The audience that Othello is an angry man and “rash as fire” by his behaviour towards Iago. “If thou dost slander her and torture me then thou hast, better been born a dog than answer my wak’d wrath”. This show that Othello can’t comprehend it that his wife might be cheating on him so he is taking his anger out on others. An example of that is he takes his anger out on Iago, who he believes to be his friend.
However, he is not “rash” as fire because he resists the urges. He shows this when he is in conversation with Iago. “I’ll not believe it”. Here Othello is trying to imply that he doesn’t believe Iago fully until he sees the ‘evidence’ in the form of the handkerchief. This shows that he still trust s his wife. He is saying she is as pure as a goddess and if she isn’t then heaven isn’t so perfect when he says “if she be false then heaven mock itself”.
He also proves he trusts his wife. “I’ll se before I doubt”. He still wants evidence before doing anything. “When I doubt, prove”. This shows that Othello doesn’t have complete faith in Iago.
The audience cannot really blame Othello for being “rash as fire” as Iago keeps provoking his temper. Iago convinces Othello of Desdemona’s and Cassio’s guilt by using different techniques.
To convince Othello, Iago plants circumstantial evidences in order to make Othello think that something is really going on between Cassio and Desdemona. He steals Desdemona's handkerchief and leaves it in Cassio’s bedroom. “Such a handkerchief did I see Cassio wipe his beard with”. This helps Iago prove Desdemona's infidelity as it will give Othello evidence. “Trifle…are to the jealous confirmation strong as proofs of holy writ”.
Furthermore, Iago is reticence and implies he is withholding information. He acts like he doesn’t want to say anything. “Should you do so…speech should fall in vile success”. This entices Othello to say “I pray thee speak to me as to thy thinking”. This makes it seem like Iago is trustworthy because he seems to want to protect his friend, when really he wants to get Othello to hate him. “Oft my jealousy shapes faults that are not”.
Iago start to lie outright. However he only does this after he has largely convinced Othello. He says that he heard Cassio talking to Desdemona in his sleep. “Sweet Desdemona … let us hide our love”. This is a blatant lie but Othello is fooled and believes him. He falls into Iago’s trap.
It works as he creates hideous images of Cassio and Desdemona. This is when Othello for the first time concludes that Desdemona is ‘gone’. His trust and faith in his marital happiness fades into the belief he has been rejected by Desdemona.
A technique that works very well with Othello is when Iago implies he knows more than he does, making leading statements. He first introduces the topic by deliberately leading a question for Othello to ask rather than stating the full facts thus playing on Othello’s paranoia. “Did Michael Cassio, when you woo’d my lady know of your love?” This makes Othello wonder why he would want to know that. He later serves to make Othello think of Desdemona. Iago is clever and subtle in his tricks; Othello cannot be blamed for believing him. Later, when Othello is convinced, he reinforces his ‘honesty’ by saying “perhaps you mind might change”. He does this because he knows Othello won’t.
Another skill which works well is making Othello angry on purpose. Iago uses graphical language to make Othello picture Desdemona and Cassio in compromising situation. “Would’st thou… grossily grape on behold her topp’ed?” This gets Othello worked up. He uses shocking and profane language such as “prime as goat, hot as monkey” by saying this Othello believes Iago and becomes all senseless and wrathful. “Thou had’st better been born a dog than answer my wak’d rath”. This makes Othello irrational and witless.
The audience may also consider the social and historical background to be a reason. During the time when the play was written, many events were taking place (we can see hints of this in the play).
When Othello was convinced that Desdemona was cheating him, he decided he would kill her. Divorce was not an option for him as the pope, who was at time was the most important man in Europe, would not allow Othello to divorce Desdemona without a trial. Othello didn’t want to do this as he would have to prove Desdemona guilty of infidelity. Othello didn’t want to do this as he still loved Desdemona with all his heart and thought Desdemona cheated him.
Another point we must consider is that when the play was written there was a good deal of racism and mis-trust for non-Christians. Shakespeare’s audience may have seen moors as barbarous heathens. This would explain his propensity for violence. Consequently coloured people such as Venetians were given fewer rights as they were regarded as barbarians. Such barbarians would react violently, because they were uncivilised. “O blood, blood, blood!” Othello’s Moorish heritage may also have influenced his anger at the loss of the handkerchief as he actually believed in its magic. “Tis true. There is a magic in the web of it”.
Othello having been a soldier since he was 7 and then a general, meaning he spent his life in the army and therefore he didn’t know women well. He was also an outsider to the Venetian society and so it made it easier for Iago to convince Othello. “In Venice they do let god see the pranks they do not show their husbands”.
A number of factors contribute to the killing of Desdemona and Cassio. One of the major reasons influencing Othello's decision is Iago’s numerous lies and his way of manipulating and confusing Othello. These play a major part as, if Iago hadn’t lied to Othello, he wouldn’t have thought his wife betrayed him.
Another factor that led to Desdemona’s and Cassio’s killing is that the fact that in his personal life he knew nothing about women. Iago took advantage of this and lies outright. Iago’s lies wouldn’t have worked if Othello had trust in him. If divorce was an option he probably would have considered it letting Desdemona live her life. Another reason that Othello was harsh was because that’s what moors were considered to be.
