Forsooth, a great arithmetician,
One Michael Cassio, a Florentine,
A fellow almost damn’d in a fair wife;
That never set a squadron in the field,
Nor the division of a battle knows
More than a spinster.
– William Shakespeare
Othello, Act 1, Scene 1. The play’s main antagonist and arch-villain Iago shows his intense jealousy of army rival Cassio. He rubbishes Cassio’s theoretical knowledge of war and belittles his lack of battle experience equalling it in a metaphor to that of a spinster. Iago’s sexism is evident here, as he mocks Cassio for being cursed with a beautiful wife, suggesting attractive wives are a source of trouble for husbands and may be unfaithful.