Iago carefully recognizes Othello's weakness in his soliloquy at the end of Act I, scene 1: "'The Moor is of a free an n nature,/ That thinks men honest that but seem to be so,/ And will as tenderly be led by the nose/ As asses are.'" Iago concludes his thought with assonance to stress insight of his thought. Iago also uses paradox when he states, in Act I, scene 1: "'Were I the Moor, I would not be Iago./ In following him, I follow but myself; / Heaven is my judge, not I for love and duty, / But seeming so, for my peculiar end. . . I am not what I am.'" His phrase, at first appears to be contradictory but it reveals that Iago is truly not what he appears to be to others. He is motivated to destroy the lives of Othello and Cassio because Othello neglected him in appointing the theoretician, Cassio, as lieutenant. Iago also has suspicions that Othello has slept with his wife.
In delivering his judgment on the dispute between Othello and Brabantio, Act I, scene 3, the Duke speaks in rhyming verse, creating a mood of optimism. After that, Brabantio delivers a critical statement of foreshadowing when he states: "'Look to her, Moor, if thou hast eyes to see; / She has deceived her father, and may thee.'" This is important because Othello has a flashback to this phrase when he judges Desdemona's loyalty in Act III, scene 3, when Iago reminds him: "'She did deceive her father, marrying you.'" It is a clue to the audience that Othello will believe Desdemona to be false. After Brabantio's warning, Othello displays his love and trust for Desdemona, and also damns himself by declaring: "'My life upon her faith!'" Othello reveals that once he has lost faith in her his life is not worth living.
When Desdemona cannot produce her handkerchief for Othello in Act III, scene 3, Othello's suspicions are heightened. Iago ironically teases Othello using imagery and metaphor: "'O, beware, my lord, of jealousy! / It is the green-eyed monster, which doth mock/ The meat it feeds on.'" His tone is ironic because he is feeding the jealousy to Othello and the imagery is produced by describing jealousy as a 'green-eyed monster,' which stresses his point. Othello responds: "'Think'st thou I'ld make a life of jealousy, / To follow still the changes of the moon/ With fresh suspicions? No!'" Othello states that he does not concern himself with jealousy and trusts Desdemona, but later in the same scene he remarks that the suspicions have changed him: "'O, now forever / Farewell the tranquil mind! Farewell content! / Farewell the plumed troop and the big wars / That make ambition virtue!'" He then makes the decision to believe the lies that lead him to become jealous. Iago slowly gains the honest Othello's trust and then uses that trust to destroy him. Othello cannot see through
Iago's smooth lies and reveals his growing trust of Iago: "'This fellow's of exceeding honesty,/ And knows all qualities, with a learned spirit,/ Of human dealings.'" He also makes Iago his lieutenant. Iago comments on Othello's important change in this climactic scene: "'The Moor already changes with my poison.'"
The settings, plot, characters, and themes are enriched by the language and literary techniques in Othello. The extensive uses of soliloquies by Iago provide critical foreshadowing for the audience. Iago acts as the chorus of Greek plays to inform the audience of what is transpiring on stage and provide background information. Othello is a tragic figure because his gullibility, jealousy, and inability to see the truth lead to his death; but he is able to recognize that he had been deceived by his trusted Iago, and had disbelieved his truly loyal wife. The characters can only grasp Iago's destructive treachery by perceiving him to be true evil, the devil.
