Act I Scene 3 Lines 331-398 How does Iago's dialogue with Roderigo and The soliloquy develop your response to His character?

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Samantha Margetts 12JST

Act I Scene 3 Lines 331-398

How does Iago’s dialogue with Roderigo and

The soliloquy develop your response to

His character?

In these lines, Iago and Roderigo are left alone and Roderigo is depressed at the loss of Desdemona. Iago still needs him for his own means and tries to bring him out of his depression. It is so deep that he says, “I will incontinently drown myself.”  Roderigo is in fact further away from Desdemona, but Iago gives him hope.  Having not known love himself, Iago is surprised and reviled at Roderigo’s state and through his intelligence and powers of persuasion he brings Roderigo back to some sort of normality. He still needs Roderigo’s financial assistance.  He tells Roderigo that Desdemona will soon tire of “the Moor” and will seek a younger lover. Roderigo is persuaded to travel to Cyprus due to the suggestion from Iago that events may turn in both their flavour.  Fate seems to be on Iago’s side, as he has not had to work hard to make events suit his purpose, and he has received help from unexpected quarters.  Roderigo exits, leaving Iago to make a soliloquy, which shows this evil man thinking aloud.  There are several telling lines in his speech.

Concerning Roderigo he says, “Thus do I ever make my fool my purse;” 

So far as Othello is concerned, he says, “But for my sport and profit. I hate the Moor.”

He advises the audience that he will bring Cassio into the plot by saying,

Join now!

“Cassio’s a proper man: let me see now; to get his place, in double knavery.”

He is suggesting here that he will undermine Cassio’s position so that he will lose his office, but he will also use Cassio in order to bring down Othello by concocting lies “to abuse Othello’s ear.” He acknowledges that Othello “is of a free and open nature that thinks men honest that but seem to be so”.  In other words, he is too naïve.

We get Iago’s view of love in the opening lines of his conversation with Roderigo;

It is merely a lust ...

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