Cassio and Iago's Treatment of Women

Cassio speaks to women with great respect, using flowery language and almost exaggerated compliments to describe Desdemona and to greet Emilia. He describes Desdemona as ‘divine’ and calls her the ‘riches of Cyprus’, likening her to an angel and a treasure. This conveys Cassio’s admiration for her, showing that he believes that she is special and of a high status. Shakespeare made Cassio say these lines to give the dramatic effect of making the audience feel slightly worried that Iago’s plan to claim that Desdemona and Cassio have a relationship may work, because they seem so close. Even though the audience can see that Cassio’s behaviour stems merely from his sense of courtesy, they can also see that Othello, having spent less time learning the customs in society at the time, may believe that Cassio’s friendly banter is flirtatious instead. He greets Emilia with a kiss, explaining to Iago that ‘tis [his] breeding that gives [him] this bold show of courtesy’. This shows that audience that he was brought up to treat women with care and respect, so even though he does not know Emilia, he treats her as if she is special to him. As Cassio has a ‘person and a smooth dispose’, he must be a man with knowledge of the rules in society, showing that his behaviour towards women makes him more respectable and well liked.
Iago, on the other hand, is shown through his speech to believe that women are annoying and fickle, and have the duty of providing an heir to the family. He does not speak with the same respect as Cassio, but instead ridicules his wife, even if only lightly, by saying ‘you are pictures out of doors, bells in your parlours, wild-cats in your kitchens...’ This comment shows that he thinks women put on different facades in different places, depending on who is around to see them, making them deceitful. It also implies that though Emilia seems quiet outside, she annoys Iago in the house, being too loud, as is suggested by the metaphors of ‘bells’ and ‘wild-cats’. Iago sees women as child-givers, shown by the phrase ‘she never yet was foolish that was fair, for even her folly help’d her to an heir’. The phrase implies that as long as a woman can bear a child, it does not matter how foolish she is. Shakespeare uses Iago’s behaviour towards women to show the audience that he is a complete opposite to Cassio, who almost puts the women above him, and though it was expected for women to be submissive and stick to their duties, when Iago shows that these are his views, the audience is less likely to agree with them, simply because of his dislikeable character.