Blog Post #10

"Thus do I ever make my fool my purse.
For I mine own gained knowledge should profane
If I would time expend with such a snipe
But for my sport and profit. I hate the Moor,
And it is thought abroad that 'twixt my sheets
'Has done my office. I know not if't be true,
But I, for mere suspicion in that kind,
Will do as it for surety. He holds me well.
The better shall my purpose work on him.
Cassio's a proper man. Let me see now:
To get his place and to plume up my will
In double knavery - How? how? - Let's see.
After some time, to abuse Othello's ear
That he is too often familiar with his wife.
He hath a person and a smooth dispose
To be suspected, framed to make women false.
The Moor is of a free and open nature
That thinks men honest that but seem to be so,
And will as tenderly be led by th' nose
As asses are.
I have 't. It is endangered. hell and night
Must bring this monstrous birth to the world's light" (Act 1 Scene 3, 427-447).

I chose to write about this excerpt because it is Iago's first soliloquy in all of Othello. Because I struggle with reading Shakespeare, I turned to SparkNotes and other online resources to help me better understand this piece. Although we know that Iago has a strong dislike for Othello, we really begin to feel the magnitude of that hatred in this soliloquy. He tells the audience that he plans to share that Othello has slept with Emilia while basically admitting that he does not know this to be completely factual, but because Othello has so much trust in Iago, he's pretty sure that his plan will be successful. He eventually goes on to tell the audience his plan in great detail: he will convince Othello that Cassio has slept with Desdemona, all while belittling Othello by comparing him to a donkey.