During Act 2 Scene 1, Iago has a scene of bawdy jesting with Desdemona, shown particularly effectively in the Mckellen version. In this version the interest is maintained for the audience through the directing and the characters wipe their faces with towels due to the heat and so forth as they deliver the lines. Here Iago assumes the role of the bluff, coarse, genial soldier and takes the opportunity to slander women “Sir would she give you so much of her lips/as of her tongue/she oft bestows on me/you would have enough”. Cassio and Desdemona, believing that he is honest, do not take him seriously as they believe he is an amusement “These are old fond paradoxes to make fools laugh in the alehouse” and “He speaks home madam/you may relish him more in the soldier/than in the scholar”.
The ensign is ironically able to speak in an openly cynical and misogynistic way, and take others in “If she be fair and wise/fairness and wit/the one’s for use/the other using it”. The audience however know better and ago alarms rather than entertains us as these misogynistic views are very close to those he expresses in his soliloquies and ion Act 5 Scene 2 when he is unmasked. We realise that he should be feared. Is he so powerful, so much in control that he is even able to get away with pretending to pretend? The reunion of Othello and Desdemona should be of great joy, and we should value it. However Iago’s presence and cynical comments undermines and taints the joy and relief of the other characters “Oh you are well tun’d now/but I’ll set down the pegs that make this music/as honest as I am”. Unlike the other characters who use the word “honest” genuinely, Iago uses it ironically.
During Act 2 Scene 3, it is clear that Othello believes Iago ay be trusted “Iago is most honest” and Cassio as well “Not tonight good Iago”, “Good night honest Iago” and “Iago hath direction what to do”. Iago enjoys his ability to hoodwink the other characters into believing that he is honest. He plays a number of roles in this scene, urging Cassio to drink and join the celebrations, standing back with Montano to observe and mediate, feigning reluctance to incriminate Cassio “Touch me not so near/I had rather have this tongue cut from my mouth/than it should do offence to Michael Cassio” and finally being the helpful friend to Cassio, giving the lieutenant plausible, practical advice “Our General’s wife is now the General/confess yourself freely to her”. Othello, trusting Iago is totally taken in “I know Iago/thy honesty and love doth mince this matter/making it light to Cassio” and Cassio accepts Iago’s advice “You advise me well”.
Iago’s self justification of himself is one may argue a twisted form of Cassio’s “Do not think gentlemen that I am drunk” speech; “And what’s he then that says I play the villain/when this advice is free I give and honest?” This advice is good if it had not been given for wicked reasons. In the Mckellen version Iago is shown to cover Cassio with a blanket when delivering this advice. Likewise he massages Cassio’s shoulders and back “As I am an honest man/I thought you had received some bodily wound”. During Act 3 further examples are given of Iago’s supposed honesty. Cassio’s “I never knew a Florentine more kind and honest” is alarming, not only because we know that the opposite of what he says of Iago is true, also because one would hope that such
Florentines are more honest than Iago. Emilia’s comment “Good madam do/I warrant it grieves my husband/as if the cause were his” is similarly ironic, showing that even Emilia believes Iago to be honest, though her opinion of men in general is not high. Emilia’s view would mean that even the most casual listener of the audience would possibly gasp inn disbelief and is followed by an equally startling comment “Oh that’s an honest fellow”. Such examples clearly show how Iago’s duplicitous nature is hidden from the onstage characters. During the central poisoning scene of Act 3 Scene 3, often known as the temptation scene, Othello’s comments are similarly laced with dramatic irony. Othello knows that Iago is not “a false disloyal knave”. On the contrary Othello believes he is “full of love and honesty” so Iago’s hesitations, stops and pauses “Honest my lord”, “indeed” and “think my lord” frighten him more.
In a man who is just, these stops are “close dilations/working from the heart/that passion cannot rule”. The words Iago speaks are a cause for worry. He is not as he seems and his good is bad for others. He has a reputation for honesty and no honour. He skilfully makes use of his public reputation, poisoning thought by posing as an honest man. Othello is only certain of the “exceeding honesty” of his ensign, however he momentarily doubts “villain be sure thou prove my love a whore”. His instinct is no match for Iago’s reverse psychology “To be direct and honest is not safe”, being completely taken in by Iago’s false tale of Cassio’s lustful ream “And then sir/would he gripe and wring my hand/cry O sweet creature and then kiss me” and Iago’s having seen a “strawberry spotted handkerchief” in Cassio’s hand. Further examples of Iago’s double dealing is how as a two faced follower of Janus, he can advocate and argue for either side of a case as suits his own ends. He tells Cassio “reputation is an idle and most false imposition” before arguing the opposite view with Othello “Good name in man and woman/dear my lord/is the immediate jewel of our souls”.
During Act 4, Iago continues to torture Othello, “If I give my wife a handkerchief” and “Or to be naked with her friend in bed/an hour or more/not meaning any harm”. Iago resembles a puppeteer during his exchange with Cassio and Bianca, a risky procedure as he cannot control completely what Cassio might say or how much Othello might hear. He leads Cassio to laugh and talk of Bianca, trusting that Othello’s mind will turn hat he sees into evidence of his wife’s infidelity and Cassio’s treachery, neither of which are true. In the Mckellen version, during Act 4, Iago hugs Othello, treating all the other characters as his pawns or puppets, just as he reassures Desdemona when she sends for him, embracing her and running his fingers through her hair. She ironically seeks help from the man who has been the means of destroying her marital happiness, terming him “good friend”. Ironically it is the dishonest man who suggests that the honest man is not honest “For Cassio/I dare be sworn/I think that he is honest” and “Men should be what they seem and those that be not would they might seem none”.
In Act 5, Scene 1, Iago proves himself to be a master of chaos. He is a consummate actor who assumes various roles. Iago is friend and advisor to Roderigo before the attempted ambush, then betrayer and murderer of Roderigo, consoler of Cassio, accuser of Bianca and the lead officer in the crisis. He uses misinterpretation to fit each of these roles as best as he can and would appear invincible as none of the characters suspect his involvement and he has successfully hoodwinked every character on stage. Even Gratiano welcomes Iago “I am glad to see you” and both he and Lodovico believe Iago is a “valiant fellow”, a term that was given earlier in the play to Othello. However it is impossible to hoodwink everyone all of the time and Iago I foolish to believe he can. When Othello reveals to Emilia that her “honest” husband told him that his wife was false, Emilia forces a confession out of Iago “I told him what I thought/and told no more than what he himself/to be apt and true” before revealing the truth about the handkerchief.
Even at this critical point, in the Mckellen version, Iago tries to act like a friend, patting Gratiano on the back; although he knew of the precarious position he was in “This is the night that either makes me or foredoes me quite”. Once he draws his sword on Emilia, the truth is clear and it is entirely appropriate that “Honest Iago” should be destroyed by his wife’s real honesty.
One could question how honest Othello is. In Act 1 Scene 2, it would appear that Iago and Othello are presented as polar opposites, one seeking to diffuse conflict while the other revels in it. Othello, despite the clandestine nature of his marriage, prefers openness and honesty to cunning and duplicity. One could argue that he is as Iago observes “of a free and noble nature” and that he “thinks men honest that but seem to be so”. Although honest during most of the play, under the poisonous influence of his evil ensign, his honesty becomes tainted. Othello and Iago “consent” in Cassio’s death in Act 3 Scene 3, “Within these three days let me hear thee say that Cassio is not alive”. Othello sees justice in Iago’s suggestion “Do it not with poison/strangle her in her bed/even the bed she hath contaminated” in Act 4 Scene 1. While for Iago, deceit is a way of life, Othello finds it harder “O hardness to dissemble” and becomes the stereotypical, passion spurred savage, Brabantio accused him of being, when he strikes his wife in Act 4 and smothers her in Act 5. When the ensign’s spell is broken, Othello takes his life courageously as compensation for his crime, for as Cassio observed, he was “great of heart”.
Desdemona would appear to be the most honest, direct speaker in the play, notably when she defends her marital choice and her husband’s honour to her father “My noble father/I do perceive here a divided duty”. Unlike the men, with Desdemona every word counts, however she is naive in her childlike insistence of reconciliation between Othello and Cassio. Her lines “That errs in ignorance and not in cunning” is ironic. We can see the real contrast between Cassio and Iago as Iago certainly errs morally in his own cunning. She does lie about the handkerchief “it is not lost” however we can understand this. She is embarrassed and shy and is surely seeking not to anger Othello further. Interestingly, after having denied her alleged affair with Cassio once, she does not continue to do so in Act 5. Some critics suggest that this indicates that in her subconscious she may be attracted to Cassio without being aware of it herself. Roderigo it would appear is more of a victim than a villain. He is a gull and a foolish simpleton, whose only function is to enable the audience to gain insight into Iago’s modus operandi.
He is not really honest. He seeks an adulterous liaison with a married woman whom he previously paid the ensign to court for him. He provokes Cassio into a brawl which disrupts the peace in Cyprus. The only time when he is truthful is when he ironically speaks the truth without realising it “your words and performance are no kin with each other”. He is reluctant to murder Cassio, as he is a decent character, “I will hear further reason for this” however the coward seeks to rely upon Iago. By depending on Iago to make the decisions, he abdicates responsibility for his own actions; being led out to kill a man he does not hate for a cause he believes no longer can be won. He receives nothing for his pains excepting a disgraced death at the hands of Iago, shown horrifically in the Brannagh version as he chokes on his own blood and in a psychologically powerful way in the Mckellen version when Iago stabs him while embracing him. Cassio and Bianca are perhaps the most honest in the play. Cassio’s only weakness is his alcohol problem and his arrogance and perhaps not respecting Bianca “This is the monkey’s own giving out”. Bianca feels jealousy concerning Desdemona’s handkerchief however unlike the other characters she is honest about this. In Act 5, she ironically delivers the line “I am no strumpet/but of life/as honest as you that thus abuse me” to the villain and his unwitting accomplice. In Bianca’s eyes however this is true as all she is doing is standing by her own man as Emilia is with Iago. Perhaps Cassio asking Bianca to copy the handkerchief before asking permission is not honest though
this is questionable. Finally Emilia would appear honest and trustworthy as indeed she is. Her obvious closeness to her mistress in Act 3 Scene 1 is appealing; however we know she is unwittingly helping her husband and not Cassio when she agrees to take the latter to have “brief discourse” with Desdemona “alone”. She is wise in her definition of jealousy “It is a monster/begot upon itself/born on itself” and we learn to rely on he judgement. She rightly guesses it is jealous thoughts which perturb Othello and that some “villain” must have suggested to Othello that his wife was false though unfortunately she does not identify the “wretch” until too late. In many ways she genuinely believes her husband is honest despite her opinion of men in general not being high.
In many ways she herself is honest however a true friend would not remain silent about the handkerchief “I know not madam”. She is silent out of loyalty to Iago, embarrassment and possibly guilt. She filches the handkerchief and gives it o Iago without questioning why he should need it. The further Iago sinks into villainy, the more equivocal Emilia’s role becomes. She automatically sides with her husband in Act 5 Scene 1 during his maligning of Bianca in what she must know is a scurrilous attack on another woman “Fie upon thee strumpet”. It is interesting that in Cinzo’s tale, the ensign’s wife was fully aware of he husband’s illegitimate activities and to afraid to speak out whereas Emilia is an unwitting aid to Iago whom Shakespeare chose to isolate in his villainy.
Therefore, honesty is dominant throughout the play as a major theme. Indeed, the fifty two uses of the words honest and honesty and the dramatic irony of the term when it mostly surrounds Iago would make it a major, recurring motif as well as a theme. No character in the play is totally perfect. All have their flaws. Although Cassio and Bianca are not explicitly dishonest, they are unwittingly involved in dishonest practise, Cassio when he is framed as Desdemona’s lover and Bianca when she arrives with the handkerchief in Act 4 Scene 1.