"These fellows" that flatter for their own purposes "have some soul," Iago says; there is a double irony in this statement that Iago passes off as a truth (54). People who act one way and are another are duplicitous, and scarcely deserve the credit that Iago is trying to give them. Also, Iago, though he is one of those fellows, seems to have no soul; he never repents, never lets up with his schemes, and never seems to tire of the damaging whatever he is able to. "In following [Othello] I follow but myself," Iago also professes; this is a paradox in terms, but is revealing of Iago's purposes in serving Othello. His language is also revealing of his dark character; he uses the cliché "I will wear my heart upon my sleeve" to convey how his heart is false, and his shows of emotion are also falsified (64). But, he turns this cliché into something more dark and fierce, when he adds the image of the birds tearing at this heart; already, he has foreshadowed the great deceptions that he will engineer, and the sinister qualities that make up his core.
The key to Iago's character is in the line "I am not what I am"; Roderigo should take this as a warning, but fails to. Everything which Iago presents himself as is a false show; even here, he pretends to be less evil than he truly is, though this first scene represents the peak of Iago's honesty about himself with another character. “Iago is parallel to another character, Richard III, in his self-awareness about his villainous character, and in his also parallel lack of remorse and use of false representations of himself.” ()
Already, the racial issues and themes which are at the core of Othello's story and position are beginning to surface. When Roderigo refers to Othello, he calls him "the thick lips"; the stereotype, singling out one prominent characteristic that highlights Othello's foreignness and black heritage, displays a racial distrust of Othello based on his colour. Roderigo and Iago are not the only characters to display racism when referring to Othello; racism is a pervasive theme within the play, spreading misconceptions and lies about Othello by tying him to incorrect stereotypes about his race.
Another element that surfaces repeatedly in the play is the use of animal imagery; "an old black ram is tupping your white ewe," Iago yells to Brabantio from the street (88-9). The use of animal imagery is used in many places in the play to convey immorality, almost bestial desire, and illicit passion, as it does in this instance. Iago also compares Othello to a "Barbary horse" coupling with Desdemona, and uses animal imagery to reinforce a lustful picture of Othello, before this scene is finished. Iago's statement is doubly potent, since it not only condemns Othello for his alleged lust, but also plays on Brabantio's misgivings about Othello's colour, and outsider status. The contrast of black and white, in connection with the animal imagery, is meant to make this image very repellent, and to inflame Brabantio to anger and action.
Iago especially mentions the devil many times in the text, the first time here in the first scene. He means to make Othello sound like a devil, with his lust, indiscretion, and strangeness to Venice; the irony is that Iago is so quick to make others out to be evil, when it is he who is the centre of blackness and foul deeds in the play. The devil often takes disguises, just as Iago does; he is as close to a devil as there is in this play, though, again embodying the theme of appearance versus reality, he is the one who looks least guilty.
Important to this scene is the fact that it is held in darkness; like the beginning of Hamlet, things are unsteady and eerie, and a certain disorder rules over the proceedings. With Brabantio's call for light, there is a corresponding call for some kind of order; darkness versus light and order versus disorder are important conflicts within the play, and as themes they highlight the status of situations like this one. This theme will appear again at the end, as the play returns to darkness, and also to chaos; the two seem inextricably linked in the body of the play, and always battle with one another.
The pace of the scene heightens the dramatic effect, mainly due to the quick movement through the scene. The rush to Brabantio’s house is very quick, and Iago’s plan is put into place almost immediately. Although Iago is there during the conversation with Brabantio, he plays very little part in it, preferring to let Roderigo to do all the talking, thus not incriminating himself at all. The small suggestions of Iago’s plans also add to the drama, as, at this point in the play, the reader does not know exactly what is going to happen, just that it will come from Iago’s direction, and cause major havoc and disruption to Othello. The implications heighten the feeling of tension for the reader. The scene grows increasingly climactic, mainly due to Brabantio’s rage, but does not reach a climax at this point, forcing the reader to carry on in order to see the result of this climactic effect.
