Accompanied as I was by Roderigo, I began to plant in his mind the seedlings of my hate towards Othello, with first the new role of the ‘great arithmetician’ Michael Cassio and then the doomed affair between Othello and Desdemona. The poor fool Roderigo, intensely in love with Desdemona was very eager to inform her father of the sordid affair. Brabantio, needed no time to think, he awoke the house and guards and immediately after Othello.
While my good Roderigo was unknowingly following my pre-ordained plan, I was with the Moor, attempting to inflame that black heart. Does the man (or lesser) have no honour? To find that his host of many times has turned against him and is insulting his honour would inflame any sane reasonable man, but Othello did not react. Even when the livid Brabantio appeared, Othello would not rise and be killed like he should have been. That Moor, he managed to win both Brabantio and then the Duke, when he should have been dead, and his trustworthy ancient in his position. It is all because of the Duke, and his worship of Othello that the Moor managed to escape from Brabantio’s fair accusation. If a man steals or uses drams or conjuration to steal away from her father a young maiden, it should be the father’s right to hunt down the dishonourable man and with all faith in the integrity of the court.
I thought all was lost until the most ‘valiant moor’; Othello entrusted to me his dearest prize; Desdemona, to bear with me to Cyprus, where we once again shall have to fight those damned Ottomites.
Roderigo, the pitiable man; ‘I will incontinently drown myself’ indeed. The poor fool, so madly in love with Desdemona, couldn’t see a way out of his condition, and if he had taken Death’s prescription, then I, Iago would be severely reduced, for without Roderigo’s finances, I would surely lose any sight of the task I have ahead. I have to excuse myself, for expending time with such a pitiable sight, even if for profit, is wasteful.
Now I am glad that my first plan was foiled, for even if Othello had been struck down in a duel, Cassio would have been left, as an adversary. Now, in Cyprus, with both of these fools, it should be simple to take down both of them. “Cassio’s a proper man” so it will be harder to strike him down, the best way would be to continue as I am; to first shed doubt on his reputation with Othello, plant small things of uncertain credibility in the path of Cassio, who will, with his unshakeable loyalty take it immediately to the Moor who will, when the seeds of doubt have grown in his mind will surely begin to believe my small tale of falsification. Then, if I take every opportunity that passes, Othello will believe and be plagued by the tale till it is ever present in his mind, and acts, ending in death and the downfall of both the Moor and Michael Cassio.
