From line 98 we can blatantly see that Cassio has a very open personality as he "extends his manners" by 'kissing' Emilia to show greetings. He is a tactile character as he connects and welcomes people through a physical action rather than verbal, as when he kisses Emilia, this could come across to others as Cassio having a flirty nature, yet he shows that it is his "breeding" to be so open and free with his actions and that it is just a "bold show of courtesy" nothing more.
How does Iago plan to use Cassio’s character traits to usurp and ensnare both Cassio and Othello? (Lines 167-176 will help.)
Iago recognises that Cassio's open nature could easily be mistaken for be flirtatious, therefore knows that it would be easy to "ensnare" both Othello and Cassio, by manipulating Othello's thoughts to make him believe that Desdemona is having an affair with Cassio. Iago plots to do this to "strip" Cassio out of his "lieutenantry" by doing this as Othello will believe that Cassio has betrayed him by sleeping with his wife. Although Iago knows that Cassio holds no feelings of love towards Desdemona, Cassio's nature makes him the perfect prey to become Desdemona's 'lover'. This is ironic because Cassio may be one of the few male characters in the play that don't hold any passionate feelings for her.
What does Iago tell Roderigo to do, and why does Iago say it will help Roderigo to win Desdemona’s heart? (Lines 249-278 will help you with this question.)
Although Iago knows for a fact that Desdemona loves Othello, he still uses manipulation on Roderigo to make him think that her love for Othello is untrue. He states that "if she had been blest she would never have loved the Moor" which shows that according to Iago, Desdemona is no angel as Roderigo thinks of her; and that if she was, she would never have married a person of colour. Straight after, Iago brings into his manipulation, the story of how Desdemona is going to have an affair with Cassio, "Did thou not see her paddle with the palm of his hand?" showing that after being married for a limited amount of time, she is already starting to 'flirt' with other men. Iago then further imbeds his story into Roderigo's mind when he states "Lechery, by this hand: an index and obscure prologue to the history of lust and foul thoughts", Iago is again manipulating Iago to see Cassio's gestures of courtesy as flirtatious and lustful and tries to hint that it is the start of something Desdemona being unfaithful.
What more do we learn about the nature of Iago in Act 2? What is the effect of having him share his thoughts and plans with us through his soliloquies? Pay attention to the language used in Iago's soliloquies. What sorts of descriptive language does he use? How does it contribute to the picture of Iago that Shakespeare is drawing?
In act two we see more clearly Iago's manipulative personality as he tells us of his plans, and how he will execute them. Dramatic irony is used when Iago says his soliloquy as we gain knowledge that the other characters in the play are oblivious to. This adds effect as we know what is to happen in the play and we have to watch the other characters as they fall victims to Iago's plan. Iago is fairly sexist, calling women "wild cats in the kitchen" presenting women in a stereotypical way of only being useful doing domestic tasks.
In act two we see more clearly Iago's manipulative personality as he tells us of his plans, and how he will execute them. Dramatic irony is used when Iago says his soliloquy as we gain knowledge that the other characters in the play are oblivious to. This adds effect as we know what is to happen in the play and we have to watch the other characters as they fall victims to Iago's plan. Iago is fairly sexist, calling women "wild cats in the kitchen" presenting women in a stereotypical way of only being useful doing domestic tasks.
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