PROTAGONIST VS ANTAGONIST

Othello is the protagonist of the story. He is a highly respected general in the Venetian army. He seems to have a good heart and wants to believe the best in everybody. Iago is the antagonist of the story. He is mad that Othello does not make him his lieutenant, and this is the root of all of his evil plans. I would say that, while they both present themselves as wise, honest men, they are foil characters. Iago's appearance is nothing but an act. He tells people what they want to hear in order to get what he wants, and he is not afraid of hurting others in the process. He is a selfish character that brainwashes the other characters into thinking what he wants them to think, such as when he tells Roderigo he will help him win Desdemona, or when he plants the seed that Desdemona is having an affair with Cassio in Othello's mind. He always makes them think that he is helping them, while it's the exact opposite in all reality.