Othello 2

     As I continue to read Shakespeare's Othello, I begin to learn much more about different characters through characterization.  One Character in particular who continues to grow is Iago. We know that he is the villain of the story, It is clear by many of his actions and many of his interactions with other people that he is fake and two-faced as well. One quote, in particular, made me think a lot about Iago's character.


IAGO
She that was ever fair and never proud,
Had tongue at will and yet was never loud,
Never lacked gold and yet went never gay,
Fled from her wish and yet said “Now I may,”
She that being angered, her revenge being nigh,
Bade her wrong stay and her displeasure fly,
She that in wisdom never was so frail
To change the cod’s head for the salmon’s tail,
She that could think and ne'er disclose her mind,
See suitors following and not look behind,
She was a wight, if ever such wights were—
DESDEMONA
To do what?
IAGO
To suckle fools and chronicle small beer (Shakespeare, page 1387, lines 148, 160).

This quote stood out to me so much because of the way Iago phrased it. In the first section, he is sweet and caring. However he quickly reverts back to being sexist and saying how women are only useful raising children and shopping for groceries. We begin to see the not-so-nice side of Iago and how little respect he shows toward women. The author seems to keep his audience on a string back and froth from liking and disliking Iago. It is definitely working.