Act 2 Scene 1
In this scene, while waiting for the arrival of Othello in Cyprus, Iago and Cassio speak to and of women in contrasting manners. Cassio clearly shows more respect and consideration for women in society, while Iago, on the other hand, exhibits a lack of respect and appreciation, especially towards the woman he married, Emilia.
When Cassio speaks of Desdemona, Othello's wife, he describes her with the utmost respect without lapsing into insincerity;
Most fortunately: he hath achiev'd a maid
That paragons description and wild fame;
One that excels the quirks of blazoning pens
And in th'essential vesture of creation
Does tire the ingener.
Cassio says that Desdemona is so much more than what people describe her as, and that her beauty transcends imagination. By speaking of her in this way, Cassio instantly elevates her status through his inflated compliments, and this is highlighted when Cassio calls to his men 'You men of Cyprus, let her have your knees'. Cassio respects and admires Desdemona, even though she is just a friend and he is not romantically involved with her, indicating that Cassio is respectful towards women in general. He continues to compliment her throughout the scene, calling her 'the divine Desdemona' and 'the riches of the ship', comparing her to something so very rare and valuable.
Cassio also shows respect for Emilia, Iago's wife, when he greets her politely and chivalrously with a kiss. Cassio says 'tis my breeding that gives me this bold show of courtesy', suggesting that Cassio has been brought up in an environment where he was taught to respect women.
Iago, on the other hand, exhibits a very different and negative attitude towards women, to the point where he criticises and disparages his own wife. After Cassio kisses Emilia, Iago says;
Sir, would she give you so much of her lips
As of her tongue she oft bestows on me
You would have enough.
Come on, come on; you are pictures out of doors, bells
in your parlours, wild-cats in your kitchen, saints in
your injuries, devils being offended, players in your
housewifery, and housewives in your beds.
Iago implies that women talk excessively, definitely more than they should, and of useless matters. He says that women are well behaved in public but in the home they are troublesome. In addition to this, Iago makes the vulgar statement, 'You rise to play and go to bed to work', indicating that he thinks women are good for nothing but sex.
In contrast to Cassio, who elevates the status of women, Iago greatly lowers their status, referring to them as objects and animals - pictures, bells, wild-cats, as if they are selfish creatures, and a burden to their husbands.
These contrasting ways in which women are spoken to and spoken of affects our understanding of male/female relationships in the sense that there are two different types of male/female relationships; empowered and constrained. The way that Cassio speaks to women in society is very respectful and courteous. He gives them a voice, an identity and status. However this is only outside of the home. We do not know how Cassio would treat a mistress or a wife. Iago and Emilia's relationship is constrained. Their relationship is an excellent example of power in gender roles in society, with Iago being the powerful masculine persona in the relationship, and Emilia being the weaker feminine persona. The idea that women are inferior to men is exemplified in their relationship, as Emilia is clearly of a lower status to Iago, and Iago constantly verbally abusing her.
Because of the opposing attitudes towards women, Cassio becomes the perfect scapegoat for Iago's plan. His respect for women, in particular Desdemona, makes him the perfect suspect as Iago intends to lure Othello into thinking Desdemona is having an affair with Desdemona, therefore bringing the both of them down. This could foreshadow a terrible ending later on in the play as the more we learn about Cassio and his charming characteristics, the more we realise that Iago's plan could be executed flawlessly. Iago's cruel manners towards his wife also indicates how heartless he is, emphasising his malicious characteristics.
