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IAGO(Othello)

From the little I know about Shakespeare and his plays, Iago stands out as particularly influential(although I think Prince Hamlet can be considered a great villain as well. I read a book about Shakespeare writen by Issac Asimov of all people, who argues that Hamlets cruelty outweighs his virtuous moments). The only other one I know as particulary sadisitic is Richard III. To make a long story short, Othello concerns the petty jealousy that consumes Iago, as he was pased over for a promotion to Cassio, a younger soldier. Over the course of the play, Iago makes manipulation look like an art form. He costs Cassio his job and causes Othello to turn against his wife, Desdermona. He does his best to make Roderigo look like a traitor. He kills his own wife(could this be similar to Nero killing his mother?). I better stop before I make a big fool of myself, because I'm definatly not a scholor of Shakespeare, I'm basing any interpretations on my own amateur observations and the aformentioned Asimov book. Iago is probably the most clearly defined villain from a playwright who is known for adding more then the necessary dose of humanity into his characters. Iago, is probably influenced by Cain from the Bible, as well as probably Satan himself in the garden of Eden story. Iago always knew the right thing to say, as everyone is always calling him honest and forthwright. The character Othello, and for the most part all the other main characters, are noble, and I think how they refer to Iago as the standard bearer of trustworthieness might be Will inserting references to the most dramatic book of all time. Not even the plays concerning Oedipus(which I have read) or any othe other big Greek tragedies were as powerful as the Bible, because at the end of the day,ancient Greek theological thought is much more pragmatic then the Bible, which is ideological.So Iago is clearly intended to be an amoral parasite that ruins the lives of many people, which is a concept that has been used in many stories since(like in Amadeus for example), and who knows how much of this was influnced by this play?

Personally, my favorite comic book villain is Galactus, being all omnipresent and such, and Magneto