Act Four

Act Four

1. Iago encourages Othello's jealousy by once again mentioning the handkerchief.

   • Iago seems to provoke Othello's jealousy even more, this is shown by Othello's line, "A horned man's a monster and a beast." This indicates that Othello is contemplating the ugliness, and the horrific presentation of a man that has been cuckolded. Think about Othello's need for appearances.

2. Iago implies that Cassio has boasted about having sex with Desdemona.

   • Iago mentions that Cassio has lied "With her, on her, what you will." This is his way of provoking Othello, the idea of being cuckolded sends him into a frenzy.
     • Othello now talks in prose, he seems to be losing his sanity. This is reflected in the interrogatives, "Lie with her?" which he repeats, and also be the exclamations he makes e.g. "Handkerchief?"

3. Iago says, "Work on, my medicine, work!" which adds to his duplicitous and cunning nature, he is showing the true traits of a Machiavellian Villain.

4. Iago instructs Othello to eavesdrop on his conversation with Cassio, he wants him to hear "Where, how, how oft, how long ago, and when he hath and is again to cope your wife."

   • Iago anticipates that Othello's "unbookish jealousy" will misinterpret Cassio's "smiles, gestures and light behaviours" in the wrong way, thinking that Desdemona is nothing to Cassio. Iago displays immense cunning here, he can anticipate Othello's reactions perfectly.
   • Cassio and Iago act out Bianca's mannerisms e.g. Cassio mentions quite melodramatically, "So hangs and lolls and weeps upon me, so hales and pulls me." Othello sees this physically and feels as though he is being mocked.
     • Bianca waves about the handkerchief, this provides Othello with his 'ocular proof'.
   • Othello is completely frenzied, he says "I will chop her into messes."

5. Othello receives a letter from Venice, after reading this, he hits Desdemona.

   • "Goats and monkeys!" - these were supposedly lecherous beasts therefore, out of his anger of being made a cuckold, Othello is being purposefully rude and horrible.

6. Othello asks Emilia if she suspected Desdemona's affair with Cassio.

   • Othello calls Emilia a "simple bawd" and a "subtle whore" with the implication that she is a brothel-keeper, she is keeping Desdemona's secret.
     • They call upon Iago for advice, but he simply dismisses it as his frustration about Venice.
   • Desdemona thinks Othello is angry as perhaps her father is the reason he is being called back to Venice.
     • Still addresses him as 'my noble lord' and she seems utterly confused as to what she has done e.g. "What ignorant sin have I committed?"
     • Othello's repetition of "What committed?" displays his anger, he calls Desdemona a 'public commoner' and a 'strumpet'.

7. Roderigo is mad at Iago. Iago sees this as an opportunity to seduce Desdemona e.g. "there's mettle in thee" - he tells Roderigo to kill Cassio.

8. Desdemona and Emilia talk about men and the thought of cheating. Emilia says that cheating on one's husband is "a great price for a small vice". Emilia understands that she is a woman, and therefore has lower status, and everything she owns is also owned by her husband.