Emilia hopes that Desdemona will be successful in reconciling Othello with Cassio for it “grieves” Iago “as if the case were his”. Dramatic irony is effective here in generating shock amongst the audience who are fully aware that the severed friendship between Othello and Cassio was caused by Iago to initiate his plan of destruction for Othello. The irony also prepares us for Desdemona’s reply to Emilia: “O, that’s an honest fellow”.
Desdemona further conveys her determination to mend things between Othello and Cassio:
“His bed shall seem a school, his board a shrift;
I’ll intermingle everything he does
With Cassio’s suit. Therefore be merry, Cassio;
For thy shall rather die
Than give thy cause away”.
Desdemona’s final lines are prophetic for she admits that she would rather die than give Cassio’s cause away, unaware of what will be made of her nagging Othello.
Emilia alerts Desdemona and Cassio that Othello and Iago are approaching. Cassio excuses himself hurriedly, explaining that he is “too ill at ease” to speak with Othello now. It is at this point in the play that Iago, who is prepared to make the most out of every incident, begins to taint Othello’s belief in Desdemona’s fidelity. Iago portrays himself as an honest but reluctant witness. His “Ha! I like not that” conceals Iago’s true delight. As Othello notices nothing wrong, Iago feels the need to make a show of not wanting to speak of what he “saw” while all the time insinuating that Cassio was not just leaving but “steal”ing away so “guilty-like”. Here, Iago’s words are filled with forceful innuendo, and as he pretends to be in disbelief, he reintroduces jealousy into Othello’s subconscious.
Desdemona goes on to harass Othello to set a time when he will meet with Cassio:
“On Tuesday noon, or night; on Wednesday morn.
I prithee, name the time”.
This is the first indication of tension in Othello and Desdemona’s marriage. Othello replies to Desdemona’s chiding with a second mention of “I will deny thee nothing”. Here we clearly see that Desdemona is a huge weakness in Othello’s character and that he cares for her deeply; it almost assures the audience that he always will.
When Othello and Iago are left on their own together, Iago seizes his chance to drop more hints about Desdemona and Cassio. He does this with great skill, not actually stating blatant lies but by the act of suggesting, and not providing Othello with a clear enough image. Iago holds back his thoughts and lets Othello try to make him say them. This makes Othello more Intrigued to know Iago’s thoughts. Iago uses Othello’s curiosity against him and even warns him about jealousy:
“O beware, my lord, of jealousy:
It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock
The meat it feeds on”.
Iago’s hints are becoming stronger here as he suggests that there actually is something to be jealous of. Othello strongly denies being jealous: “I’ll see before I doubt”, reinforcing his faith and love for Desdemona.
Iago tries harder to diminish Othello by reminding him of Desdemona’s actions at the start of the play: “She did deceive her father, marrying you”. This implies that Desdemona is more than capable of deceit and if she was able to deceive her own father, it would be no trouble to do it to her husband. From this point on, Othello’s responses to Iago’s insinuations are short and sharp, indicating a build-up of tension, which causes his mind to visualise Desdemona being unfaithful to him:
“I had rather be a toad,
And live upon the vapour of a dungeon,
Than keep a corner in the thing I love
For others’ uses”.
Othello’s inner conflict here not only shows the power of Iago’s manipulation but how easy Othello is to influence due to his own feelings of insecurity and lack of confidence:
“Haply, for I am black
And have not those soft parts of conversation
That chamberers have, or for I am declined
Into the vale of years”.
Iago’s plan is so easy to accomplish because he has the intelligence to recognise other characters’ weaknesses and he plays on them until he gets what he wants. He uses Desdemona’s good nature against her and Othello’s insecurities that make him so quick to believe his wife has been unfaithful.
When Desdemona and Emilia re-enter, Othello is able to move from his state of abject hopelessness to a quick appeal to heaven:
“If she be false, O, then heaven mocks itself!
I’ll not believe it”.
Already he is in a fierce state of confusion, torn between his trust for Desdemona and Iago.
In his few words with Desdemona, he speaks faintly, saying that he has a headache. Desdemona tries to soothe his head with her handkerchief but Othello pushes it away and it falls unnoticed to the floor: “ (he puts the handkerchief from him; and she drops it”
This stage direction is vitally important to both the play and the progression of Iago’s plan. To Othello it is symbolic of Desdemona herself:
“T’would make her amiable and subdue my father
Entirely to her love; but if she lost it
Or made a gift of it, my father’s eye
Should hold her loathed and his spirits should hunt
After her new fancies”.
Therefore, to Othello, the handkerchief represents martial fidelity and his action of pushing it away implies that he no longer trusts Desdemona.
Emilia picks up the handkerchief and gives it to Iago who has “a hundred times” asked her to “steal it”, completely unaware of the disastrous consequences her actions will have.
When Othello spots Cassio with the handkerchief that Iago had planted in his room, he descends into madness, vowing revenge and justice on both his wife and Cassio: “I’ll tear her all to pieces”.
Shakespeare has many techniques to intrigue an audience. The play begins in the middle of a conversation between Iago and Roderigo, making the audience wonder why Roderigo is angry. Why is he giving Iago money? This conversation also takes place at night, the darkness creating shadow and a sinister atmosphere, immediately alerting the audience that there is some kind of evil present. In Act Three, however, there is a much greater level of intrigue and tension among the audience as this is when Iago’s plan for Othello begins to take action. Through Iago’s soliloquies, he reveals his true evil self and the audience grow to hate him, thus, creating tension when he starts to tell Othello about Desdemona’s “adultery.” The quickness of Othello’s mistrust and the shortness of his sentences in the third scene convey both his lack of self-confidence and his anger, and Shakespeare succeeds greatly in creating a scene laced with tension.
