But I do love thee! And when I love thee not,
Chaos has come again.”
These prophetic words come true as, by the end of the scene when Othello declares that he loves not Desdemona any longer, he gives the order that not only Cassio is to die, but Desdemona also.
After persuading Othello that there is a reason to doubt Cassio, Iago, when asked prolongs giving his opinion of Cassio’s honesty, instead repeating the question. While Iago echoes the question, he does not repeat it in its entirety, instead he focuses on words indicative of the crucial elements of his success, “honest” and “think”. Reptition of crucial words and phrases is used later on in the scene, suggesting to Othello that he is trying to convince himself that Cassio is honest. Iago is withholding information, but more importantly than that, he is irritating Othello by echoing him. By irritating Othello, Iago is striving to make him angry. Many people, of whom Othello is one of the number, cannot think straight and logically when they are irate. By angering Othello, Iago is trying to produce and irrationality of thought and action. This echoing also produces a feeling of insecurity, as if Othello ought to know something; Iago knows it, but Othello doesn’t. Othello declares that it is “as if there were some monster in his thought Too hideous to be shown”. These words are ironic, because they are true. Iago has managed to get inside his head, and can now control his thoughts.
After aggravating Othello, Iago declares his love for him, having the effect of settling Othello and allowing him to calm down a bit. This is a technique that he has used before, with Cassio, earlier in the play. It can be seen with many of Iago’s manipulative techniques that he first tries them out on the weaker characters in the play, before he puts them to their real use on his main target; Othello. Othello’s strength at the start of the play, emphasises the great change that Iago has managed to produce and indeed what a cunning man Iago is.
In act two, scene three Iago makes s speech in defence of Cassio, but begins it with a declaration of not wishing to hurt Cassio but that he is going to tell the truth against him. The manner, tone, language of this speech suggests that his “honesty and love doth mince this matter”, where in fact his account is over exaggerated, not understated as implied. Iago again employs this technique in act three, scene three, successfully convincing Othello that “thou’rt full of love and honesty, And weight’st they words before thou giv’st them breath”. Throughout the play, Iago’s reputation as an honest man is vital to the success of his plan. In line 120, Othello makes the accurate assumption that “such things in a false disloyal knave are tricks of custom”, yet because it is Iago, Othello does not suspect that this is happening. This greatly increases the dramatic tension and effect on the audience. Iago relies on his good name and “good name in man and woman, dear my lord, is the immediate jewel of their souls”. This introduces the theme of reputation into this major scene.
Early on in the scene, we see Iago planting images in Othello’s head, but on line 163, Iago suggests an emotion instead. He is stilly shying away from telling Othello his ‘suspicions’ about Cassio, so instead he changes the subject, and takes an alternative path of manipulation; this time an emotional one. Using mock passion and drama, with no prior warning or provocation, Iago declares;
“O, beware, my lord, of jealousy!
It is the green-eyed monster, which doth mock
The meat it feeds on”
As we have seen before, this is an idea that has not occurred to Othello, jet through Iago’s suggesting of it, it is suggested that this is what he should be feeling. Iago also plants the idea of a “cucold”, someone who’s partner has slept away from him. This image is one that Othello later, cannot get out of the forefront of his mind. Iago has still not told Othello anything directly, he is still implying and suggesting everything. The purpose of this is that his plan will work best if the ideas and suspicions occur to Othello himself. At the start of the scene, Othello is too much in love with Desdemona to believe Iago if the idea of the affair had been directly suggested. By gradually working on Othello and encouraging and cultivating the idea in Othello’s mind, the argument is far more convincing. Despite this, but the end of line 190, Othello has dismissed the idea of being jealous, “away at once with love or jealousy!” and wants proof of Iago’s claims.
Iago is forced to state his suspicions directly to Othello and also to admit that he hasn’t got any proof. Othello, as a tragic hero, according to the typical mould, must have a fatal flaw of some kind that brings about his downfall. As much as the tragic results of the play can be blamed on Iago’s manipulation of the characters, it is accepted by many critics that Othello himself must have this flaw that allows Iago to exploit him to such an extent. Iago highlights Othello’s fatal flaw in line 198, this being his “free and noble nature”. He also exploits Othello’s insecurities and plays on his feelings of alienation from the society and background of Desdemona and other Venetian women. Brabantio’s important lines from act one, scene three are reminded to Othello by Iago, reinforcing a belief that perhaps Othello doesn’t know Desdemona as well as he thinks he does and that she may indeed be untrustworthy.
Othello is insecure about his ineloquence. Throughout this scene, Iago talks in long passages of verse, leaving Othello only time and space for short responses. This reinforces his insecurity and makes him more vulnerable to Iago’s words. It also shows Iago’s power and control, it is Othello after all who is Iago’s master, and should therefore be in control.
Iago shows himself to be an opportunist, reacting to an implication of Othello’s that Desdemona shouldn’t love Othello because it is “nature erring from itself”. Iago emphasises this point, suggesting that their marriage was doomed to failure because it was unnatural.
A familiar psychological tool is that of reverse psychology. Iago employs this too, in trying to “entreat your honour to scan this thing no farther”. Had Othello not been too affected by the suggestions of Iago, then he would have worried that he wasn’t worried. As it is, Iago’s pleading that he doesn’t let the news affect him, will naturally make Othello more inclined to do the opposite.
Iago shows, throughout the play, great forethought in his plan and is a great strategist, while being able to react to situations. Having already arranged that Desdemona will plead Cassio’s suit, Iago suggests to Othello that proof lies in Desdemona’s desire for entertaining Cassio. This is an example of how Iago manipulates not only people, but also events to achieve his desired end.
Othello’s soliloquy starting from line 255 shows the extent of Iago’s influence over Othello so far in the scene. Othello highlights his lack of self-confidence through his words, and shows up his weaknesses and insecurities. All of the reasons listed by Othello here, that Desdemona should not love him any longer, are the same as those given by Iago to Roderigo earlier on in the play. From this we can see Iago’s influence over Othello’s thoughts. Shakespeare has also made a great use of language to show Iago’s increasing influence over Othello. On our first introduction of Othello, despite his personal opinion of his ineloquence, Shakespeare gives him speeches of the finest poetry and verse, yet here, the language and tone is dark, full of animal imagery. This is not the eloquence of the ‘old’ Othello; it is the malevolent language of Iago and his influence.
By Othello’s entrance again in scene three, he is tortured by the idea of Cassio and Desdemona together. He describes Desdemona, his “love” as “a whore” and demands visible proof. Still though, Iago’s influence over his language is evident. Othello is once again made to feel angry and become violent and passionate. This is Iago’s main aim now, to anger Othello and thereby cause him to act irrationally in a fit of passion.
Iago gets Othello on his side again through a speech of mock insult at Othello’s demand for proof. This is not the first time that Iago has been asked for proof. Earlier on in the scene, he had to admit that he had no proof, but now, minutes later, he has an account of a dream of Cassio’s and how “it speaks against her with the other proofs”. It is a testament to how angry and irrational Othello has become, that he does not pick up on this irregularity. Iago also cites the handkerchief as proof, suggesting that he saw Cassio with it; this is after having ensured that Cassio would find it in his quarters. In this further proof, there is evidence that Iago is delighting in tormenting Othello. This ‘proof’ of Iago’s is the final straw for Othello, declaring an end to his love for Desdemona.
There is a very great change in not only the feelings of Othello, but also the language and almost the character of Othello throughout this scene. Critics have debated the extent of the role of Iago in this change and some are inclined to lay a considerable share of the blame on Othello, his personality and his weaknesses rather than on Iago’s manipulation and exploitation of these. Grandville Barker describes Iago’s methods as “perverting the imagination” of Othello and to a large extent I agree with this statement. Because of the careful methods employed by Iago, the conclusions that Othello arrives at are generally his own, drawn from his own imagination, carefully steered and guided by Iago.