One of Shakespeare’s most notorious and chilling villains, "Othello" character Iago, is in the spotlight in the second episode of season 2. This character has inspired debate for centuries, and this episodes’ guests — who, at times, have totally different takes on Iago — suggest that the debate will continue. Discussed in this episode is whether “motiveless malignity” is a helpful phrase for understanding Iago, whether or not Iago is a psychopath, and why villain characters continue to captivate.

Guests on this episode are Tony Award-nominated actor Patrick Page ("Hadestown"), who played Iago at Shakespeare Theatre Company in Washington, D.C. in 2005 and is in the midst of performing his solo show "All the Devils Are Here: How Shakespeare Invented the Villain" Off-Broadway; Conor Andrew Hall, who played Iago for New Place Players in Manhattan earlier this year; and Miles Grier, professor at Queens College CUNY and writer of the new book "Inkface: Othello and White Authority in the Era of Atlantic Slavery."