'Othello', Iago's soliloquy act 1 scene 3.

The first 200 words of this essay...

'Othello', Iago's soliloquy act 1 scene 3

This passage is the first of Iago's soliloquies; it is located in Act1 Scene 3 lines 383 through to 405. Of all the characters in Shakespeare's Othello, none is more complex and unknown to the audience than Iago. He is portrayed by every character as being an honest and trustworthy person. Yet, as the audience is well informed by this stage, especially after the soliloquy, he appears to be quite the opposite. He's a two faced character, honest and kind on the outside, but seemingly evil on the inside. This passage is virtually an outline of his plan to entrap the other characters in a destructive web of lies and hatred.

In the first few lines he quotes;

"Thus do I ever make my fool my purse;

For I mine own gained knowledge should profane.

If I would time expend with such a snipe, but for my sport and profit."

These lines simply mean that he would not normally waste his time with such a fool as Roderigo, other than for his own gain and profit. And gain and profit he does, he gains Roderigo's