Cassio is a young man from Florence who has recently being promoted as Othello’s second-in-command. The fact that Cassio is a handsome, young Italian man (described as a “proper man” by Iago in Act 1) serves as core to Iago’s plot to make Othello jealous, particularly as Othello is not the same race, nor as young as Desdemona. By 16th century Venetian standards, Cassio is deemed to be a more suitable match for Desdemona due to his age, race, and appearance. Iago is very much aware of this, stating that these qualities are what “folly and green minds look after” in Act 2 Scene 3.
