Cassios Fall - Othello
.docx
School
Ucla Venezuela**We aren't endorsed by this school
Course
SPOKEN ENG 23356
Subject
Arts & Humanities
Date
Jan 11, 2025
Pages
1
Uploaded by CoachRock560668
OTHELLOCassio’s FallThroughout the play every component of Cassio’s downfall foreshadows Othello’s hamartia (a fatal flaw leading to the downfall of a tragic hero or heroine). However, the scale of Othello’s fall is far greater. To an extent the downfalls of both characters are parallel as they are the authors of their own misfortune, although skillfully guided by the Machiavellian Iago. Cassio puts his trust in Iago, perhaps because whilst he is “a great arithmetician”, he is not experienced in life. For example he has “never set a squadron in the field”. He is also an outsider in Venice being from Florence, leading him to trust the counsel of the older more experienced Iago, Othello’s “ancient”. In Act 2, after listening to Iago’s advice, Cassio warmly states “goodnight honest Iago” reinforcing the idea of being inexperienced in friendship and thus seeing a manipulative person as a friend. The simple two-symbolic words create a rhythm like a nursery rhyme showing his innocence and providing dramatic irony. Cassio’s misplaced trust foreshadows Othello’s own trust in his “most honest” Iago. Othello is similarly an outsider, despite his social status, being not only black but older. Also, he is similarly socially inexperienced having spent all his life since he was seven in “brawl and battle”. In his deference to Iago, Cassio hands Iago the power to plot his own ruined beginning with his acceptance of a drink despite having “unhappy brains for drinking”. This mirrors Othello’s own mistaken respect for Iago. In believing that “Iago is most honest” Othello also views all of Iago’s actions through the paradigm of Iago’s reputation as honest and honourable. In response to Iago’s explanation of Cassio’s fight with Montan0, Othello continues his reverence; “I know Iago thy love and honest doth mince this matter”. The use of mince is ominous foreshadowing violence to come. This mistaken trust and the dramatic irony that it creates throughout the play ensures a sense of empathy towards both Cassio and Othello, despite their roles in their own downfalls, essential for a tragic villain. Iago is jealous of Cassio, a common motivation for a tragic villain, for the fact that Cassio has been promoted over his head. His far greater jealousy of Othello is, however, based on an unsubstantiated belief that Othello has slept with his wife. This greater, more personal jealousy may explain Iago’s greater vengeance towards Othello. Cassio becomes so brainwashed by Iago that he is driven to the point of insanity and becomes violent. In act 2 under influences of alcohol Cassio wants to physically harm Montano aggressively saying “I’ll beat the knave into twig and bottle”. This threat is a pale shadow of the violence that Othello threatens to both Cassio and his wife, Desdemona, after being similarly manipulated by Iago “how shall I murder him Iago”. For an Elizabethan audience this escalation in mental instability and passions following the transfer of action to Cyprus would make sense in the context of Cyprus being associated with Venus the Goddess of love and passion. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
