, he is the spider and Cassio is the fly. This makes Iago feel as the stronger, dominant, and eventually the victorious challenger. Iago exercises a similar, self-fortifying tactic when speaking with Othello in order to provoke self-confidence in his plan, “ [He] will as tenderly be led by the nose as asses are … hell and night must bring this monstrous birth to the worlds light” (I.iii.444-447). Iago sees Othello as a donkey waiting to be led in a desired direction. The rhyming of “night” and “light” in Iago’s remark bring a feeling of sweetness to the plan. The deceitful villain further reinforces his confidence in his scheme while saying the following to himself, “O, you are well tuned now, but I’ll set down the pegs that make this music” (II.i.218-219). Iago refers to Othello and Desdemona’s love as the music of a string instrument that he will soon “set down.” By incorporating metaphor, Iago represents himself as the one in control of the situation; he is the one turning the pegs. By portraying his enemies as minute flies, inept donkeys, or tunable instruments, Iago makes himself appear superior. By doing so, he boosts his self-esteem and further buries himself in cruelty and envy. The victim of Iago’s cruelty and envy is Othello, and as a result of this battle, Othello mutates from his respectable self to a wild, troubled man. Othello’s infection, from Iago’s virus of words, unravels his coherent character and clouds his perception of reality. This clouding is a result of the jealousy Iago conjures in Othello over Desdemona and Cassio. In a conversation with the Moor, Iago states the following, “O, beware, my lord, of jealousy; it is the green-eyed monster which doth mock the meat it feeds on; that cuckhold lives in bliss ….” (III.iii.196-197). Here jealousy is metaphorically depicted as a monster t...
