Othello Commeent

This passage comes right at the end of Act One. Iago has been given the job of escorting Desdemona to Cyprus. He's just told Roderigo to disguise himself and 'put money in his purse' so that he can travel to Cyprus as well and continue to try to win Desdemona. In this soliloquy Iago begins to work out a plan to get his revenge on Othello. He also wants to replace Cassio as Lieutenant. All of this prepares the reader/audience for the next act, when Iago, Roderigo, Desdemona and Cassio arrive in Cyprus and Iago begins to cause trouble for everybody else.

Roderigo has just left. When Iago says 'Thus' right at the beginning of the speech he probably gestures after him. He is using Roderigo as an example of how clever he is at deceiving and using other people. He's boasting. The word 'ever' tells us that this is not the first time he has tricked people in this way.

He always puts himself first: the words 'I', 'my' and 'mine' are used in every one of the first eleven lines. He's also proud of how much he knows about the world: the word 'profane' suggests that he has almost made a religion of using his knowledge of the world to control other people. He also believes in the importance of using his time well - as long as he is using it in his own interests. He says in line three that he is only spending 'time' on Roderigo because he is useful.

His statement 'I hate the Moor' in line four is very simple and shows how strong his hatred is for Othello (although the reasons he gives turn out not to be simple).

He also hates the idea that people are saying that his wife has been unfaithful: 'Tis thought abroad...'(line 5). He only suspects her to have slept with Othello: but he believes suspicion alone is enough to justify revenge.

Iago is highly thought of by everybody, including Othello: he says, 'He holds me well' (line 8). That makes things easy for him all the way through the play.

He is envious by nature, as well as jealous. In line ten he talks about how Cassio is a 'proper' (good-looking) man. A few lines later he mentions Cassio's attractiveness again, and his 'smooth' manner.

The phrase 'plume up my will' in line eleven means, 'put a feather in my cap', and that suggests again that he is proud of his cleverness and of how he uses it to get his own way. He does that by controlling other people. He sees them as stupid, and describes Othello as and 'ass' in line 20.

Iago really enjoys causing mischief. When he says 'I have't' in line twenty-one we get the impression he's very pleased with himself for having thought up a plan which will get him what he wants.

His final two lines show him as an evil man who is connected with the forces of darkness. He's dedicated to causing as much harm to other people as he can.

The second question asks how this passage helps prepare the audience for what is going to happen in the play.

We learn that Iago is going to carry on using Roderigo in his schemes, once they all get to Cyprus.