Men should be what they seem;
Or those that be not, would they might seem none!
– William Shakespeare
Othello, Act 3, Scene 3. Iago says this to Othello during a discussion about Cassio’s honesty. There is heavy irony in Iago’s comment that men should be what they appear to be. For he is not at all what he seems, but hides behind a mask to conceal his true character.