English III Trimester I Examination

Villain, be sure thou prove my love a whore,
Be sure of it; give me the ocular proof:
Or by the worth of man's eternal soul,
Thou hadst been better have been born a dog
Than answer my waked wrath!

Speaker: Othello
Person Spoken to: Iago

What is going on when this passage is spoken?
Before, Iago was making Othello believe that his wife Desdemona was having a affair with Cassio. In this passage Othello is asking Iago for actual proof, to be sure that this betrayal really happened.

Comment: Since Iago wants to destroy Othello's marriage as soon Othello asks for ocular proof, Iago goes after it. Eventually he's able to make Othello see Cassio with the napkin he gave to Desdemona, leading him to believe that there is something between them.