What sort of person is Cassio?
Cassio is a very open and friendly person because of where he was brought up (Florence) and the way he was brought up. Cassio is aware of his over-friendliness ''tis my breeding that gives me this bold show of courtesy' (L100) and sets the record straight to Iago that he is just being polite to Emilia. Cassio is different from the other men, and this difference is later used against him in the play because sometimes his open behaviour can be interpreted as slightly inappropriate.
How does Iago plan to use Cassio’s character traits to usurp and ensnare both Cassio and Othello?
Iago plans to 'ensnare as great a fly as Cassio' (L167) and 'gyve thee in thine own courtship' (L177), meaning that Iago will essentially get Cassio in a position where he will be caught out by his own morals (being friendly and tactile). Iago wants to take Cassio's place as Lieutenant 'strip you out of your lieutenancy' (L169) and will do this by catching him out when he's being extra friendly to Desdemona 'clyster-pipes for your sake' (L174) and then will convince Othello the situation is worse than it really is.
What does Iago tell Roderigo to do, and why does Iago say it will help Roderigo to win Desdemona’s heart?
Iago convinces Roderigo to persevere with winning Desdemona's heart and tells him that Desdemona will get bored of Othello because he's not as magnificent as he seems 'all which the Moor is defective in' (L225). Desdemona most likely won't get bored of Othello because she does love him. Iago then points out to Roderigo that when Desdemona gets bored of Othello she will go for Cassio 'who stands so eminent in the degree of this fortune as Cassio does' (L231), so convinces Roderigo to carry on with Desdemona and tells Roderigo to make Cassio angry 'anger Cassio' (L260) so that Cassio's reputation will be tainted 'tainting his discipline'(L261). In Roderiogo's eyes, Desdemona will no longer feel lustful towards Cassio after his outbust, so Roderigo can swoop in and win her for himself, when really it's so that Iago will seem better than Cassio and Othello will want Iago as his Lieutenant. Iago finally tells Roderigo to anger Cassio when he is drunk 'he's rash and very sudden in choler' (L264) so that he will humiliate himself in front of everyone at the party and will be easy to manipulate.
What more do we learn about the nature of Iago in Act 2?
What is the effect of having him share his thoughts and plans with us through his soliloquies? Pay attention to the language used in Iago's soliloquies. What sorts of descriptive language does he use? How does it contribute to the picture of Iago that Shakespeare is drawing?
In Act 2, it is more evident that Iago is manipulating and is set on what he wants, therefore will do anything to get it. By Iago sharing his thoughts with the audience with asides, the audience gets a more in depth understanding of Iago as opposed to the other characters. Letting the audience in on Iago's thoughts strengthens the element of tragedy because Iago is a large contributor to Othello's downfall and death, so Iago's soliloquies are a constant reminder that Othello is going to die, including dramatic irony to the piece. Iago uses the first person personal pronoun 'I' in almost every line which make his asides seem extremely personal to the audience and builds a bridge between the audience and his character. Iago talking in soliloquies makes his speeches easier to listen to and comprehend because of the way it's set out and it brings across the idea that Iago thoroughly thinks and plans. Iago also uses lots of metaphors in his soliloquies to create images in the minds of the audience 'Hath leaped into my seat (...) gnaw my inwards' (L287) thus creating a clearer picture of what he has in store.
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