Downes gives Mohun as Iago; Hart, Cassio; Cartwright, Brabantio; Beeston, Roderigo; Mrs. Hughes, Desdemona; Mrs. Rutter, Emilia.

Hart soon gave up Cassio to Kynaston for the title rôle in which he is said to have excelled.

Among all the general's friends no one possessed the confidence of Othello more entirely than Cassio.

He had employed this Cassio in his love-affair with Desdemona, and Cassio had been a sort of go-between in his suit: for Othello, fearing that himself had not those soft parts of conversation which please ladies, and finding these qualities in his friend, would often depute Cassio to go (as he phrased it) a courting for him: such innocent simplicity being rather an honour than a blemish to the character of the valiant Moor.

Othello had lately promoted Cassio to be the lieutenant, a place of trust, and nearest to the general's person.

This promotion gave great offence to Iago, an older officer, who thought he had a better claim than Cassio, and would often ridicule Cassio, as a fellow fit only for the company of ladies, and one that knew no more of the art of war, or how to set an army in array for battle, than a girl.

The result was, that Othello, who was a strict observer of discipline, was compelled to take away Cassio's place of lieutenant from him.

Then Iago, as if glad that Othello was slow to believe ill of his lady, frankly declared that he had no proof, but begged Othello to observe her behaviour well, when Cassio was by; not to be jealous, nor too secure neither, for that he (Iago) knew the dispositions of the Italian ladies, his country-women, better than Othello could do; and that in Venice the wives let heaven see many pranks they dared not shew their husbands.

"If it be as you say," said Othello, "I will not rest till a wide revenge swallow them up: and first, for a token of your fidelity, I expect that Cassio shall be put to death within three days; and for that fair devil

" OTHELLO."IAGO tells me you've been flirting with Lieutenant CASSIO.

Bian'ca, a courtesan, the "almost" wife of Cassio.

One Michael Cassio, a Florentine, A fellow almost damn'd in a fair wife.

CASSI, the inhabitants of Hertfordshire or Cassio.

Cassio's "almost" wife was Bianca, his mistress.

"Cassio" is brave, benevolent, and honest, ruined only by his want of stubbornness to resist an insidious invitation.

Cassio is brave, benevolent and honest, ruined only by his want of stubbornness to resist an insidious invitation.

The desire for revenge animates him too: "I'll tear her to pieces," he exclaimed when Iago slanders Desdemona"will chop her into messes," and as for Cassio,

When he supposes himself betrayed by his wife and his friend he clutches, as Ulrici remarks (I., 404), with the blind despair of a shipwrecked man to his sole remaining propertyhonor: "His honor, as he thinks, demands the sacrifice of the lives of Desdemona and Cassio.

"The ship is here put in, A Veronese; Michael Cassio, Lieutenant to the warlike Moor Othello, Is come on shore.

Cassio Whatever may have been the result of the vice-governatore's further inquiries and speculations that night, they were not known.

An example will prove it: when Othello is informed that Cassio is slain, he replies, Had all his hairs been lives,

The owner of the house, who slept on the ground floor, equally astonished with myself at the noise, had also quitted his pillow, and, arming himself with a sword and taper, advanced, in the costumes of Iago, when he reappears upon the stage after stabbing Cassio and Rodorigo, towards the door against which the monotonous thumping still continued at regular intervals.

Like Cassio, he will remember "a mass of things, but nothing distinctly.

I may also call attention in this connexion, and as illustrating the habituai introduction of acted eclogues in all forms of festival, to the occurrence of such a performance in a chivalrous romance by Cassio da Narni, entitled La morte del Danese.

Love does make fools of us all, surely, but I wanted to make Desdemona out the fool who is the victim of love and faith; not the simpleton, whose want of tact in continually pleading Cassio's cause is sometimes irritating to the audience.