The beginning of the scene is where Iago’s plan comes into action. He uses the moment where Cassio exits to start manipulating Othello into believing Cassio and Desdemona are having an affair.
Iago: Ha! I like not that.
Othello: What dost thou say?
Iago: Nothing my lord or if -I know not what?
Othello: Was not that Cassio parted from my wife?
Iago: Cassio, my lord? No, sure I cannot think it.
That he would steal-away so guilty-like
Seeing you coming.
Iago raises his voice and uses the word ‘Ha’ to grab and draw Othello’s attention to Cassio’s exit. When Othello then asks Iago to repeat himself, Iago dodges the question and uses the phrase ‘or if’ to pretend he knows nothing unless Othello is picking up on Cassio’s swift exit. This is where Iago starts to plant the idea that Cassio must have left quickly as he saw Othello to hide something. This part of the scene should be played as Othello and Iago enter, they see Cassio talking quietly to Desdemona and then when Cassio sees them he leaves, and that is where Iago says ‘Ha’. Iago should speak quickly and in a slurred voice as he tries to be evasive and dodge Othello’s questions when he asks if it was Cassio that left.
Soon after, Desdemona picks pleas with Othello to give Cassio his job back and because of his love for her, he does.
Othello: I will deny thee nothing
This shows Othello giving into Desdemona’s pleas to give Cassio his job back and the phrase to Iago ‘ But I do love thee’ shows that he only gave Cassio his job back because his love Desdemona asked him. Seconds later after Desdemona and Emilia leave Iago picks up on Desdemona’s pleas and uses this to bring up Cassio’s exit again. Here Othello questions Cassio’s honesty.
Othello: Is he not honest?
Iago: Honest, my lord?
Othello: Honest? Ay, honest.
Iago: My lord, for aught I know.
Othello: What dost thou think?
Iago: Think, my lord?
Othello: Think, my lord! By heaven, he echoes me
Iago here is again cunning as he uses questions to answer Othello’s questions. “Honest, my lord?’ and ‘Think, my lord?’ show Iago again being evasive as he tries to avoid Othello and pretend to wonder why Othello is even questioning Cassio. Towards the end of this speech, Othello gets fed up with Iago and shouts ‘he echoes me’. This part of the scene should be played with Iago and Othello speaking quietly in the middle of the stage in conversation. And when Othello says ‘By heaven, he echoes me’ his voice and tone should get louder and more aggressive.
Later in the scene Iago makes his first reference to the possibility that something may be going on between Desdemona and Cassio and links it into Desdemona already being unfaithful to her father for when she left him with Othello.
Iago: Receive it from me. I speak not yet of proof.
Look to your wife, observe her well with Cassio
The first part of this phrase ‘I speak not yet of proof’ shows Iago implying he thinks something may be going on but can’t prove it and then says ‘Look to your wife, observe her well with Cassio’ to plant the idea that she may be cheating on Othello and draw Othello back to the image of Cassio’s swift exit earlier in the scene. This is where Othello may now start to question Desdemona’s loyalty to him. In this part of the scene Othello and Iago would again be standing in the middle of the stage with Iago speaking in a soft calm tone to show to Othello that there may be something going on and he is only telling him this because he views Othello as a good friend.
Iago then begins to offer Othello reasons for the Desdemona’s cheating by bringing up the fact that Othello is black. We know Iago does not like the fact Othello is black so this reason shows Iago is being deceiving. The phrase ‘match you with her country forms’ gives Othello a genuine reason to believe that Desdemona may be cheating. Othello starts to believe Desdemona wants a white man, and therefore no longer loves him and seeks Cassio instead. After this Othello starts to doubt Desdemona for the first time and tells Iago to spy on Desdemona.
Othello: If more thou dost perceive let me know more;
Set on they wife to observe…
Why did I marry?.....
…If she be false, O heaven mocks itself;
I’ll not believe it
This shows Othello’s doubt of Desdemona getting Iago to spy on her and when he questions why he married it shows he does now believe that she has cheated. The end part of this quote shows Othello’s confusion as he says ‘I’ll not believe it’ but has sent Iago to spy on Desdemona. This part of the played out with Othello repeatedly questioning himself and walking around quickly alone on stage. The dramatic irony is we know this is not the case and the audience would be urging Othello not to listen to Iago and would not start to question his integrity.
Near the end of the scene, Iago tells Othello of ‘Cassio’s Sexual Fantasy’ of Desdemona in his sleep
Iago: In sleep I heard him say, ‘Sweet Desdemona,
Let us be wary, let us hide our loves.’
...Cry, ‘O sweet creature!’ and then kiss me hard,
...That grew upon my lips; then laid his leg
...Cried, ‘Cursèd fate and gave thee to the Moor’
Othello: O monstrous, monstrous!
This shows Iago fake story, which gets Othello angry and is the final straw. Othello will now want revenge and this is what leads to his downfall. Iago has got his plan to work. This part would be acted out with Othello throwing something on the floor in disgust and him speaking very angrily about revenge.
In conclusion, Iago bit by bit deceives Othello. He cleverly wins his trust when he first tells Othello to observe his wife very carefully with Cassio and then once he realises he has Othello’s trust he uses this to make up lies of hearing Cassio talking about Desdemona. He is very cunning. For the most dramatic effect, many parts of the play should be played with Iago and Othello speaking quietly in the middle of the stage and when Othello hears something to do with Desdemona cheating he should raise he voice and speak more aggressively. The audience knows Iago is up to no good in this scene as they can see Othello is gullible and can see Iago exploiting this. In addition, they know there was no ‘fantasy’ and because of this, the audience begin to hate Iago more and sympathise with Othello.
