Foreshadowing is my favorite literary technique!

Othello, the Moor of Venice by William Shakespeare is full of foreshadowing.  Much like the irony that I have already blogged about, this foreshadowing is most often caused by Iago's narration.  Because the reader is given insight into Iago's plans for revenge against Othello, he often knows what is going to happen before it actually does.  Passages such as "I'll have Michael Cassio on the hip, / Abuse him to the Moor in the rank garb -... (II.i.284-5)" tell the reader exactly what Iago wants to do.  In this example, he is saying that he plans to manipulate Cassio and later accuse him of being Desdemona's lover.  In the next few scenes, the reader can then understand why Iago persuades Cassio to drink, has Roderigo anger him, and then draw others to witness the event.  Because of this foreshadowing, I was not surprised by Iago's actions.  On the contrary, I expected them, and better understood Iago's motivation.  These actions are part of his plan to manipulate Cassio and ultimately earn revenge on Othello.As Iago nears his goal, his plans will surely continue to warn the audience of future misfortune.