"Iago: ... And will as tenderly be led by the nose/ As asses are." II. ii. v 381-382
The plans and schemes that Iago starts to hatch around the second act of the play are extremely brilliant and complicated. However, I can't help wonder whether they are realistic. The conventions and assumptions that Shakespeare uses to make the characters follow Iago's bidding seem far to convenient. While I realize that Iago is incredibly smart, and character's like Roderigo that his is trying to control are inferior to him, I still can't help think that things are flowing a little too smoothly for this play to be very realistic.
For instance, Iago's attempts to make Roderigo forgo the drowning and play as his puppet in getting Cassio to drink then fight Montano are just a little to perfectly performed. With a few turns of phrase, Iago can make Roderigo do anything. Another example is Cassio. It is made clear that there is nothing wrong with Cassio, he is an upright, smart, and respectable man. Then why does he drink so heavily, fight Roderigo so readily, and stab Montano so swiftly? Is peer pressure a plausible reason for the entire incident? Iago barely had to utter a few sentences and press another drink on his friend and the whole event unfolded exactly as he wanted it to. As seen in the quote above, he clearly sees all the other characters a stupid and easily manipulated, but it is hard to believe that they are this stupid.
Shakespeare's ability to use Iago to manipulate the other characters is very well done and all in all, believable. Every now and then, it all seems a little too easy for the conniving villain: Iago.
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