Soliloquies are used throughout Shakespearean tragedies in order to allow characters to disclose their innermost thoughts and feelings. Iago, then 'defies convention is an ironic character as he is duplicitous even when alone. Iago's soliloquies serve the purpose of creating dramatic irony and developing his motives and plot. There are many similarities between the two soliloquies present in Act 1, Scene 3 and Act 2, Scene 1 but there are also contrasts. Most noticeably Iagos transformation from typical Machiavellian villain, whom the audience feel complicity towards, to a more severe, deceitful murderer.
This transformation is evident in the difference of structure and diction in the soliloquies. Iago's first soliloquy is divisible in to three sections, each outlining a different motive. Line 381 up to the caesura in line 385 hints at the wealth motive by using diction associated with money 'expend', 'profit'. …
