Iago

9 Pages 2349 Words

love with Desdemona, because he threatens to drown himself when he learns that Othello and Desdemona are engaged. Uses Roderigo’s weakness to help him remove Cassio from his lieutenant position. Iago tells Roderigo to "put money in thy purse" (333) . Iago believes that Othello and Desdemona will not be together for a very long time since Othello is a Moor and Desdemona is an aristocrat. Iago urges Roderigo to earn money now so that he can be an eligible suitor when Desdemona is looking for another husband. This conversation and the soliloquy following it introduce the two different sides of Iago. Iago tells Roderigo what he wants to hear in order to enlist his help. However, in the following soliloquy the reader is introduced to what Iago really has planned. He states that he would never associate with someone like Roderigo except to gain his own ends. "Thus do I ever make my fool my purse--/ For I mine own gained knowledge should profane/ If I would time expand with such a snipe/ But for my sport and profit" (365-368). Iago feels that Roderigo is a foolish man who exists only for Iago’s use or "sport." This idea a strengthened by the word "snipe". The Arden Shakespeare defines snipe as "fool" (p. 159) and states that the word meant "gull or dupe" (p. 159) before Shakespeare. These definitions emphasize the fact that Iago feels no respect for Roderigo and is manipulating Roderigo only to further his plan. In the same speech, Iago’s real plan is revealed only to the audience. Iago wants to convince Othello that Cassio and Desdemona are in love. They are the two people that Othello trusts, and if Othello believes that they have turned on him, this will lead to his downfall. Iago plans to tell Othello that Cassio and Desdemona are having an affair. Cassio is a ladies man, and Iago believes that Cassio’s charm makes women fall in love with him. Iago will make the innocent flirtations of Cassio and Desdemona seem like secret love to...