The dialogue between Cassio and Iago discussing Desdemona is brief and seemingly meaningless. But the way each of them describes Desdemona and the way the two men's statements intertwine reflect significantly both on their respective characters and on the insidious nature of Iago's revenge. On the one hand, Cassio describes Desdemona with extremely lucid and refined images. A wealthy Florentine lieutenant, Cassio belongs to the upper middle class and his cultured language demonstrates this very well. When Desdemona arrives in Cyprus, Cassio states that “the ship's riches have come ashore.” (II, i, 92) Here he states variously that Desdemona is “an exquisite woman”, “a very fresh and delicate creature”, and that “she is truly perfection”. His lush language emphasizes Desdemona's purity and innocence and therefore makes him seem noble and gentlemanly. Previously, Iago had expressed his suspicions that Cassio had romantic feelings for Desdemona; this may or may not be true, since Iago's perspective is not objective. Regardless of any existing or non-existent feelings, though,...