Consider Iago’s description of his feelings toward Othello.

What do we learn about his character his

speech?
Topic Sentence: In this speech, Iago discusses his views on military service and explains his plan to
manipulate Othello to Roderigo.
Evidence and quote integration: He begins by describing two types of ‘knaves’: those that are ‘honest’
and those that ‘keep yet their hearts attending on themselves’. Iago identifies himself with the latter
category, emphasising at the end of the speech, ‘I am not what I am’.
Explanation: The audience learns about Iago’s motivations to usurp Othello by pretending to be loyal,
but secretly plotting against him. Hence, this speech precedes one of the play’s major themes, by
highlighting the gap between appearance and reality through the duplicitous nature of Iago.

Compare Cassio’s attitude and behaviour towards Desdemona and Emilia with Iago’s expressed views
on women. What is the difference between them? What is Iago’s view of women?
Cassio and Iago express divergent views on the nature of women. While Cassio sees women as being
virtuous and good, Iago is insistent that women are deceptive, manipulative and selfish. This emerges
during a conversation with Emilia and Desdemona when Iago comments on Cassio’s respectful greeting
toward Emilia as he kisses her, which is a Florentine custom. Iago warns Cassio that Emilia may appear
to be polite and modest in public, but speaks too much when she is at home with him. He sees women
as being ‘pictures out of doors’, meaning that women are agreeable and respectful in public (II.i.109–
110). By contrast, he describes women as being ‘wild-cats in your kitchens’ and ‘players in your
housewifery’, suggesting that women are difficult and manipulative when in their homes (II.i.109–110).
Iago’s views demonstrate a highly misogynistic view of women, indicating that Othello is a play that
more broadly deals with prejudice toward minority groups, which includes women.

What are Desdemona and Emilia’s expressed views on women in Scene 3? Write an analytical
paragraph that compares and contrasts their perspectives using direct quotes.

In Scene 3 of Act IV, Desdemona and Emilia present contrasting views on love and women. Desdemona,
confused by Othello’s behaviour, asks Emilia whether ‘there by women do abuse their husbands in such
gross kind’ (IV.iii.59–60). But while Emilia believes women are capable of being selfish and manipulative,
Desdemona maintains ‘I do not think there is any such woman’, emphasising her naivety (81). Emilia
suggests that it is the fault of the husbands ‘if wives do fall’, suggesting that women are treated poorly
by their husbands in Venetian society and act out accordingly to fulfil their personal needs and desires.

What does the handkerchief symbolise in this exchange between Iago and Othello? Use a direct quote
in a short-answer response. (IV.i.5–22)

In this conversation between Iago and Othello, the handkerchief represents the sanctity of the marriage
bond. Iago’s brings it up to provoke Othello’s emotions, which makes him increasingly unstable and
more vulnerable to Iago’s deception. Iago uses the symbol of the handkerchief to stand in for
Desdemona’s fidelity, explaining that it is impossible to truly see Desdemona’s honour as ‘an essence
that’s not seen’ and warning Othello that people that may appear to be honourable are often not
(IV.i.16–17). The handkerchief, from Iago’s perspective, provides tangible proof of Desdemona’s honour
as a symbol of their marriage bond because it is the first gift Othello gave to Desdemona. The act of
giving away the handkerchief is symbolic of Desdemona weakening their marriage bond.

What are the series of misunderstandings that cause Othello to decide to kill Desdemona?

• In Act III, he mistakenly believes Desdemona’s attempts to help Cassio stem from her love for him
rather than her sense of compassion and righteousness. This makes him increasingly jealous and
irrational, and thus more susceptible to Iago’s manipulation.
• Desdemona drops her handkerchief in Act III and Iago has Emilia steal it. He then leaves the
handkerchief in Cassio’s bed chamber and Cassio gives it to his prostitute, Bianca. In Act IV, Othello
watches from afar as Bianca confronts Cassio about the handkerchief. He mistakenly believes
Desdemona has given the handkerchief to Cassio and Cassio has given the handkerchief to Bianca.
• Cassio laughs when Iago brings up Bianca’s love in a conversation Othello listens in on from afar and
Othello mistakenly believes they are talking about Desdemona and Cassio is laughing at her love for
him and his triumph over Othello.
• Ultimately, Othello’s insecurities are what causes him to commit to murdering Desdemona – Iago has
successfully convinced him that all of Venice know about Desdemona’s affair with Cassio and are
laughing at him behind his back. To protect his pride, he agrees to kill Desdemona as ‘fair’ punishment
for what she has done to him.

Review Desdemona’s speech to Iago to help her. What is the irony in the line ‘his unkindness may
defeat my life but never taint my love’? (159–160).

Desdemona’s pleas to Iago to help her are tragically ironic in that they foreshadow her death and her
response to Othello’s brutality. Just as she prophesies in Act IV, when Othello accuses her of infidelity
Desdemona remains loving and loyal toward Othello, and will not blame him for his violence. In fact, she
blames herself and her final words before she dies are to Emilia, who asks her ‘who hath done this
deed?’, to which Desdemona responds, ‘nobody; I myself’ (IV.ii.124–125). Hence, the irony of
Desdemona and Othello’s relationship is that Othello accuses Desdemona of being unfaithful as a
result of his insecurities and pride, while she remains loyal to him until the very end. While Othello’s
love is selfish and immature, Desdemona’s love is completely selfless (and arguably, immature too).
Hence, Othello’s lack of trust in Desdemona is the true act of betrayal that tears their love apart.
How does Iago convince Othello that Desdemona is unfaithful?
Throughout Act III, Iago uses wordplay to manipulate Othello into believing that Desdemona is
unfaithful and Cassio is dishonest, but more importantly, into coming to these conclusions himself. After
Desdemona has pleaded with Othello to listen to Cassio’s apology, Iago takes this opportunity to suggest
that Desdemona and Othello are having an affair as he knows that Othello will make the association
with Desdemona’s pleas to listen to Cassio as evidence that she has feelings for him. But rather than
outright say that Desdemona and Cassio are having an affair, he asks Othello whether Cassio was
aware of his relationship with Desdemona when he began to ‘woo’ her (III.iii.94).This provides an
opportunity for Othello to imagine for himself that Cassio might have feelings for Desdemona without
Iago having to outright suggest it and indeed, afterward Othello begins to question Iago about Cassio
and his ‘honesty’. Iago dodges the question by repeating Othello’s questions without answering them,
which further arouses Othello’s suspicions as he starts to suspect Iago is trying to avoid the subject out
of respect for Cassio, ‘as if there some monster in his thought too hideous to be shown’ (III.iii.109).
Othello presses Iago to reveal his true thoughts and Iago eventually says ‘I think that he is honest’
(III.iii.125). Rather than outright accuse Cassio he uses the word ‘think’ to suggest that there is a
possibility he isn’t honest. This is further indicated when Iago remarks ‘men should be what they seem;
or those that be not, would they might seem none’, suggesting that men who seem honestly usually are,
but that dishonest men would also appear to be honest (III.iii.127–128). Othello argues that ‘men
should be what they seem’, to which Iago concludes ‘I think Cassio’s an honest man’ (III.iii.129–130).
Thus, Othello makes the association between Iago’s belief that dishonest men would appear honest with
his belief that Cassio is an honest men, which leads him to believe Cassio is a dishonest man appearing
to be honest. Othello continues to press Iago to reveal his true thoughts, but he only delays the point
further, thus providing more time for Othello’s suspicions to consolidate in his mind and to give Iago
the appearance of being honorable. The characters argue back and forth until eventually Iago warns
Othello to be wary of jealousy, ‘the green-eyed monster which doth mock the meat it feeds on’
(III.iii.169–170). Without even mentioning Desdemona or Cassio, Iago has implanted the idea of the
affair into Othello’s mind and allowed him to come to the conclusion himself. Thus, when Cassio later in
the conversation warns Othello to ‘look to your wife, observe her well with Cassio’, Othello does not
suspect Iago is being dishonest and on the contrary, believes he is finally revealing his true thoughts to
him (III.iii.199).