Othello post 3

The sheer amount of dramatic irony in this play is astonishing. Iago is positively diabolical, and in this section of reading, his plan to get Cassio de-titled is executed perfectly. Iago decides to get Cassio in a fight with Roderigo and Montano. He first gets Cassio drunk, to which Cassio originally refuses because he has "very poor, and unhappy brains for drinking" (II, iii, 35). Of course Iago takes advantage of this, and when Cassio finally leaves for bed, Iago sends Roderigo after him to provoke him into a fight. Cassio comes running back, swinging his sword, and soon starts a brawl with Montano. Othello then comes out, asks Iago for the story, and promptly strips Cassio of his title.

Iago's explanation of the story, and Othello's dialogue beforehand show the dramatic irony of the scene. First, Iago states that he would rather have his "tongue cut from [his] mouth than it should do offense to Michael Cassio" (II, iii, 235). This is ridiculous because we know that Iago detests Cassio, and wishes him dead, if not stripped of his title. When Othello first sees the scene, he asks "Honest Iago, that looks dead with grieving" to tell him who began the fight (II, iii, 189). This is an example of dramatic irony because as the reader, we know  that it was Iago, and no one else, that started the brawl.