He is quite or nearly as indifferent to his own fate
as to that of others; he runs all risks for a trifling and doubtful
advantage; and is himself the dupe and victim of his ruling passion-
-an insatiable craving after action of the most difficult and
dangerous kind. 'Our ancient' is a philosopher, who fancies that a
lie that kills has more point in it than an alliteration or an
antithesis; who thinks a fatal experiment on the peace of a family a
better thing than watching the palpitations in the heart of a flea
in a microscope; who plots the ruin of his friends as an exercise
for his ingenuity, and stabs men in the dark to prevent ennui. His
gaiety, such as it is, arises from the success of his treachery; his
ease from the torture he has inflicted on others. He is an amateur
of tragedy in real life; and instead of employing his invention on
imaginary characters, or long-forgotten incidents, he takes the
bolder and more desperate course of getting up his plot at home,
casts the principal parts among his nearest friends and connexions,
and rehearses it in downright earnest, with steady nerves and
unabated resolution. We will just give an illustration or two.
One of his most characteristic speeches is that immediately after
the marriage of Othello.
Roderigo. What a full fortune does the thick lips owe,
If he can carry her thus!
Iago.
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