Though he speaks of comfort

I guess outward appearances have been on my mind a lot lately, because that's a theme I've been noticing throughout Shakespeare recently. One such example comes from Othello, when a gentleman is reporting on Cassio's arrival to Cyprus and the hope that Othello will similarly arrive safely. He says, "But this same Cassio, though he speaks of comfort/Touching the Turkish loss, yet he looks sadly/And prays the Moor be safe, for they were parted/With foul and violent tempest" (2.1.34-37). The military has just received the wonderful news that the Turkish fleet has been sunk by the storm, and yet despite this great cause for celebration, what is on Cassio's mind? The fear that his friend might be lost to the same storm. I think that this is part of the reason why Othello's eventual distrust of Cassio is so painful; they are such good friends at the beginning of the story, friends who care about the safety and wellbeing of one another, and all of that gets completely turned around. One specific phrase in this quote stood out to me: "though he speaks of comfort." Even though Cassio is displaying an outward show of excitement for the Turkish loss, he is still sad and worried on the inside. I think too often, we think that a person's life circumstances appear to be going wonderfully, so they must be happy. We forget that there are so many more worries and heartaches surrounding a person's life than we could possibly see from the outside. This is why it is so important to always be kind, to do as Elder Bednar suggests and always treat others as if they are going through the hardest trial they have ever experienced, because often we will be correct. Be kind :)

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