Othello #3

Throughout the play Iago presents himself differently to every person, and very little is known about his for sure. However, through Iago's usage of multiple facades, the reader is able to see that he is a man who will stop at nothing to execute his maniacal plan. In Act II, scene iii the reader sees Iago present Cassio as the villain. However, Cassio is actually the gentleman that did not want to drink for fear of getting drunk, and Iago made Cassio drink so that he would be drunk and fall victim to Iago's plan. Iago tells Montano that Cassio is a drunkard and not fit to be lieutenant, which leads Montano to speculate that "perhaps [Othello] sees it not, or his good nature / prizes the virtue that appears in Cassio / And looks not on his evils" (II. iii. 139-141). Here the reader is presented with a bit of dramatic irony if they were to replace "Cassio" with "Iago." Since Iago has presented Cassio as the villain, Montano believes that Othello is blind to Cassio's faults. However, it is Iago's faults and evils that Othello, and everyone else, is blind to. Iago is consistently referred to as honest, which is in stark contrast to all of the lies he tells to get his way. Iago seems to be a master of deception in the way that he is able to turn the seemingly good and moral character into the villain, while he, the actual villain, escapes all suspicions.