also acting out of selfishness for not being promoted as Cassio was. “One Michael Cassio, a Florentine/ a fellow almost damned in a fair wife/ that never set a squadron in the field,/ nor the division of a battle knows./” (I. i. 20-23) His selfishness is evident for he is not at all happy or pleased that his friend has been honored, he can only focus on himself.Iago easily deceived Othello, but what Othello did not realize was that Iago was good at what he did. He didn’t know Roderigo was also helping him with his plot. He manipulated his wife Emilia to bring him the Moor’s handkerchief that he gave to Desdemona to plant in Cassio’s room. This eventually lead to Othello finding Cassio with the handkerchief and falsely verifying Desdemona’s affair with Cassio. Iago hinted all the time about his evil plan like in Act III, Scene III where he warned Othello to, “Beware, my lord, of jealousy!/ It is a green-eyed monster, which doth mock./ The meet it feeds on. That cuckold lives in bliss/ who, certain of his fate, loves no wronger;/ but O, what damned minutes tell he o’er/ who dotes, yet doubts – suspects loves!/” (III. iii. 164-170) Iago was well aware of what he was doing with Othello. His actions here are completely for his own benefit and he has been blinded by his rage.Othello told Iago at the beginning of the play that he loved Desdemona. Explaining to Iago why he deserved her, Othello said that he loved her so much that he had given up some precious freedom. He said, “But that I love the gentle Desdemona,/ I would not my unhoused free condition/ put into circumscription and confine/ for the sea’s worth.” (I. i. 25-28) The idea is that both the value of his freedom and the strength of his love would be great and would not die. After Iago lied to Othello he saw Desdemona as an unfaithful wife. The person, whom he loved and was married to, he did n...
