Iago

Iago

"Othello's second hand man, a Veteian and professional soldier.  Married to Emilia and shows his true nature under the appearence of honesty."

Iago to Barbantio

1.1.87-92

"Zounds, sir, you’re robbed! For shame, put on your gown.Your heart is burst, you have lost half your soul.Even now, now, very now, an old black ramIs tupping your white ewe. Arise, arise,Awake the snorting citizens with the bellOr else the devil will make a grandsire of you.Arise, I say!"

– Iago is making it appear as though his daughter Desdemona is being tricked into being with Othello and that he is having sex with her as they are trying to wake him up to make sure he is furious  at Othello for stealing his young innocent daughter away. In reality Desdemona is actually willing with Othello and not doing anything that they make her father to believe she is.

Iago to himself

1.3.375-395

"Thus do I ever make my fool my purse.For I mine own gained knowledge should profaneIf I would time expend with such a snipeBut for my sport and profit. I hate the Moor,And it is thought abroad that ’twixt my sheetsHe’s done my office. I know not if ’t be true,But I, for mere suspicion in that kind,Will do as if for surety. He holds me well.The better shall my purpose work on him.Cassio’s a proper man. Let me see now, To get his place and to plume up my willIn double knavery. How? How? Let’s see.After some time, to abuse Othello’s earThat he is too familiar with his wife.He hath a person and a smooth disposeTo be suspected, framed to make women false.The Moor is of a free and open natureThat thinks men honest that but seem to be so,And will as tenderly be led by th' noseAs asses are.I have ’t. It is engendered! Hell and night"

– This is where you really start to see that reality of what Iago has been planning all along. He has made himself appear to be an honest man but he is actually tricking people like Rodregio into making him money, and he has started to plan the manipulation he will have on Cassio, Othello and Desdemona to get what he wants and to do so, he will have to appear honest and as Othello’s best man.

Iago to Rodregio

2.1.214-240

"Lay thy finger thus, and let thy soul be instructed. Mark me with what violence she first loved the Moor, but for bragging and telling her fantastical lies. To love him still for prating? Let not thy discreet heart think it.Her eye must be fed, and what delight shall she have to look on the devil? When the blood is made dull with the act of sport, there should be a game to inflame it and to give satiety a fresh appetite, loveliness in favor, sympathy in years, manners and beauties.All which the Moor is defective in. Now for want of these required conveniences, her delicate tenderness will find itself abused, begin to heave the gorge, disrelish and abhor the Moor. Very nature will instruct her in it and compel her to some second choice.Now sir, this granted—as it is a most pregnant and unforced position—who stands so eminent in the degree of this fortune as Cassio does? A knave very voluble, no further conscionable than in putting on the mere form of civil and humane seeming, for the better compassing of his salt and most hidden loose affection.Why, none, why, none! A slipper and subtle knave, a finder of occasions that has an eye, can stamp and counterfeit advantages, though true advantage never present itself. A devilish knave. Besides, the knave is handsome, young, and hath all those requisites in him that folly and green minds look after. A pestilent complete knave, and the woman hath found him already."

– Iago is manipulating Rodregio into thinking that Desdemona is going to leave Othello because she will realize that he was telling made up stories to get her to love him, and that just as she went against her fathers wishes, she will once again leave Othello and go for someone else. He then goes on to make it appear as though she is going to have an affair with Cassio because he is what she really wants. But in reality none of this is actually happening, Othello did do everything in those “ made up stories” and also Desdemona is not planning on leaving Othello for anyone, not even Cassio. This is Iago’s way of using Rodregio as his puppet, which works.

Iago to Othello

 3.3.128-129

"Men should be what they seem,

Or those that be not, would they might seem none"

– Here Iago is telling Othello the complete opposite of what he actually thinks, giving him the appearance of an honest concerned friend. In reality, Iago has planned to make himself appear this way, so he can get to Othello and manipulate him into believing lies.

...Literary Devices

Repetition:  repetition of a word for effect.
                                (now, arise)


Personification:  attribute of personality to an impersonal thing.                                  (you have lost half..)


Soliloquy:  when a character is speaking to one's self.