Iago

Question 1

Iago’s duplicitous nature

Answer 1

‘I follow him to serve my turn upon him.’ 1.1
‘Whip me such honest knaves’. 1.1
‘I am not what I am.’ 1.1
‘By Janus’ 1.2

‘O you are well tuned now! But I’ll set the pegs that make this music,/ As honest as I am.’

(to Cassio) ‘I protest, in sincerity of love and honest kindness’

‘My lord, you know I love you’ 3.1 (to OTHELLO)

‘From hence/ I’ll love no friend, Sith love breeds such offence’ 3.3

‘Fie, there is no such man; it is impossible’ 4.2

Question 2

Iago’s MOTIVE

Answer 2

‘I hate the Moor. My cause is hearted.’… 1.3
‘I hate the Moor,/ And it is thought abroad that ‘twixt my sheets/ He’s done my office.’ 1.3

‘I do love her too; not absolute out of lust’… ‘But partly led to diet my revenge/ For that I do suspect the lusty Moor/Hath leaped into my seat.’ 2.1

Question 3

Iago’s racist descriptions of Othello

Answer 3

‘an old black ram/ is tupping your white ewe.’ 1.1
‘a Barbary horse’ 1.1

‘These Moors are changeable in their wills’ 1.3

Question 4

Othello’s trust in Iago

Answer 4

‘my ancient, a man he is of honesty and trust’ 1.3
‘Honest Iago, My Desdemona I leave to thee.’ 1.3
‘good Iago’ 2.1
‘Iago is most honest.’ 2.3
‘Honest Iago, that looks dead with grieving, speak, who began this? On my love I charge thee.’ 2.3
‘For I know thou’rt full of love and honesty’ 3.1
‘This fellows of exceeding honesty.’ 3.1
‘O thou art wise, ‘tis certain’ 4.1
‘O brave Iago, honest and just’… ‘Thou teachest me’ 5.1

Question 5

Iago’s lack of virtue

Answer 5

‘Virtue? A fig.’ 1.3

Question 6

Iago’s misogynistic nature/ attitudes against women

Answer 6

‘Ere I would say, I would drown myself for the love of a guinea-hen, I would change my humanity with a baboon.’ 1.3

‘you are pictures out of doors, bells in your parlours, wild cats in your kitchens, saints in your injuries, devils being offended, players in your housewifery and housewives in your beds.’ 2.1

‘You rise to play, and you go to bed to work.’ 2.1

‘If she be fair and wise, fairness and wit,/The one’s for use and the other useth it.’ 2.1

The role of the woman is ‘to suckle fools and chronicle small beer.’ 2.1

‘It is a common thing-/ To have a foolish wife.’ 3.3

Question 7

Iago’s manipulation of Roderigo

Answer 7

‘Put money in thy purse.’- X7- 1.3
‘Thus do I ever make my fool my purse.’-1.3

‘Desdemona is directly in love with him.’ (CASSIO) 2.1

‘this poor trash of Venice’ 2.1

‘my sick fool Roderigo’ 2.1

‘I have rubbed this young quat almost to the sense’ 5.1

‘O murderous slave! O villain! (stabs RODERIGO)

Question 8

Iago’s cynical view of love

Answer 8

Love is ‘merely a lust of the blood and a permission of the will.’ 1.3

Question 9

Iago’s developing plot

birth metaphors

Answer 9

‘There are many events in the womb of time, which will be delivered.’ 1.3

‘I have’t. It is engendered. Hell and night/ Must bring this monstrous birth to the world’s light.’ 1.3

’ ‘Tis here but yet confused./ Knavery’s plain face is never seen till used.’ 2.1

Question 10

Iago’s control/ disrespect of Emilia

Answer 10

‘Sir, would she give you so much of her lips/ As her tongue she oft bestows on me,/ You would have enough.’

Question 11

Iago’s exploitation of CASSIO for his plot

and deceitful nature

Answer 11

‘He takes her by the palm, Ay well said, whisper. With as little a web as this will I ensnare as great a fly as Cassio.’ 2.1

‘Now ‘mongst this flock of drunkards,/ Am I to put our Cassio in some action/ That might offend the isle.’ 2.3

(to MONTANO) ‘I fear the trust Othello puts in him.’
‘tis evermore the prologue to his sleep’ 2.3
‘I do love Cassio well and would do much/ To cure him of this evil.’ 2.3

‘I had rather have this tongue cut from my mouth/ Than it should do offence to Michael Cassio.’ 2.3

‘There comes a fellow crying out for help,/ And Cassio following him with determined sword/ To execute upon him.’ 2.3

Question 12

Iago’s cynical belief that Desdemona will learn to despise Othello.

Answer 12

‘Her eye must be fed; and what delight will she have to look on the devil?’ 2.1

‘When the blood is made dull with the act of sport’ Desdemona will ‘begin to heave the gorge, disrelish and abhor the Moor, very nature will instruct her in it.’ 2.1

‘The wine she drinks is made of grapes. If she had been blessed, she never would have loved the Moor.’ 2.1

Question 13

Iago’s JEALOUSY/ desire for revenge

Answer 13

The thought whereof/ Doth like a poisonous mineral gnaw my inwards;/ And nothing shall content my soul/ Till I am avenged with him, wife for wife; Or failing so, yet that I put the Moor/ At least into a jealousy so strong/ That judgement cannot cure.’ 2.1

Question 14

Iago’s desire for revenge on CASSIO

Answer 14

‘I’ll have Michael Cassio on the hip… For I fear Cassio with my night-cap too.’ 2.1

Question 15

Iago’s plot

Answer 15

‘practising upon his peace and quiet,/ Even to madness.’ 2.1

‘his unbookish jealousy must construe/ Poor Cassio’s smiles, gestures and light behaviours,/ Quite in the wrong.’ 4.1

Question 16

Iago’s descriptions of Desdemona

Answer 16

‘sport for Jove’ 2.1
‘full of game.’ 2.1
‘What an eye she has! Methinks it sounds a parley to provocation.’ 2.1

Question 17

Iago’s manipulation of Cassio

Answer 17

‘But one cup’, ‘tis a night of revels; the gallants desire it.’ 2.1

‘If I can fasten but one cup upon him… He’ll be as full of quarrel and offence/ As my young mistress’ dog.’ 2.1

‘sue to him again and he’s yours.’ 2.3
‘Our general’s wife is now the general’… ‘confess yourself freely to her.’ 2.3

Question 18

Iago’s view of REPUTATION

Answer 18

‘Reputation is an idle and most false imposition’ 2.3

Question 19

Iago’s acting metaphors

Answer 19

‘And what’s he then that says I play the villain, when this advice is free I give and honest.’ 2.3

Question 20

Iago corrupting Desdemona’s goodness

Answer 20

‘So will I turn her virtue into pitch,/ And out of her own goodness make the net/ That will enmesh them all’ 2.3

Question 21

Emilia’s belief in Iago’s virtue and goodness

Answer 21

‘I warrant it grieves muy husband/ As if the cause were his.’ 3.3

Question 22

Iago’s manipulation of Othello

Answer 22

‘Ha! I like not that.’ 3.3
‘But for satisfaction of my thought;/ No further harm.’ 3.3
‘Men should be what they seem’ 3.3
‘It were not for your quiet nor your good,/ Nor for my manhood, honesty, wisdom,/ To let you know my thoughts.’ 3.3

‘I pray you not to strain my speech/ To grosser issues… ‘My speech would fall into such vile success/ Which my thoughts died not.’

Question 23

Iago’s warning Othello of jealousy

Answer 23

‘O beware my lord of jealousy; it is the green eyed monster, which doth mock/ The meat it feeds on’ 3.3

Question 24

Iago feigns care for his reputation

Answer 24

‘He that filches me my good name/ Robs me of that which not enriches him,/ And makes me poor indeed.’ 3.3

Question 25

Iago reflects on the SUCCESS of his plot

Answer 25

‘The Moor already changes with my poison’ 3.3

‘Work on,/ My medicine, work! Thus credulous fools are caught,/ And many worthy and cast dames, even this,/ All guiltless, meet reproach’. 4.1

Question 26

Iago feigns loyalty to Othello

Answer 26

Promises to be at ‘wronged Othello’s service’ and ‘obey’ and ‘carry out what bloody business ever’ 3.3

Question 27

Iago’s lies about Cassio admitting his relationship with Desdemona

Answer 27

‘In sleep I heard him say ‘Sweet Desdemona,/ Let us be wary, let us hide our loves.’ 4.1

‘He hath my lord’… ‘Lie’… ‘With her? On her. What you will.’ 4.1

Question 28

Iago’s violent nature:
Iago’s suggestion of how to kill Desdemona
Iago’s

Answer 28

‘Do it not with poison, strangle her in her bed, even the bed she hath contaminated.’ 4.1

Question 29

Suggests to Lodovico that Othello is often violent with Desdemona

Answer 29

‘yet would I knew that stroke would prove the worst.’ 4.1

Question 30

Iago’s jealousy of Cassio

Answer 30

‘If Cassio do remain/ He hath a daily beauty in his life/ That makes me ugly.’ 5.1

Question 31

Iago blames Bianca for Cassio’s injury

Answer 31

‘Gentlemen all, I do suspect this trash/ To be a party in this injury.’ 5.1

‘Look you pale, mistress?/ Do you perceive the gastness of her eye?… Nay, guiltiness will speak/ Though tongues were out of use.’ 5.1

‘This is the fruits of whoring’ 5.1

Question 32

Foreshadowing in final act

Answer 32

‘This is the night/ That either makes me, or forebodes me quite.’ 5.1

Question 33

Iago attempts to control Emilia and prevent anagnorisis

and Anger following reveal

Answer 33

‘What, are you mad? I charge you get you home’
‘Zounds, hold your peace.’
‘Be wise and get you home.’

‘Villainous whores’
‘Filth thou list.’
(IAGO from behind, stabs EMILIA and exit)
5.2

Question 34

The resolution; reveal of Iago’s villainy

Answer 34

CASSIO: ‘Iago hurt him, Iago set him on.’ (Rodrigo)

Question 35

Iago’s punishment

Answer 35

‘If there be any cunning cruelty/ That can torment him much, and hold him long,/ It shall be his.’

‘To you, Lord Governor,/ (Cassio) Remains the censure of this hellish villain;/ The time, the place, the torture o enforce it.’ 5.2