Chapter Commentary of The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice - Study Guide by William Shakespeare

Desdemona cannot understand Othello’s disquiet. In scenes such as this, she is condemned not by her guilt but by her innocence. Talking to Emilia, she can only imagine that it is state matters that have made him so angry as she has given him no cause. Emilia replies incisively,

But jealous souls will not be answered so:

They are not ever jealous for a cause,

But jealous for they’re jealous. It is a monster

Begot upon itself, born on itself.(3.4.159-62)

Desdemona in her innocence adds, "Heaven keep that monster from Othello’s mind!", little knowing that it has already been born there and is growing by the moment, feeding on her innocent love for Cassio.

Act IV

Iago needs only feed Othello a few well-chosen words by this stage, small drops of poison to hasten a process that is now moving quickly on in Othello’s own brain. "Will you think so?" he begins. He brings up the handkerchief almost nonchalantly, "But if I give my wife a handkerchief –" (4.1.10) and continues to mention it provocatively at the end of his sentences, "But for the handkerchief –" (4.1.18). Othello hardly needs reminding,

By heaven, I would most gladly have forgot it!

Thou said’st – O, it comes o’er my memory

As doth the raven o’er the infectious house

Boding to all – he had my handkerchief(4.1.19-22)

Again, Iago needs say little to keep Othello thinking, to keep the green-eyed monster of jealousy well fed, "Ay, what of it?".

Iago continues, now in the final stages of his deception, to conjure an image of Cassio and Desdemona lying together. The language here should be studied carefully. Iago suggests that Cassio may have "blabbed", "What if I had said I had seen him do you wrong? / Or heard him say...". Othello desperately follows, "Hath he said anything?". Iago keeps him hanging, hanging himself, on every word,

I:He hath my lord, but...

O:What hath he said?

I:Faith that he did – I know not what. He did –

O:What? what?

By this stage, Othello is in such suspense that Iago need only say "Lie" and the image is immediately formed in Othello’s mind, "With her?", which Iago need only confirm, "With her, on her, what you will". This last phrase, "what you will" is the key. He leaves it to Othello’s imagination and this is indeed effective. Othello cracks, "Lie with her? lie on her?... Handkerchief! confessions! handkerchief!...I tremble at it". He adds, "It is not words that shakes me thus", it is images: "Pish! Noses, ears and lips. Is"t possible? Confess! Handkerchief! O devil!". The stage directions say that he "falls into a trance". Iago describes