They Were Just Like Us! Who Knew?

It’s always fun when we get to point at Shakespeare’s work, some 400 years old at this point, and show evidence of truths back then that are still true today.  There were plenty of things in Othello last night that qualified, but one of my favorites was here:

OTHELLO

Indeed! ay, indeed: discern'st thou aught in that?
Is he not honest?

IAGO

Honest, my lord!

OTHELLO

Honest! ay, honest.

IAGO

My lord, for aught I know.

OTHELLO

What dost thou think?

IAGO

Think, my lord!

OTHELLO

Think, my lord!
By heaven, he echoes me,
As if there were some monster in his thought
Too hideous to be shown.

I love it.  That whole “You don’t want to answer the question so you just repeat the question back at the person” thing?  You probably do it yourself on a regular basis. You’ve certainly seen it spelled out on any random television sitcom.  Yet here’s Othello calling Iago out on that exact behavior, centuries ago.