In my last blog post I commented on how the beginning of Othello was actually fairly interesting and was so far my favorite Shakespeare play of all time. After progressing deeper into play, I must say that this remains true. Foreshadowing remains an important element in informing the audience of Iago’s schemes. In one of his asides, Iago says “With as little a web as this I will ensnare as great a fly as Cassio” (Act II Scene i Line 118). This adds to the dramatic effect that the audience experiences later, as we watch Iago’s scheme slowly unfold. Once again, we witness Iago’s sneaky and manipulative qualities as he is able to persuade Roderigo to do the dirty work and start the quarrel that will escalate into costing Cassio his job. One of my favorite parts of the play so far occurs after Iago offers his counsel to Cassio and tells him to seek out the assistance of Desdemona in getting his job back. Iago then humorously and sarcastically addresses the audience, during which he basically defends his action as morally right because all he’s doing is helping a friend get a job back. I found it very entertaining that Iago would make this appeal to the audience, as we have seen all the dishonest things he has done so far in the play.
However, no literary work is perfect, and there are some characteristics of the plot that I must point out as being somewhat illogical. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that a play has to be 100% believable to be good, it’s just that there are some elements in Othello that I find hard to believe. One example, already brought up in class, is Emilia’s seemingly unfaltering obedience and compliance with Iago’s orders. Even though Iago consistently criticizes her (in public, even worse), she still remains loyal to him and takes Desdemona’s handkerchief when given the opportunity and gives it to Iago with almost no inquiry as to why he needs it. I find it hard to believe that Emilia lied to Desdemona when asked if she had seen the handkerchief since it seems that those two are friendlier to each other than are Emilia and Iago. Although after thinking about it, Emilia may be jealous of Desdemona which would explain why she would lie to her about the handkerchief. Another element that I have difficulty believing is the absolute gullibility of Roderigo. Iago basically tells him, “Give me money and I will take care of things.” Through Acts III and IV, we see Roderigo very little if not at all. I find it hard to believe that Roderigo would find Iago trustworthy enough to give him his money while learning of the scheme that Iago was planning for Othello. The last and main thing that I find a little absurd is how successful Iago’s plan actually unfolds. It seems as though every time Iago converses with someone, he gets the person to say or act exactly in the way that he wants. Although this could emphasize how much of an evil genius Iago really is, realistically a plan of this scale could never unfold so perfectly. One example-in the scene where Iago is talking to Cassio while Othello is hiding and listening in on the conversation, if Cassio had once mentioned Bianca’s name in relation to the woman he was talking about then Iago’s entire plan could have fallen apart. Despite my disagreements at these various parts, though, I still strongly believe that this is one of Shakespeare’s best plays.
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