He takes her by the palm: ay, well said, whisper: with as little a web as this will I ensnare as great a fly as Cassio. Ay, smile upon her, do; I will gyve thee in thine own courtship.
– William Shakespeare
Othello, Act 2, Scene 1. Iago in an aside reveals that he will use Cassio’s reputation for gallantry with women to suggest he is having an affair with Desdemona. He plans to use Cassio’s good manners in kissing Desdemona’s hand to compromise him. In a metaphor he compares himself to a spider and Cassio the fly that will be trapped in his web. This is one of the many examples of animal imagery in the play.