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No Fear Shakespeare. Read Shakespeare’s original text paired with line-by-line modern English translations, and listen to immersive audio to get the most out of Shakespeare’s most popular plays.

The story of an African general in the Venetian army who is tricked into suspecting his wife of adultery, Othello is a tragedy of sexual jealousy. First performed around 1604, the play is also a pioneering exploration of racial prejudice.

Othello shifts from believing Desdemona could never betray him, to demanding proof of her infidelity so he can feel justified in killing her. When Iago suggests Othello strangle Desdemona in the bed in which she was allegedly unfaithful, Othello says “Good, good, the justice of it …

The paradox or riddle that the speech creates is emblematic of Iago’s power throughout the play: his smallest sentences (“Think, my lord?” in III.iii. 109) or gestures (beckoning Othello closer in Act IV, scene i) open up whole worlds of interpretation.

Thus, Iago intends to use Othello just as he will use Roderigo, exploiting the man’s naïve belief in the reality of appearances to lead him (like a trusting donkey) to his own destruction. Men should be what they seem, Or those that be not, would they might seem none!

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A summary of Act IV: Scenes ii & iii in William Shakespeare's Othello. Learn exactly what happened in this chapter, scene, or section of Othello and what it means. Perfect for acing essays, tests, and quizzes, as well as for writing lesson plans.

Othello says this to Iago after starting to become suspicious about what might be happening between Desdemona and Cassio. A master manipulator, Iago plants a seed of suspicion, but then seemingly hesitates to make any distinct accusations.

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