English Literature

• Cassio


  A well-educated man from Florence who has recently been appointed Othello's second in command, his lieutenant
• Cassio

  • Charm, charisma, upbringing, and handsome looks
  • Views himself as a ladies' man
  • Loyal and devoted follower of Othello
• Iago resents Cassio


  For his promotion, believing he should have been chosen over the inexperienced Cassio, and for his suave, respectable persona
• How Iago uses Cassio

  1. Gets Cassio fired by getting him into a drunken brawl

  2. Implies Cassio has slept with Othello's wife, Desdemona
• Cassio and Bianca


  Cassio is seeing one of Cyprus' courtesans, Bianca; she loves him, but he doesn't love her, and mocks her behind her back
• Cassio

  • Foil for both Othello and Iago: he is white, upper class, and well-spoken, all things that either or both men envy
  • Symbolises the authority of rich, white men in society and the anxieties felt by outsiders
  • His existence is a catalyst for Iago's behaviour and an aggravator for Othello's jealous insecurity
  • Shakespeare exposes the facades Cassio uses to protect himself, depicting him as someone who isn't as honourable and brave as he wants others to believe
• The Reputable Scholar

  Shakespeare depicts Cassio as an intelligent, well-educated man from Florence, associated with intellect, progress, and the Renaissance
• The Push-Over


  Cassio is easily manipulated by Iago, giving into temptation and losing his temper despite his alleged intelligence and logic
• The Honourable Gentleman


  Cassio is motivated by a deep-rooted sense of honour, chivalrous to women, and devoted to Othello
• The Dishonest Knave


  Cassio leads on Bianca, a local courtesan, calling her "sweet love" to her face though he mocks her behind her back
• The Coward


  Cassio is afraid and incapable without the title of lieutenant, afraid to speak up for himself and instead asks Desdemona to plead his case
• The Con


  Cassio's chivalrous facade hides his proclivity for mocking and exploiting women, and he takes advantage of Desdemona's generosity
• Cassio and Othello


  Cassio respects Othello the most, and is devastated when he falls out of favour, fixated on regaining his title and winning Othello's love
• Cassio and Iago


  Iago decides to use Cassio's charismatic, suave persona, elitism, favouritism, and success with women against him
• Cassio and Desdemona


  Cassio admires Desdemona, thinks she is beautiful, and respects her as a reputable member of the upper classes, but is willing to take advantage of her generosity
• Cassio and Bianca


  Cassio's relationship with Bianca is built on dishonesty and disrespect, as he feigns affection and intimacy while mocking and demeaning her
• Cassio, like all of the other male characters in the text, is used by Shakespeare to reinforce the patriarchal culture within which the play is set
• Misogyny


  The hatred or dislike of women
• If the misogynistic view of women we see portrayed were only voiced by one character in isolation, the effect wouldn't be as great as having this perspective come from all sides
• By having background or minor characters such as Cassio bring up these same ideals in casual conversation, Shakespeare is able to create a sense of being surrounded by misogyny
• There is no escape from the superiority of masculinity, and as such the women on stage - and in the audience - are struck with a feeling of claustrophobia
• Cassio sees himself as a 'ladies' man'


  Flirting with women and generally charming them
• Cassio hides his relationship with Bianca because he doesn't want his "general", Othello, to "see [him] womaned"
• To be "womaned"


  To be burdened or subjected to something emasculating like love or need
• Cassio's secrecy surrounding his relationship may reflect wider societal attitudes towards romance and women: as a high ranking officer, Cassio may not want to be associated with something emasculating like love or need, not least with a prostitute
• If people knew he was succumbing to sexual urges, they may think less of him and doubt his ability to command
• Cassio calls Desdemona "a maid that paragons description and wild fame [...] the divine Desdemona", whereas of Bianca he says, "Poor caitiff! [...] Poor rogue! [...] I marry her? What! A customer!"
• Cassio views Desdemona with awe and reverence while treating Bianca as a joke, mocking and patronising her; this contrast implies men judge women by their social standing
• Cassio's outright dismissal of the idea of marrying Bianca emphasises the exploitation of women, particularly sex workers, as they were regarded as sexual objects
• Cassio describes Desdemona as "the riches of the ship", objectifying her outright with hyperbole that resembles Renaissance love poetry
• Desdemona is another material good in this capitalist society. Shakespeare argues that misogyny doesn't dissipate as you move up the class ladder - it merely changes form
• Cassio uses Desdemona in a way akin to his use of Bianca, using her to represent his "suit" with Othello so that he can regain Othello's favour and be reinstated as lieutenant
• Reputation is a big part of Venetian life within the play. It decides who gets power and who gets to keep it, who to know and who to avoid, who is respectable and who is immoral
• Cassio's character sits at the heart of this: throughout the play, he is fixated on his reputation and what other people think of him
• When Cassio loses his lieutenancy, he is devastated because of the sense of public shame he feels
• Cassio says, "Reputation, reputation, reputation! O, I have lost my reputation! I have lost the immortal part of myself, and what remains is bestial"
• Reputation


  Something that can be "lost", the most valuable thing a person owns
• Shakespeare portrays Cassio's belief that respectability is the barrier to animalistic barbarity
• Cassio is fixated on becoming lieutenant again but isn't taking any steps to make amends with Othello or prove his commitment; instead, he charges others with the responsibility
• Iago successfully convinces Othello that Cassio is crooked and deceitful, thus ruining his reputation without Cassio's true actions factoring in