Iago Manipulation In Othello

Iago contributes to the tragic downfall of Othello, playing him like a fiddle. The human nature of Iago manipulates the trust

In the book Othello, Iago is a very manipulating man, throughout the book he manages to manipulate three main people, Roderigo, Cassio, and Othello. He uses all their weaknesses to bring them down. Iago wants revenge on Othello, because Othello overlooks Iago and his abilities, so Iago manipulates these three characters to get back at Othello in the long run. He comes up with a very good plan to get each other to turn against one another. So in the end he ends up getting what he wanted, revenge.

Othello falls for Iago’s lies because he sees Othello as a trustworthy man. The reason Othello’s trust in Iago is high, it is because of his honesty, giving him the name “Honest Iago,” and Othello has also known him for years. Throughout the whole story, Othello is lead to believe Iago’s lies and would trust him more than anyone else even his wife Desdemona. With Iago trying manipulate Othello, it works well causing him to do things leading to disbelieve the close people around him.

Othello won’t question if Iago actually tells the truth or not. Another example is when Iago state, “What, man, there are ways to/ recover the general again” (2.3.259-260). In this quote Iago draws Cassio into believing there are ways to his position back on Othello’s good side again. Both quotes show Iago using his credibility to get on the good sides of both characters, increasing his reputation as a good friend/guy.

During the play, he is able to deceive his peers through various different methods of control. This assertion of dominance doesn’t stop at only Othello; it stretches much further, even using it on his own trusted friend, Cassio. When Iago said “I am not who I am”, he shows the unreliability of his true character. His equivocal nature allows him to seamlessly change his positions and adapt to varying situations like a chameleon. Possessing the ability to hide his true intentions, Iago manages to manipulate those around him to serve his own ill-minded tendencies.

Among some of the crucial characters who were targeted by Iago’s manipulative plans are Othello, Cassio, and Rodrigo. Due to everyone trusting in him he is able to know their feebleness and specifically their personalities. Each of these male characters have different personalities and knowing them can be useful to Iago in his hope of completely fooling them in thus ruining their names and making everyone turn on each other. Othello who has always

In William Shakespeare’s Othello, Iago is the master manipulator that caused all the problems and deceit in others in, Not Othello. In William Shakespeare’s Othello, Iago is far more culpable than Othello for the deaths of everyone in the play, because Iago is a manipulator and caused everyone to distrust, betray and kill each other, an example being how he caused Othello to kill Desdemona. Iago caused people to distrust each other by manipulating everyone, which caused everyone to kill each other because they trusted Iago and fell victim to his manipulative lies. Iago manipulated Brabantio, Cassio, and Othello.

Ultimately leads to Othello's tragic decision to kill his wife and himself. The play serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of believing in and acting on deceptive beliefs and the importance of trusting in one's judgment and the truth. One of the main perpetrators of deception in Othello is the character of Iago, and it truly demonstrates why one should trust one's inner beliefs. To start, Iago is jealous of Cassio's

This irony is included because of the effect it has on the audience and the other characters within the play. Since the beginning of the play, Iago was labeled “honest Iago.” Othello did not see Iago's true intent, however this version of Iago was created out of jealousy. “And, good lieutenant, I think you think I love you.”

In the play Othello, by William Shakespeare we are introduced to Othello who is the protagonist and faces a lot of obstacles, one of them being betrayal. Throughout the whole play we witness betrayal from many of the characters through their irrational behavior and actions. However the biggest betrayal we see is from Iago, who is the antagonist, in other words, the villain of the play. Iago plans on having his revenge and betraying Othello, Desdemona, Cassio, Rodrigo and even his wife, Emilia. Betrayal is wrong and something that can’t be forgiven, at the end betrayal breaks friendships as well as lives and trust which never works out well in the end.

When he does not get the position he wants and also heard that Othello has been sleeping with his wife Emilia, Iago’s manipulation increases. Iago plans his scheme based on, “[Othello] has done my office, I know not if’t be true/ But I, for mere suspicion in that kind/ Will do as if for surety” (I. III. 431-433). This use of manipulation is all based on an assumption that Othello has slept with Iago’s wife, and this assumption leads to even more horrible events.

Othello’s confidence for a loyal man to maintain honesty and morals are contradicted through Iago’s actions: “in a man that’s just / They are close dilations, working from the heart, / That passion cannot rule” (3.3.123). Iago, due to the understatement to his name, is not perceivable as hateful. Othello’s willingness to sense Iago’s distress, and to believe his accusations, is because of the lack of awareness Othello has for his vengeance. Iago is of such little power and relevance within societal ranking that if he were to have intentions to sabotage anyone, which he does, are not considered, thus making him easily trustworthy to those of greater dominance. Society’s view of an individual determines how others consider and surmise their persona, though these conclusions may be false.

While reading these couple of scenes, I couldn't help but think back to Othello. In Othello, Iago cleverly plots to manipulate the other characters. Similar to Iago, these two scenes reflect a group of characters plotting to manipulate a character's motives. For example, Leonato along with Claudio and Don Pedro plot a conversation for Benedick to overhear. After hearing their conversation, Benedick is convinced that he should return Beatrice's love.

Iago embodies dishonesty using lies and deceit to entangle everyone in his trap. In Act 1, Roderigo questions Iago’s faithfulness to Othello. Iago answers by saying, “Whip me such honest knaves,” meaning he only pretends to be faithful and loyal to Othello, fooling him into trusting Iago (1.1.49). As the play progresses, people describe Iago as honest; however, Iago decieves everyone into believing his word. Othello frequently describes Iago as “A man he is of honesty and trust” (1.3.284) as well as “most honest” (2.3.6).

According to Keyisjian “Iago convinces Othello he is full of” “love and honesty, qualities that Othello admires” (Shakespeare 3.3.116). This is to earn his trust and to undermine him. This was one of the strategies that Iago uses to deceit the characters in the play. He is also very sneaky when he does it.