Iago focuses on Othello’s insecurities and uses them to bring about suspicion and jealousy from Othello. Leading up to Act 3 Scene 3, Iago has managed to lower Cassio’s rank. He tells Cassio to try and win Othello’s forgiveness through Desdemona. When Cassio goes to Desdemona, he uses the occasion to make Othello think ‘...Seem that Desdemona and Cassio are sexually involved…’
So, with this quote audience can imagine what Iago is about to do without any suspicion turning towards him. Iago does this by using very scheming techniques. He talks with Othello in such a manner which makes Othello to ask the questions to exclude him from any suspicion and to continue to make him appear as his friend. An example of Iago and Othello’s conversations:
Iago- ha, I like not that?
Othello- What does thou say?
Iago- Nothing my lord, or if? I know not what?
Othello- Was not that Cassio parted from my wife?
So we can see in the above conversation that Iago is forcing Othello to ask question again, although dramatic but irony. Iago’s speeches are full of dramatic irony which builds up tension. He speaks in such a manner that he makes Othello sit up and listen. His language would be comforting towards Othello, but the impression he gives to the audience let’s them know that what he is doing is deceit.
Iago also hesitates and hints to Othello, such as saying, ‘ No, sure I cannot think it that he would steal away so guilty-like, seeing you coming’. After the broken lines that build up tension, Othello suddenly has an outburst;
‘Thou dost mean something.
I heard thee say even now thou lik’st not that…
Othello would leap up and say this angrily, while Iago would remain calm and innocent. By this time, Othello has already been thrown off balance, and by repeating Iago’s words, it is like he is turning into a form of Iago. Othello ends his outburst with ‘if thou dost love me, show me thy thought? Iago then goes on to say, My lord, you know I love you.’ He is trying to make Othello believe that Iago is not trying to hurt him. Ironically, Othello replies with,
‘‘I think thou dost;
And for I know thou’rt full of love and honesty’’
This shows how much trust Othello has in Iago, and that he values his opinion. Also very ironic, is when Iago says,
I do beseech you,
Though I perchance am vicious in my guess,
As, I confess, it is my nature's plague
To spy into abuses, and of my jealousy
Shape faults that are not…
In these lines, Iago is showing his true colours.Iago is artful, and has studied human nature deeply. He knows that the pain of jealousy is the most intolerable. If he could succeed in making Othello jealous of Cassio, he thinks it would be an 'exquisite’ revenge, and may end in the death of Cassio or Othello, or both; he does not care. After Iago has built up tension in Othello, he says, ‘it is the green-eyed monster which doth mock the meat it feeds on? Othello responds by saying weakly, ‘O misery’ He tries to dismiss the thought that he could be jealous, and asks Iago for proof. Iago then tells him to study his wife with Cassio and reminds Othello that, ‘she did deceive her father, marrying you’ implying that she could deceive Othello also. Iago ends this speech by confessing his love for Othello and asking him to forgive him for loving him too much. Othello says, ‘I am bound to thee forever’ showing his trust on him.
Iago plays on his deepest fears by saying that he is too ‘old, and black for her to love him’ two of Othello’s biggest anxieties, as in the 1600s, blacks were treated unfairly and for a black man to be so high in rank was very rare. Iago enjoys finding and exploiting the psychological weaknesses of others. Iago just tries to appear that he is just trying to serve the part of an ordinary servant who just wants to please his lord. He does this to make him seem more low and incapable of making up these accusations, but meaning to appear like this for Othello’s sake to make him appear more believable.
Desdemona appears as Othello says,
If she be false, O then heaven mocks itself;
I’ll not believe it’
Othello then explains to Desdemona that he doesn’t feel very well and Desdemona tries to affectionately stroke him with her handkerchief but Othello says, ‘your napkin is too little’ and she drops it. Emilia then picks it up once Desdemona and Othello have gone out and gives it to Iago. She then goes away and Iago reveals that he will use it as fake evidence of Cassio and Desdemona’s relationship. When Othello returns, Iago tells him that he stayed with Cassio recently and he was shouting out ‘sweet Desdemona and cursed fate that gave thee to the Moor? in his sleep’. Before this, Othello has already begun to break down. He says farewell to all the honourable things in his eyes. He says goodbye to his job and Desdemona. He was in great control earlier in the play with the fight with Cassio and Roderigo, but now he has lost his dignity and is disjointed. His speech has changed into more violent language and he uses words like ‘Death and damnation! O!’ as Iago would, as if he is turning into him. Iago refers to sexual terms with crudity by saying things like, ‘behold her topp’d’ This makes Othello even more frustrated with matters. But Iago cunningly makes hypocritical exclamations about his honesty, saying,
O world!
To be direct and honest is not safe.
I thank you for this profit, and from hence
I’ll love no friend, sith love breeds such offence’
Othello calls the honorable Desdemona a ‘fair devil and a lewd minx’
His belief towards Desdemona changes and he enters a pact with Iago and kills her.
Iago’s role in the play is to manipulate everyone in, especially those better than him. He is a bully and extremely two-faced person. After losing all of his control at the end of the play, he says,
From this time forth, I never will speak word?
In the play, Iago has relied on language to manipulate, but now it has deserted him because his plotting is revealed by he wife, whom he treats so badly. Othello, by this time has smothered his wife, who now plainly sees that he was no better than a murderer when he discovered that Iago had made him to commit this and that his wife had been ever faithful to him; the extreme anguish of this discovery made him to commit suicide on top of Desdemona.