Quotes are from “No Fear Shakespeare”
Iago ”You cannot, if my heart were in your hand, Nor shall not, Whilst’tis in my custody” (Act3, scene 3,168-169). After Othello strongly insists to know what Iago thinks, Iago says “You can’t find that out, even if you held my heart in your hand you couldn’t make me tell you. And as long my heart’s inside my body. You never will. “ This allows Iago to get a stronger hold on Othello and it will prove to be pivotal as the tale goes on because Iago knows that he must gain Othello’s trust in order to carry out his plans.
Iago ”Oh, beware, my lord of jealousy” (Act 3, scene 3, 169). As the audience, we all know that Iago’s primary purpose is to make Othello jealous. When he tells Othello to beware jealousy, it is actually very ironic. But Othello, being the great man he is automatically trusts Iago even more because Iago gives him such a “good” admonition. Thus, this quote helps Iago to build up his credit in Othello’s mind and this makes the quote important.
Iago ”Look to your wife, observe her well with Cassio. Wear your eyes thus, not jealous nor secure” (Act 3, scene3, 201,202) After successfully trapping Othello into his trap, Iago finally moves onto his main scheme. He doesn’t slander Desdemona and Cassio in an extreme way; instead he reclaims his neutral position. He tells Othello to be “ neither completely suspicions nor completely trustful.” This quote doesn’t show any bad thing between Desdemona and Cassio but in fact, it has already conducted lots of impact on Othello in which Othello has already shaken his completely trust toward Desdemona. Hence, this quote is important because it not only shows Iago’s intelligent on understanding people’s ways of thinking but it also implies that Iago will take a further step to slander Desdemona and make Othello to become jealous and lose control of himself.
Iago “Foh! One may smell in such a will most rank, Foul disproportions, thoughts unnatural”