Othello- Act 2

"Othello"

By: William Shakespeare

"You rise to play, and go to bed to work (II.i.115)." A prevalent theme and focus of Act II is the theme of roles of men and women in marriage. Through Iago's statements and analysis of different types of women, Iago establishes the theme of the role of women. Biased to his own belief, Iago strongly argues that women manipulate women.
Unlike Cassio who respectfully, charmingly, and properly approaches women, Iago bluntly and critically approaches Emilia and Desdemona. With the harsh truth, Iago critiques all different types of women. Of the smart and beautiful, he says the good looks and cunning knowledge wins all guys. Of the smart and ugly, he states that intelligence allows the woman to find a guy as ugly as her. In other words, the ugliness of the guy will make her appear more attractive when standing together. Of the dumb and beautiful, he states that the woman's stupidity will only make her more attractive. Finally, of the dumb and ugly, he says, will use the same tricks as the others to win a guy. Thus, Iago implies that woman, in their own deceiving ways, control men. He suggests that this power is not true to the woman's duty which solely surrounds the purpose of being  a housewife and mother.