Metatheater in Othello

"In sleep I heard him say 'Sweet Desdamona,
Let us be way, let us hide our loves',
And then, sir, would he grip and wring my hand,
Cry 'O, sweet creature!', then kiss me hard,
As if he plucked up kisses by the roots,
That grew upon my lips, lay his leg o'er my thigh,
And sigh, and kiss, and then cry 'Cursed fate,
That gave thee to the Moor!'"
- Othello 3.3.423-430

As Iago acts out this fictitious vignette, he assumes the role of an author, Othello functions as the audience, and the fabrication of Cassio speaking of Desdamona in his sleep becomes the dram. The moment is metatheatrical as it calls attention to the construct of the play. The audience's awareness of the fiction is enhanced by the fact that Iago is relating an account that never actually transpired. Like an author, Iago utilizes dialogue and action to create a story, which he presents to Othello as reality. Interestingly, however, the power of action in developing meaning is undermined, as Iago's words are all that is needed to create an event. Even though the account Iago relates never actually took place, language is influential enough to deceive Othello into thinking that it did, and, as a result, the fabricated event yields real consequences.