POWER PLAY: OTHELLO II: THE MODERN TRIAL OF IAGO

After the typically Shakespearian body count is tallied at the end of "Othello, The Moor of Venice," that sneaky, slimy, mischievous and all-around awful person, Iago, is taken into custody for the dread results of his machinations.

Although the play ends before any trial, considering the 16th Century setting, Iago would likely have been swiftly convicted and punished in a particularly nasty and permanent fashion. Avenues of appeal during those days were somewhat limited.

However, I wonder how Iago's trial would play out if handled in today's judicial system.

The national media would love the case.

A trusted lieutenant of a prominent and well-respected war hero manipulates his superior into thinking his wife has been unfaithful, prompting him to kill her and later himself. The lieutenant also murders his own wife -- in front of several witnesses -- when she partially reveals his deceptions. Throw in an attempted murder and scheming that led to the death of a witless confederate and you have a well-rounded and extremely exploitable case.

The media find crimes of passions incredibly fun -- much more interesting than the average, run-of-the-mill, senseless murder. When elements of intrigue, manipulation and jealously come into the picture, the public starts to drool. Rumors start to fly without regard to logic. Hours of talk shows examining the case from every conceivable angle -- and more than a few inconceivable ones -- are sure to follow. It's the sort of thing that allows people to forget their own miserable lives as they gawk at the misfortunes of others.

Plus there are the severe racial undertones. Othello was black. His wife, Desdamona, was white. Iago was white. Nothing makes a modern trial as exciting as severe racial undertones.

The prosecution would paint Iago as a racist who resented taking orders from a black man and who absolutely couldn't stand the idea of inter-racial marriage. While there is no question Iago was motivated by jealousy, his status as a racist may or may not be true. However, when such an obvious race card is dealt, rest assured it will be played.

Although the old adage teaches only a fool has himself for a client, Iago would make an excellent defense attorney -- an orator and manipulator without equal. Unless the wife asks one too many times, "What quarter is it?" while watching hockey, most loving husbands don't quickly convert into homicidal maniacs.

O.J.'s Dream Team has nothing on Iago when it comes to effective use (or misuse) of innuendo and untruths. Planting reasonable doubt in the mind of a jury is all it takes to acquit and this man could have convinced the tribunal at Nuremberg that World War II was just a big misunderstanding.

However, after his schemes had borne their murderous fruit, Iago -- despite the fact that the Miranda warning was almost 400 years away -- said he would remain silent on the subject forever. Assuming his sincerity, the Court TV people would no doubt be extremely upset that the exciting -- and promotable -- prospect of a capital murder defendant representing himself would not come to pass.

Still, since there is always the insanity plea, he would still beat the rap.

Blinded by envy, Iago didn't know what he was doing, the defense argument would go. Yes, twisted by hate, he plotted Othello's downfall. But considering his frame of mind at the time, he was not capable of understanding that what he was doing was wrong. Psycho-babble is a wonderful thing.

And that is how the case would go. A gullible jury hands down a verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity. After a couple years in a state-run mental institution, Iago is declared cured, decides not to remain silent after all and becomes a popular fixture on the lecture circuit.

And nobody would be surprised if he became golfing buddies with a certain ex-jock.

~Marc Powers is a staff writer for the Southeast Missourian.