Othello #5

          Throughout Act 3 Iago is slowly molding Othello into a character quite opposite than the perfect-souled one presented at the beginning of the play. Othello’s pure heart is darkly clouded by Iago as Iago feeds him the fictitious tale of Desdemona and Cassio. In this first scene of Act 4, Iago continues the prodding, and it becomes clear that he has pushed Othello over the edge. Othello is utterly convinced that Desdemona is cheating on him with Cassio, and his anger is overcoming him. Othello’s soul is turning the color of his skin. His emotions come to a climax when he strikes Desdemona, exclaiming, “O, devil, devil!/ If that the earth could teem with woman’s tears,/ Each drop she falls would prove a crocodile” (IV.i.273-5). Not only has Othello physically assaulted Desdemona, but also he has called her a devil and claimed that her crying is not real. All of these actions are completely out of character for the Othello “whom passion could not shake” at the beginning of this play (IV.i.299). However, it is clear that this is not the same Othello. Up to this point in the play, Iago has defeated Othello; evil has defeated good.