This brings me onto Iago who represents certain values and attitudes toward the world, which do not develop or change over the course of the play. By researching into historical facts of the play I learnt that Iago is named after the patron saint of Spain, England’s great enemy at the time of the play’s writing. Iago represents the opposite of everything Desdemona strands for and the conflict between these two sets of values is a central feature of the play. Desdemona wishes for happiness, peace, reconciliation, order and love, because these are the things, which give her life meaning. Iago wishes for death, destruction and anarchy. It is not that Iago does not believe in these things which Desdemona represents but he feels that life has wrongly denied him these things and so he wishes destroy them in others. Iago feels that he has been passed over for promotion and that Cassio has been given the position, which should have been his. In the time the play was written it was unusual for a black person ‘moor’ to be in a high place in society as Othello was and to be married to a white Venetian women was unheard of. This is what fuels him in his revenge to ruin Othello and everyone who loves him.
Iago plants a seed, which he will nurture throughout this scene. He suggests that the figure he has seen leaving cannot be Cassio, because he is a honourable man who would not stoop to such a sneaking and dishonest kind of behaviour. By suggesting that an action, which might seem innocent, may in reality conceal something altogether more suspicious, he hints that Cassio has a guilty conscience and then later suggests to Othello what it might be that Cassio could feel guilty about. Iago proceeds with stealth, using insinuation rather than outright lies to achieve his ends. Even Iago’s revelation at the end of this scene about Cassio ‘s dream may be the truth, but by then it is too late for Othello to see it as anything but ‘proof’ of his wife’s adulterous affair.
Iago speaks of how the purest soul may suffer the intrusion of foul things at times. This echoes exactly what is happening in this scene, where Iago pours his foul poison into the mind of Othello.
Iago again uses the extremely effective device of appearing to be very reluctant to speak ill of others while at the same time managing to suggest that he knows much which would distress Othello if he were to tell him about it. No matter how many dreadful things Iago then says Othello is left with the abiding belief that he knows more terrible things that he has told and is trying to minimise the hurt to his master, because of his honest friendship.
Othello reaches his low point in this scene, for he is threatened in his most vulnerable area, his reputation. Iago is skilful in seeming to know more than he tells and in appearing to speak only under pressure from Othello. Here Iago advances the opposite argument to Othello than he did to Cassio, saying that reputation is everything. He next advises Othello to beware of being jealous, thereby cleverly planting the idea of being jealous in his mind.
Iago skilfully twists his words so that the fact of Desdemona’s adultery appears not to be in doubt only the proof of it, which will soon be forthcoming. Iago capitalises on Othello’s inexperience of Venetian customs, when he says ‘ I know our country disposition well’, further encouraging Othello to believe his lies by pointing out how Desdemona has already deceived her father in her choice of husband. This also reinforces our sense of Othello’s important dramatic status as an ‘outsider’ someone so unfamiliar with Venetian customs and society that Iago’s lies will seem plausible, and who will accept as true the suggestion that all Venetian woman routinely commit adultery. It was known in Elizabethan times that Venice was the pleasure capital of Europe especially in its sexual tolerance.
Iago’s reference to proof should remind us of how this absolute notion has been used so far in the play. There have been no occasions when proof, has been forthcoming, and see how skilfully Iago exploits the characters’ tendency to act without absolute proof on many occasions. Examples include the bewitchment of Desdemona by Othello, the destination of the Turkish fleet, the fleet’s permanent departure. ‘Proof’ and the way it is so often a matter of how things are seen, which allows Iago to more the criteria for Desdemona’s guilt onto such a little things as the handkerchief. The handkerchief is ocular proof that Iago had for Othello to prove that Desdemona was committing adultery with Cassio.
In conclusion Iago’s persuasive techniques gradually convinced Othello of Desdemona adultery with Cassio. The final point when Othello was completely convinced was when Iago and Othello kneel as they swear a ‘sacred vow’ to seek ‘black vengeance’ against Desdemona and Cassio. At this point we also see how the language of Iago and Othello has been interchanged with their roles. Iago is now clearly the master in the relationship but speaks of vows to heaven, of service and obedience, while Othello, using language more appropriate to Iago, says of Desdemona: ‘Damn her, lewd minx’ and calls her a ‘fair devil.’
I feel that there was not one effective method of persuasion that Iago employed but if he did not use all the different methods then his plan of breaking Othello would not have been completed. If Iago used just one method of persuasion then Othello would have caught on and everything would have back fired onto Iago.
