Othello, the Moor of Venice
William Shakespeare
Act IV
At last, someone finally becomes suspicious of from where the rumor of the alleged affair is coming. Desdemona is the first character to tell of her suspicions: "I will be hanged if some eternal villain, Some busy and insinuating rogue, Some cogging, cozening slave, to get some office, Have not devised this slander. I'll be hanged else," (IV.ii.130-133). However, she happens to be saying all of this information to Iago, the very "villain" that she is cursing. Yet, Iago goes along with the incrimination, acting as though he has no idea the background of the rumor. He plays along with Desdemona's accusations with clear verbal irony. He is completely aware of the situation, but his clever manipulation of speech once again persuades the other characters in the play that he is ignorant of the source of the disagreement in the marriage.
Also, in this section of speech, there are some lines which suggest which characters will not make it out of this tragedy. Desdemona's above quoted line, if interpreted literally, can be seen as a foreshadowing of her death as her supposition is true. Following this line, too, there is a curse that she offers to the man responsible for slandering her name. "A halter pardon him and hell gnaw his bones!" (IV.ii.136). This line suggests that Iago might also face his doom before the conclusion of the play. However, it is a tragedy, and one cannot assume until the last hand hits the stage who will ultimately suffer a grim fate.
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