“Damn her, lewd minx! O damn her, damn her!
Come go with me apart, I will withdraw
To furnish me with some swift means of death
For the fair devil. Now art thou my lieutenant.”
This is Othello talking to Iago at the end of act III scene iii. He is damning Desdemona for something she has done. “I will withdraw to furnish me with some swift means of death” this means that he shall he shall retire to think of some fast and easy ways to kill her. What Desdemona has done is obviously very extreme for him to love her in a morning and want to kill her that night. This shows just how much Othello has been influenced and convinced in 484 lines that the solution is to murder his wife.
Othellos views on this have changed so extremely is partly because he is gullible and highly suggestible. This is due to Othello being native to North Africa and now is in Venice he is a black man in a white society. Therefore he is unfamiliar with Venetian culture. This gives Iago a chance to make this work for his own advantage. Iago talks to himself, a way of telling the audience what the character is thinking, in Act I scene iii what he is going to do about Othello promoting Michael Cassio instead of himself. He seeks revenge on both Othello and Cassio. Iago makes up a plan that would attack both Othello and Cassio, to kill two birds with one stone.
“Cassios a proper man; let me see now;
To get his place, and to plume up my will
In double knavery – How? How? Lets see –
After some time, to abuse Othellos ear
That he is too familiar with his wife,
He hath a person and a smooth dispose
To be suspected, framed to make women false.
The moor is of free and open nature,
That thinks men are honest but seem to be so,
And will as tenderly be led by th’nose
As asses are.”
This is part of Iagos speech where he is hatching up his plan to taint Othellos forbidden love with Desdemona and snatch the rank of lieutenant from under his nose, with so much deceit and cunning that the other characters will not see that it was him. “Cassios a proper man let me see know” this means that Cassio is too good a Lieutenant to get stripped of his rank so Iago must think of a way he can do it. “To get his place … in double knavery … to abuse Othellos ear that he is too familiar with his wife” This is saying that Iago needs to get Cassios place, in double knavery means that he must attack Othello aswell in the same deed. To abuse Othellos ear means to say something that he will not like – to tell them that Cassio is a bit too familiar with his wife. When iago say he shall be led by th’nose as asses are it means that he will be as easily fooled as a mule. This is Iagos plan, to convince Othello that Cassio has been sleeping with Desdemona. He carries this out in Act III scene iii in a very distinct, clever way. He has to make Othello believe that this is the truth and make sure no one finds out that Iago is making this up.
Iago puts his plan straight into action at the beginning of Act III scene iii when he and Othello are walking towards their wives. Iago notices Cassio walk away from them. “Ha! I like not that.” Then which Othello replies “what dost thou say?”
“”Nothing my lord; or if – I know not what”
This is a prime example of how Iago starts to poison Othellos mind, he suggests something, Othello Questions it then he defends his own accusations. Like a boxer he jabs then defends. This makes Othello more and more curious because since Iago is winding him up then backing down he does not know what to believe. The best example of this is from line 408 – 433. Iago explains that in Cassios sleep he was saying “sweet Desdemona let us be wary, let us hide our loves” then after saying that this is proof Iago says “nay but this was but a dream” - It was only in his dream it probably isn’t proof. Then he says “though it be but a dream: and this may help to thicken proofs that do demonstrate thinly.” Iago is contradicting himself by coming up with solutions to his own problems that Othello believes because Iago is working it out for him.
Iago plays with Othellos mind very delicately so as not to seem he was lying. He bends what Othello says and is uncertain about his answers. He does this from line 93 – 105 he gives neutral answers and also answers with questions. Othello says “Is he not honest”
Which Iago replies “Honest my lord?” Othello is trying to get a straight answer out of Iago – is he honest yes or no and Iago is not giving it to him he’s saying ‘well I don’t really know. This is to make Othello angry and impatient for an answer. He then asks him “ what dost though think?” Which Iago replies “think, my lord?” He is still not giving him a straight answer because he doesn’t want to tell Othello if Cassio is either honest or not, if he does tell him that Cassio is defiantly honest and hasn’t had an affair with his wife Iagos plan will be ruined. On the other hand, if he tells Othello that Cassio is dishonest, Othello will suspect something because Iago is his meant Othellos and Cassios friend. So he must not give an answer and let Othello ponder over it.
Another method of deception Iago uses against Othello is that Iago keeps reassuring Othello that he can trust him, on line 117 “My lord, you know I love you.” Othello believes this and so he thinks, that because Iago is obedient to him, he is telling the truth. Because Othello still has some hope left in him for Desdemona he demands that Iago proves it to him on line 358 “Give me the ocular proof” then later Iago responds to this by saying it would be quite difficult to show you them together. On line 400 Iago states that that they would have to be as randy and lustful as animals to make love in front of his eyes;
“it is impossible you should see this,
were they as prime as goats, as hot as monkeys,
as salt as wolves in pride, and fools as gross.”
All these means of deception Iago uses plus the false proof of Desdemonas handkerchief finally persuades Othello that Desdemona is having an affair with Cassio.