As the fifth act begins, fate or destiny still appears to favor Iago. Roderigo attacks Cassio as Iago had urged him to do. Roderigo is sorely wounded, and in the dark night Iago sneaks up behind Cassio and stabs him in the leg. Cassio shouts out in pain, and Othello arrives on the scene. But Othello is so consumed, or maddened, by his thoughts of Desdemona having an affair, that he ignores Cassio entirely and exits.
Two other men (Graziano and Lodovico) arrive, so Iago reveals himself and pretends that he has just arrived in response to the yelling of Cassio. While Graziano and Lodovico are on one side of the stage, Iago comes upon the wounded Roderigo and stabs him to death (line 63). Iago then pretends to be innocent in the whole matter. In addition, when Bianca arrives on the scene, Iago tries to place blame on her. He, of course, does not want anybody to suspect him. Even Emilia, who also arrives on the scene, believes that Bianca is guilty in some way. The reader should see this scene as an example of social commentary as well. Bianca is in a lower social class or position than Iago and Emilia. Thus, she is an easy target for Iago. In any conflict or dispute where one party is socially superior to the other, the person with higher social standing always had the advantage. The courts and law-keepers always maintained a bias against the lower classes.