"Therefore be merry, Cassio, for they solicitor shall rather die Than give thy cause away." - III. iii. 26-28
Personally, I find the suspense and irony in this play to be what make it easy and enjoyable to read. It is an interesting point of view to hear the story from the antagonist. In most stories have the hero explaining everything, the reader is compelled to "root for" the person telling the stories. However, here, it's a different story. The fact that Iago, the "bad guy," is telling the story doesn't make the audience cheer for him, but it shows the cunning, careful planning, and the alternate personalities of him, which I find really interesting. I love the suspense that is created due to the fact that we the readers know more than the other characters, and we can't wait to see how Iago's plans will unfold. Besides suspense, irony is absolutely everywhere in this drama. The biggest example I've noticed is that Iago has been called "an honest fellow" (III. iii. 5) on several occasions. I can just taste the irony that everyone thinks highly of Iago when, in actuality, he is plotting something despicable for nearly every character. The fact that he is a woman-hating, critical, jealous, and bitter person merely sweetens the deal. Lastly, I thought this quote was ironic in that it shows Desdemona practically pledging her loyalty to Cassio in a non-romantic manner, even to the death. This is probably foreshadowing of some drastic action Othello will take. He will suspect Cassio and his wife of doing the dirty, and kill her out of a false sense of betrayal. SCANDALOUS.
Personally, I find the suspense and irony in this play to be what make it easy and enjoyable to read. It is an interesting point of view to hear the story from the antagonist. In most stories have the hero explaining everything, the reader is compelled to "root for" the person telling the stories. However, here, it's a different story. The fact that Iago, the "bad guy," is telling the story doesn't make the audience cheer for him, but it shows the cunning, careful planning, and the alternate personalities of him, which I find really interesting. I love the suspense that is created due to the fact that we the readers know more than the other characters, and we can't wait to see how Iago's plans will unfold. Besides suspense, irony is absolutely everywhere in this drama. The biggest example I've noticed is that Iago has been called "an honest fellow" (III. iii. 5) on several occasions. I can just taste the irony that everyone thinks highly of Iago when, in actuality, he is plotting something despicable for nearly every character. The fact that he is a woman-hating, critical, jealous, and bitter person merely sweetens the deal. Lastly, I thought this quote was ironic in that it shows Desdemona practically pledging her loyalty to Cassio in a non-romantic manner, even to the death. This is probably foreshadowing of some drastic action Othello will take. He will suspect Cassio and his wife of doing the dirty, and kill her out of a false sense of betrayal. SCANDALOUS.
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