago-evil-some-people-ask-i-never-ask/) [Joan Didion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-didion/) > [“How poor are they that have not patience! What wound did ever heal but by degrees? Iago”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/how-poor-are-they-that-have-not-patience-what-wound-did-ever-heal-but/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“Iago, on the other hand, seems to be malice personified, a manifestation of manifold vice with no discernible vestiges of grace.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/williiam-shakespeare/iago-on-the-other-hand-seems-to-be-malice-personified-a-manifestation/) Williiam Shakespeare > [“Virtue? A fig! 'Tis in ourselves that we are thus or thus.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/virtue-a-fig-tis-in-ourselves-that-we-are-thus-or-thus/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“Perhaps the most crucial choice we make in life is who to trust.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stewart-stafford/perhaps-the-most-crucial-choice-we-make-in-life-is-who-to-trust/) [Stewart Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stewart-stafford/) > [“As for Iago’s jealousy, one cannot believe that a seriously jealous man could behave towards his wife as Iago behaves towards Emilia, for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-h-auden-2/as-for-iago-s-jealousy-one-cannot-believe-that-a-seriously-jealous/) [W.H. Auden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-h-auden-2/) [Browse all 23 Iago quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/iago/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“As his wife, Emilia must know Iago better than anybody else. She does not know, any more than the others, that he is malevolent, but she does know that her husband is addicted to practical jokes. What Shakespeare gives us in Iago is a portrait of a practical joker of a peculiarly appalling kind, and perhaps the best way of approaching the play is by a general consideration of the Practical Joker.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "W.H. 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