Iago uses a hypothetical tone through use of questions. He waits to give Othello definitive

Iago taunts Othello and controls his imagination:

‘Or to be naked with her friend in bed An hour or more not meaning any harm?’ -implants the image of a possible sexual relationship between Cassio and Desdemona. Once Othello has this thought, it is suggested that it won’t ever go away.Iago uses a hypothetical tone through use of questions. He waits to give Othello definitive proof, and allows him to use his imagination, as usually this will be worse than any reality as he thinks the worst.He torments Othello about the handkerchief. Othello wishes he could forget it: ‘O, it comes o’er my memory As doth the raven o’er the infectious house.’ oSimile oThe ‘raven’ is the memory of the handkerchief, and the ‘infectious house’ represents Othello’s mind.oReference to infection suggests illness- as if it is this memory that sickens Othello, and could potentially lead to his death. This also links to the earlier references to Iago’s ideas being poisonous to Othello- corruption of his mind.oImagery of disease, Othello is plagued by memory.oRaven- symbol of darkness, power, death. Bad omen- foreshadows that the worst is yet to come.oIlluminates the mental torture, and Iago’s power over Othello.oOthello’s use of imagery that is similar to Iago’s is ironic, but is also conveys how overwhelmed he is.oThe sentence structure places Othello in a powerless position- as if he is no longer in control of his own thoughts. Passivity of Othello- the sentence structure suggests his mind is being acted upon, and that he is no longer in control of his thoughts.

Iago ironically play’s devils advocate:

‘If I give my wife a handkerchief…’ ‘tis hers, my lord, and being hers she may bestow’t on any man.’ Again suggesting Desdemona’s infidelity. He plays devils advocate when he suggests that Desdemona’s honour is hers to give away after she chooses. He goes against the ideas of courtly love here and conventional attitudes.The address terms here are also very respectful- Iago playing honourable servant.Iago tells a direct lie to Othello that Cassio confessed to a sexual affair with Desdemona. Iago uses again the successful technique of hesitation, forcing Othello himself to say what Iago would have him think. Iago ironically comes back to the word "lie" when telling his untruth so that the word "lie" echoes with double meaning through their conversation, lacerating Othello with thoughts of two illicit lovers and, at the same time, accusing Iago for his abuse of the truth.

Iago revels in his power to torment Othello:

‘Work on, My medicine, work!’- repetition and use of exclamations. Skewed morals as he thinks what he is doing is ‘medicine’, rather than the expected metaphor of ‘poison.’ Inverse of the truth, like inverse of his moral code.Heartlessness of Iago and instead of pity or alarm when Othello faints, he only expresses satisfaction that his ‘medicine’ is working.‘Do it not with poison. Strangle her in her bed, even the bed she hath contaminated.’ Iago encourages Othello to kill his wife in the most brutal way possible- he wants Othello to feel 1 / 2

the most suffering, wants him to personally be responsible for the death of his wife, and to do this in the marital bed.oAlso, by having her smothered in her marriage bed Iago is replacing the loving ritual of consummation with a cruel ritual of strangulation. Love being replaced by death and hatred.‘With her, on her, what you will.’ Iago jests about Cassio in Desdemona’s bed- the casual brutality of these words shows how much Iago enjoys his power.Othello breaks down… what is his fit symbolic of?Othello’s words come in an anxious jumble around "handkerchief," and "confess" until he falls down in a faint. Punctuation and structure of his speech before he faints mirrors his mental overload and loss of control.Othello’s fit robs him of his ability to speak, the trait that distinguishes humans from animals. Consumed by jealousy, without his honor, he has become the animal that the prejudiced characters have described him as being- ‘He falls in a trance’ - visually on the stage Iago is towering Othello who is on the floor. Iago might have an almost God-like power here and Othello is degraded. It is a visual metaphor for the power dynamic between the two characters.It is a symbol of his degradation Othello speaks with destructive imagery.Othello’s language becomes more like Iago’s Othello goes directly to the point: "How shall I murder him, Iago?" Othello swears also to kill his wife this night, he curses her and weeps over her at the same time, mingling love and

murder: "for she shall not live; no, my heart is turned to stone…"

"I will chop her into messes’’- brutality. Before Iago’s influence, Othello wanted to poison Desdemona rather than personally destroy her.‘I would have him nine years a-killing.’ Encouraged by Iago to seek revenge on Cassio.Wants to inflict years’ worth of suffering.In Othello’s disjointed speech before his fit, there are numerous examples of Shakespeare alluding to what has been discussed with the repeated references to lie and also the handkerchief.This signifies Iago’s corruption of Othello.Despite his initial conviction to murder Desdemona, Othello feels mixed emotions and is torn

between opposites:

In spite of the verbal violence, there is much pathos in this scene. We sense Othello’s pain as he works up to killing Desdemona.Lines 175 onwards – switching from hate to love. ‘a fine woman, a fair woman, a sweet woman’ Line 178- ‘let her rot and perish and be damned tonight, for she shall not live.’ ‘the world hath not a sweeter creature’.Sense of denial perhaps, as well as a lack of control over emotion.Othello’s pain as he works up to killing his wife. He cannot bear the loss of his ‘sweet’ wife.Still sees her sweetness, ‘so delicate with her needle, an admirable musician. O, she will sing the savageness out of a bear!...’ line 185

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