Explore the theme of good and evil in Shakespeare's 'Othello'

Perhaps the greatest evil of Iago is the way in which is he exploits his loyal reputation. Throughout the first two Acts of the play, Iago’s name is regularly preceded by the epithet ‘honest.’ Iago is trusted by Cassio and Othello and his advice is taken to heart. The audience is made to question the value of honesty during Iago’s speech. Cassio is described as an ‘honest fool’ which suggests honesty is synonymous with naivety. Iago suggests that honesty is a negative quality, but in doing so he is presented as evil. He has secured the confidence of Cassio, and subsequently he preys upon his credulity to advance his personal interests. Iago further explores the idea of virtues being vices. His description of Desdemona is initially complimentary referring to her as ‘Th’inclining Desdemona’ which suggests she is sympathetic and shows a desire to help others. However, Iago claims that he will ‘turn her virtue into pitch.’ The sticky nature of pitch suggests that Iago will use Desdemona’s beneficence to lead her into a trap. The sentence structure foreshadows the destruction of Desdemona’s reputation as it transitions from ‘virtue,’ a concept associated with purity, to ‘pitch,’ a black substance with sinister connotations.