OTHELLO: I will withdraw,
To furnish me with some swift means of death
For the fair devil. Now art thou my lieutenant.
IAGO: I am your own forever.
– William Shakespeare
Othello, Act 3, Scene 3. The murder of Desdemona is foreshadowed here, as Othello plots to kill his innocent wife. He promotes Iago to his lieutenant, while Iago pledges loyalty to his master. This is a false loyalty, a manipulation tool used by Iago to control Othello, now completely under Iago’s power. There is irony in Othello’s use of the metaphor "fair devil" to describe Desdemona. For it is he who has joined in a pact with the devilish Iago when they kneel and exchange vows of evil.