Complicated

feat. Cassio

Actin like youre somebody else,

makes me frustrated

In a rather convenient turn of fate, your
best friend is also your boss. No more ass-
kissing for you, right?

WRONG.

If youre Cassio from Othello, the only
thing you care about is reputation,
reputation, reputation (2,3,281), and
youll do anything to get it!

Throughout this whole play, Cassio
constantly changes the way he acts to stay
with the cool crowd (aka Othello).

Let me explain.

Ill begin by saying that Cassio has a very
enviable job as lieutenant, which he only
got because he was the wingman in
Othellos relationship with Desdemona.

Despite the fact that the couple CLEARLY
likes him, he brown-noses Desdemona
continuously.

Come on Cassio, calling Desdemona
divine (2,1,80), just because everyone
else seems to think so is a little bit
misleading as to your personal
relationship with her, dont cha think?

I can hardly blame old, experienced
soldiers like Iago for deciding that theyve

had enough of this bootlicking, and taking

a stance!

To end all this unjust flattery, Iago decides
to organise a barbarous brawl (2,3,184),
initiated by Cassio, to prove to Othello
that actions really do speak louder than
words.

And so, what starts as Othellos first
lovemaking night turns into a wild game
of Keeping Up With Cassio. Like, come on
man, dont be f*cking rude.

Let me tell you first that Cassio is the kind
of guy who hates drinking, but does it
anyway because he doesnt want to be the
only one sober.

So when Iago shows up and implies that
sober-Cassio is a party-pooper, our
Kiss-Ass-Cass decides to get drunk.

Full of quarrel and offence (2,3,49), he
yells, fights with another one of Iagos
bitches (named Roderigo), and screws up
Othellos one night off. This time, even all
his previous ass kissing didnt save him
from losing his job.

Umm, remind me again Cassio, why are
you taking advice from a random old
soldier who is suspiciously calm about
you, the young undeserving executive,
having a higher position than him? And on
your bosss wedding night too? Straighten
your tie, son.

As for his own love life, Cassio rather

unoriginally copied the plot of Pretty
Woman by falling in love with a
prostitute. Unlike Richard Gere, however,
Cassio would rather not be seen
womand (3,4,221) in public.

Not that I love you not,
[Bianca](3,4,225), he says, just youre
embarrassing thats all. How much more
two-faced can you get!?

Not to mention that Cassio continues to
brownnose Desdemona to get his job
back. He couldnt even fathom the
possibility of working hard to get a raise.

If my boyfriend came a-wooing (3,3,79)
his bosss wife and was ashamed to be
seen with me in public, Id break up with
him faster than Kylie Jenner can change
her hair colour. Biancas the angelic one
here, not Desdemona.

Thankfully, at the end of the play Cassio
decides to be himself, and figure out why
his brown-nosing is doing the opposite of
what it should be.

With the lyrics of Animals Im just a soul
whose intentions are good, Cassio rushes
to meet Othello.

However, coming up to your friend right
after he killed his disloyal wife and telling
him that you werent actually sleeping
with her is rather unfortunate timing.

Overall, this play is a perfect example of

how ass kissing will in fact bite your ass.
Othello could have been a lot less tragic if
Cassio didnt become somebody else,
round, everyone else, to make people
like Avril Lavigne frustrated centuries
after.

Words: 580
Written by Maria Goikhberg