"He takes her by the palm. Aye, well said, whisper. With as little a web as this will I ensnare as great a fly as Cassio."-- Iago, II.i. 165-166
Stage directions and asides give plays a new dimension when reading them. Instead of having a narrator to explain things, we must have characters directly tell us what they are doing or thinking. Stage directions often provide a visual image of what is happening, even though they are rare. Asides are especially helpful. It allows the reader insight into the mind of a character, while no other person on stage knows what they are saying. Particularly with Iago, this allows us to see what he is plotting against Cassio and Othello. Without these elements, reading a play would be dry and difficult to analyze.
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