My medicine works; thus credulous fools are caught,
And many worthy and chaste dames even thus
All guiltless meet reproach.’
So that after all, he would persuade us that his object is only to give an instructive example of the injustice that prevails in the world.
If he is bad enough when he has business on his hands, he is still worse when his purposes are suspended, and he has only to reflect on the misery he has occasioned. His indifference when Othello falls in a trance, is perfectly diabolical, but perfectly in character:—
‘Iago. How is it, General? Have you not hurt your head?
Othello. Dost thou mock me?
Iago. I mock you not, by heaven,’ &c.
The callous levity which Mr. Kean seems to consider as belonging to the character in general, is proper here, because Iago has no feelings connected with humanity; but he has other feelings and other passions of his own, which are not to be trifled with.
We do not, however, approve of Mr. Kean’s pointing to the dead bodies after the catastrophe. It is not in the character of the part, which consists in the love of mischief, not as an end, but as a means, and when that end is attained, though he may feel no remorse, he would feel no triumph. Besides, it is not the text of Shakespear. Iago does not point to the bed, but Ludovico bids him look at it:—‘Look on the tragic loading of this bed,’ &c.