Act 3 scene iii is a turning point in the play because this is when Iago eventually turns Othello against Cassio and Desdemona. I think that Othello ends up seeing it ‘tunnel vision’: only seeing what Iago tells him, not the possibilities that Iago might be lying.
Act 3 scene iii opens without either Othello or Iago but with Desdemona, Cassio and Emilia. They talk about Iago in a manner to show everyone has trust in him.
It is only by line 30, of the same scene, that Othello and Iago come on and Cassio exits, kissing Desdemona in a way that cannot be classed as a major incident, but Iago says “Ha! I like not that” in a quiet voice but knowingly loud enough that Othello hears it, to make him question what Iago says and not being specific so when Othello does question him, Othello really wants to know, creating confusion.
When Iago is around Othello he speaks in blank verse, yet when he is with Emilia, his own wife, he uses prose, showing that he is as an equal to Othello, but with Emilia showing he is only really at her ‘level’ in real life when not with Othello, by using prose.
Othello’s speech deteriorates gradually as Iago builds up the ideas in Othello’s mind, proceeds to be more violent as the scene goes on, where at the start of the scene he calls his wife, “excellent wretch”, the middle of the scene he calls her a “whore” and by the end of the scene he wants to “tear her all to pieces”. In line 349 Othello uses a rhetorical question showing that what Iago has done has made him doubt himself as well as Desdemona; he also uses parallel sentences “I think my wife be honest, and think she is not;/I think thou art just, and think thou art not”, line 385/6, showing that in his mind he is very confused about what to think of what Iago has told him, Othello’s double negative on line 227, shows again his state of mind: confused and disoriented, but in lines 359 and 364 Iago asks Othello about these questions to try and reassure him and possible to comfort himself. Othello uses war imagery because it is something he can relate to, being a General himself; but, on the other hand, Iago’s language pretty much stayed the same throughout. His language towards his wife, what he calls her, what he says to what she says, etc, is always heartless, “A good wench!” line 315, and suspecting, “How now! What do you do here alone?” line 302. Iago also uses some polite language, but only towards Othello and other important characters: e.g.: “My noble Lord” line 368, “O, grace! O heaven forgive me!”, instead of phrases like “By Janus”: Act 1 scene ii line 33. When Iago tells Othello to “Beware the green-eyed monster”, he uses the imperative as if to ORDER Othello to do it, like he is trying to take over Othello’s rank as well his mind.
Othello, in line 215, shows concern for his ‘friendship’ with Iago by saying that he is “bound to thee forever”; and at the end of the scene Iago shows the same concern, after being promoted, saying “I am your own forever”.
When Othello insults Iago, Iago’s reaction is to pretend to tell himself off, but seems to be frustrated for real.
When Iago speaks some of the time he doesn’t say much even though Othello is rolling off lines and lines, because the less Iago says the more effective it is and the more Othello wants to know. He also uses repetition to make an idea a question, lines 100-107.
Iago relates to jealousy a couple of times in Act 3 scene iii possibly describing himself to the audience.
Too other characters, Iago is a friend, and they all seem to have trust in him. Emilia, his wife, must find something attractive about him because there are hardly many reasons for her to stay with him.
Cassio, Desdemona and Roderigo all see Iago as a friend, Roderigo also sees him as a leader and Iago persuades him to murder Cassio near the end of the play, but he fails, so Iago kills him.
Iago gains reactions from Othello through his speech: what he says and how he says it play very important roles in Iago’s battle to manipulate Othello, even though sometimes he hardly says anything; when he says very little Othello wants to know more and by line 215 Othello completely trusts Iago.
I think Iago is very clever in the way he manipulated Othello; the way he made him believe Desdemona and Cassio were having an affair with no real hard proof, but also how he makes sure that no-one finds out about him lying.
Iain McKellen plays Iago, in Trevor Nunn’s RSC 1989 production, excellently; he mutters in the right places, shouts in the right places, is offensive and defensive towards Othello in the right places, etc. McKellen is probably, in my opinion, the perfect actor for the role.
