Scene Three

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Othello's State of Mind

Act 3 Scene 3 takes place in a confined room in Othello and Desdemona’s residence on Cyprus and is one of the longest scenes in the whole play, with many highly significant character developments and plot points.

Othello's suspicions

Desdemona doggedly attempts to convince Othello to see Cassio, yet Othello is dismissive and more concerned with Iago’s suggestions of Desdemona’s possible infidelity with Cassio.
Despite initially being confident in his wife’s loyalty, by the end of the scene Othello is convinced of the affair and Emilia has stolen a handkerchief given to Desdemona by Othello as part of Iago’s devious plan.

Desdemona and Cassio

The scene opens with Desdemona assuring Cassio that she will try to encourage Othello to change his mind so they are ‘as friendly’ as before; she perhaps somewhat naively believes she has control over Othello as she tells him to ‘not doubt’.

Othello’s motivations

However, Desdemona does perceptively understand Othello’s motivations and that he needed to dismiss Cassio more for ‘politic distance’ rather than genuine dislike.
She gives him a ‘vow’ upon their ‘friendship’ - again, Shakespeare emphasises clearly for the audience here the solely platonic nature of their relationship - that Othello will ‘never rest’ until ‘Cassio’s suit’ is dealt with.

Iago's scheme

Upon Othello’s entrance into the room Cassio is quick to exit as he is ‘ill at ease’, a dramatic exit which Iago comments upon - ‘Ha! I like not that’ - to manipulate Othello into believing Cassio is ‘guilty-like’.
Desdemona’s pleading for a ‘suitor’ - a word usually loaded, unfortunately, with romantic connotations - works beautifully for Iago’s scheme, as her incessant demands for Othello to ‘call him back’ represents her as suspiciously eager to win favour for Cassio.

Othello's distrust

Following Desdemona’s exit, Othello’s cry of ‘Excellent wretch!’ to refer to Desdemona represents the first point in the play we see him negatively refer to Desdemona in any type of way, and cleverly signals to the audience Othello’s increasingly distrustful state of mind.

Iago's Manipulation of Othello

Iago utilises Othello's growing distrust towards Desdemona immediately with his first manipulation of Othello.

Manipulation

Iago appears hesitant to suggest anything explicitly, instead asking Othello the seemingly simple question of whether Cassio knew of Othello and Desdemona’s love.
Iago’s use of questioning allows him to cast seeds of doubt into Othello as he pretends to be reluctant to discuss the matter further for ‘no further harm’.

Iago's language

Iago begins to repeat Othello’s language - words such as ‘honest’ and ‘think’- in order to suggest he seems unwilling to divulge something he does know about Cassio.
Othello ironically believes these hesitations to represent Iago’s honesty, as he thinks he ‘weigh’st thy words before thou giv’st them breath’ to ensure they are truthful.

Irony

Iago develops this irony further by now stating that ‘men should be what they seem’, which runs in direct contrast to his proclamation in Act 1, Scene 1: ‘I am not what I am’.

False warnings

Despite Iago’s false warnings to ‘beware’ of ‘jealousy’, the ‘green-eyed monster which doth mock / The meat it feeds on’ and Othello’s initial confidence that he will refuse to believe ‘the smallest fear or doubt of her revolt’, he very quickly begins to consider whether or not he needs to look for ‘proof’ of Desdemona’s infidelity, representing a turning point as he takes real notice of Iago’s warnings.
He still keeps some element of denial as he cries ‘away with love or jealousy’, while being consumed by both.

Othello’s vulnerability

Iago cleverly reminds Othello that Desdemona ‘did deceive her father’ and declined matches ‘of her own clime, complexion, and degree’ by marrying Othello, echoing Brabantio’s words in Act 1, Scene 3.
This seems to be all it requires to provoke Othello’s vulnerability and makes him question everything as he bemoans: ‘Why did I marry?’

Othello’s First Soliloquy

Here we also see Othello’s first soliloquy, and it clear just how successful Iago has been in disturbing Othello’s mind.

Othello's language

Othello's language begins to echo Iago’s himself, using animal imagery to metaphorically represent Desdemona as a ‘haggard’ (an untameable hawk), and wonders whether he should ‘let her down the wind’ and cut her ‘jesses’ (cut her ties and allow her to be free).

Confidence

His demise in confidence is clear, as he questions his judgement and refers to his insecurities—he is ‘black’ and believes he does not have ‘those soft parts of conversation / That chamberers have’ even though we have seen this of him previously.

Fate and destiny

Othello appears helpless and without agency as he thinks the only solution now ‘Must be to loathe her’; he sees it as ‘destiny unshunnable, like death’.
Shakespeare here focuses on fate and destiny to emphasises Othello’s rash nature.

Sympathy and frustration

We may feel sympathy for him due to his manipulation by Iago, but perhaps also frustration for the way in which he seems unwilling to ruminate over any other possible scenarios or solutions rather than what sees as his ‘forked plague’ which is ‘fated’ to him.

Doomed marriage

As the audience now fully understands Othello’s resentful mindset, this becomes clear in his actions to Desdemona as she enters the scene again.
Shakespeare’s use of short lines for Othello’s language represents his breakdown in ability to communicate with Desdemona, subtly suggesting that their marriage without this fundamental aspect is now doomed.

The handkerchief

Now, we also see a first mention of a handkerchief or ‘napkin’, which Emilia takes interest of as Desdemona’s first ‘remembrance’ (or love token) from Othello.
She reveals Iago has many times ‘wooed’ her ‘to steal it’, and that she does: the audience is left to wonder exactly why Iago desires it and why Emilia remains so subservient to him.