O brave Iago, honest and just,
That hast such noble sense of thy friend’s wrong!
Thou teachest me.
– William Shakespeare
Othello, Act 5, Scene 1. Mistakingly believing that Iago has killed Cassio, Othello sings Iago’s praises. The play’s perfect villain and the epitome of dishonesty, Iago is ironically described as being "honest and just." Othello is totally blind to Iago’s deceptive and manipulating nature.