Othello Acts I-III Dramatic Irony

In looking at the first three acts of William Shakespeare’s Othello in their entirety, the literary device employed by Shakespeare which catches my attention the most is dramatic irony. I would be so bold as to make the argument that dramatic irony is the very foundation of the plot of the novel, since the very cunning and ingenious nature of all of Iago’s actions are centered around the fact that he is able to “wipe his hands” of every evil action he commits. Iago is able to single-handedly remove Cassio of his position, convince Othello of his wife’s infidelity, and a number of other vicious deeds while simultaneously convincing every single character that he is not only innocent, but loyal and honest with them. Examples of this dramatic irony pervade the entire first three acts of the play but perhaps can be seen most prominently when Iago blames Cassio for the fight that breaks out during the war victory and wedding celebration. Iago intentionally gets Cassio drunk beyond his point of emotional stability and then purposely has Roderigo pick a fight with Cassio in order to rile him up. However, when Othello asks Iago to explain the situation, he acts as though he is pained to say anything poor of his dear companion Cassio. He even goes as far to declare that he will only testify against Cassio in confidence that his words will bring no harm to Cassio. He insists, “I had rather have this tongue cut from my mot than it should do offense to Michael Cassio. Yet I persuade myself to speak the truth shall nothing wrong him” (Shakespeare, II,iii,200-202). This is the height of dramatic irony since the audience knows full well that Iago had every intention of brining harm to Cassio. As the play progresses, this dramatic irony will be essential  to Iago’s success at bringing about the doom of every single character while maintaining the characters’ trust in himself, his words, and his actions.