Othello essay - "To what extent is Iago responsible for the tragedy?

The character of Iago in Shakespeare's "Othello" is possibly Shakespeare's darkest character, not because he kills other characters but for his almost supernatural ability to manipulate the other figures of the play. He manipulates the other characters into following their own agendas and all the while coming closer to his goal of bringing Othello to his downfall. However, Iago needs an ally if he is going to destroy Othello, this comes in the form of …

…to exact revenge on Othello because he was overlooked for promotion. However, Iago can only set the trap, Othello must walk into it. Had Othello been a little less trusting and somewhat more astute then the whole tragedy may have been avoided. However, this was not the case, Othello put too much trust in "Honest Iago" who used this trust against him. Ultimately Othello's inner doubts and fears were the causes of his tragic demise.