Othello Blog Post #2

Othello, the Moor of Venice by William Shakespeare

Act II has a lot of scheming on Iago's part going on. I don't understand how every character is so gullible and dumb, though. Cassio knows that alcohol does not do well with him, yet he is still coaxed into getting drunk by Iago. Someone somewhere should be putting all of the parts of this puzzle together and figuring out that Iago is behind all the mishaps and schemes. The dramatic irony is insane because literally Iago will say one thing and then right in the next scene he will say another thing. And then even still will play a third side by telling the audience what his master plan is all about and what is actually going to happen. At the end of Act II, he sums everything up and gives foreshadowing into what is left to come by saying, "Two things are to be done: My wife must move for Cassio to her mistress...Myself the while to draw the Moor apart and bring him jump when he may Cassio find soliciting his wife" (II.iii.345-350). He is telling his evil plan to us and we are drawn in to continue reading and see how the gullible characters play into Iago's hands.