"Everybody's Fool" - Othello, Part II

"Everybody's Fool" by Evanescence - Othello, Part II (Iago and Othello)

Iago - "Othello", Act I, Scene I

"Despise me, if I do not. Three great ones of the city,
In personal suit to make me his lieutenant,
Off-capp'd to him: and, by the faith of man,
I know my price, I am worth no worse a place:
But he; as loving his own pride and purposes,
Evades them, with a bombast circumstance
Horribly stuff'd with epithets of war;
And, in conclusion,
Nonsuits my mediators; for, 'Certes,' says he,
'I have already chose my officer.'
And what was he?
Forsooth, a great arithmetician,
One Michael Cassio, a Florentine,
A fellow almost damn'd in a fair wife;
That never set a squadron in the field,
Nor the division of a battle knows
More than a spinster; unless the bookish theoric,
Wherein the toged consuls can propose
As masterly as he: mere prattle, without practise,
Is all his soldiership. But he, sir, had the election:
And I, of whom his eyes had seen the proof
At Rhodes, at Cyprus and on other grounds
Christian and heathen, must be be-lee'd and calm'd
By debitor and creditor: this counter-caster,
He, in good time, must his lieutenant be,
And I--God bless the mark!--his Moorship's ancient.

O, sir, content you;
I follow him to serve my turn upon him:
We cannot all be masters, nor all masters
Cannot be truly follow'd. You shall mark
Many a duteous and knee-crooking knave,
That, doting on his own obsequious bondage,
Wears out his time, much like his master's ass,
For nought but provender, and when he's old, cashier'd:
Whip me such honest knaves. Others there are
Who, trimm'd in forms and visages of duty,
Keep yet their hearts attending on themselves,
And, throwing but shows of service on their lords,
Do well thrive by them and when they have lined
their coats
Do themselves homage: these fellows have some soul;
And such a one do I profess myself. For, sir,
It is as sure as you are Roderigo,
Were I the Moor, I would not be Iago:
In following him, I follow but myself;
Heaven is my judge, not I for love and duty,
But seeming so, for my peculiar end:
For when my outward action doth demonstrate
The native act and figure of my heart
In compliment extern, 'tis not long after
But I will wear my heart upon my sleeve
For daws to peck at: I am not what I am."

"Everybody's Fool" Lyrics

Perfect by nature
Icons of self indulgence
Just what we all need
More lies about a world that

Never was and never will be
Have you no shame don't you see me
You know you've got everybody fooled

Look here she comes now
Bow down and stare in wonder
Oh how we love you
No flaws when you're pretending
But now I know she

Never was and never will be
You don't know how you've betrayed me
And somehow you've got everybody fooled

Why I Chose This Song

A big Evanescence fan, I chose this particular song because it reminded me of Iago's attitude towards Othello's promotion of Cassio over him at the beginning of the play.

Sung from the perspective of a sarcastic and bitter point of view, the singer mocks the superficiality of those surrounding her, satirizing their apparent worship of their "leaders". Similarly, at the beginning of "Othello", everyone highly idolizes and idealizes the war hero Othello to the point of legend, an adoration that Iago, in turn, mocks, viewing himself "above" everyone else - the "true mastermind".

Whereas Iago stayed by Othello's side in the war, when Othello "betrays" him by promoting Cassio over Iago - even though Iago served much longer and experienced battle - Iago comes to a self-epiphany. To him, Othello possesses a gilded, false good reputation based on what Iago considers Othello's lies and false appearance to maintain his cushioned hero's treatment among the Cyprus commoners and rulers.

In addition, rather than pay attention to Iago rightfully, instead Othello pays attention to Cassio, his closer friend, leaving Iago the "third wheel" - not only ignored and humiliated, but thirsty for vengeance. Additionally, seeing through Othello's "golden" exterior - the assumption everyone else views him in - Iago vows to get back at the Moor, planning to root out and exploit Othello's "Achilles' Heel", or greatest weakness.