So will I turn her virtue into pitch,
And out of her own goodness make the net
That shall enmesh them all.
– William Shakespeare
Othello, Act 2, Scene 3. Iago in the final lines of his soliloquy uses metaphors of pitch and net to describe how he will bring about Othello’s downfall. He will turn Desdemona’s goodness in helping Cassio against her and ensnare them all in his diabolical revenge plan. The symbolism of light and dark appears here as Iago speaks of turning Desdemona’s shining virtue into pitch, or sticky black tar.