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How Does Iago Manipulate The Other Character

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In Shakespeare’s play, Othello, the Moor of Venice, Iago is an interesting character. Throughout the play we see Iago manipulate the other characters and use the different circumstances to his advantage. Iago is a cunning, manipulative, and divisive character that will stop at nothing to get back at Othello for passing him up for promotion. The first time we see Iago alone is at the very end of Act 1 Scene 3 when after speaking with Cassio, he tells of his plans to use Cassio to get between Desdemona and Othello as well as take his position as lieutenant. He tells how he wants to use Cassio’s good looks to drive a wedge between the two lovers and how his own words will penetrate Othello much like a disease which will poison him (Beier, 2014). Iago mentions rumors that are going around about Othello romancing Iago’s wife and that the rumors alone are enough for him to seek out revenge, even though he knows he has no actual evidence proving them. Iago says, “The Moor is of a free and open nature, that thinks men honest that but seem to be so” (Shakespeare, 2014, 1.3.400-401). Iago is pointing out that he feels Othello is easily manipulated because he is too trusting in his nature and Iago plans to …show more content…

In Act 3 Scene 3, Iago is told that Desdemona dropped a handkerchief that Othello gave her as a sign of love. Iago knows just how to use this to his advantage saying, “I will in Cassio’s lodging lose this napkin” (Shakespeare, 2014, 3.3.337). As soon as he heard the story of the handkerchief, Iago knew how to use it to further his agenda. Dropping it in Cassio’s house so that he would be caught with it in his possession by Othello. He also knows that Othello already has ideas in his head that Cassio has been seeing Desdemona behind his back and catching Cassio with the handkerchief will appear as proof that his newly planted suspicions are

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At this point in the play Iago had told Othello just enough to make him start to doubt his relationship with Desdemona. Iago realized that the small details would begin to drive Othello mad and he would believe anything, even if it was not real evidence of a relationship between Desdemona and Cassio. Othello will eventually let the Jealously take over and kill his wife over the lies told by

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Iago is convincing Othello that Desdamona is cheating on him with Cassio so that Othello will replace Cassio with Iago as his new Lieutenant. Iago is destroying Othello's relationship but Othello still thinks he cares about him when he really doesn't, “My lord, you know I love you.” (3.3 121). Iago says he loves Othello even after he just made up a story to destroy his relationship and replace Cassio as Lieutenant. Iago shows that he is devious because he lies about Desdemona cheating directly to Othello's face so that he can get

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Iago knows Cassio was the one who was speaking with Desdemona, he lies to hide the fact that he told Cassio to speak with her so that when Othello finds out it was Cassio he questions why he would hide from him. Throughout the play Iago slowly feeds Othello lies causing him to question Cassio and Desdemona's honesty, Iago knows that Othello trusts him over anybody and he uses that weakness against

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Iago knows that Othello trusts him and will believe almost everything that he says. Iago takes advantage of this and tries to plant ideas that Desdemona is cheating on Othello with Cassio. When Othello is trying to figure out who was standing and talking with his wife Desdemona he turns to Iago, and Iago says, “ Cassio, my lord? No, sure, I cannot think it that he would steal away so guiltylike, seeing your coming” (Shakespeare 3.3.41-43).

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(Act 3, Scene 3) With evil intent, Iago suggests Desdemona and Cassio are flirting. This makes Othello believe something ingenuine is happening between Cassio and his wife. This is a lie that Iago is fabricating, since Cassio only wants Desdemona’s help to get his position back with Othello. Additionally, Iago has made Othello so mad with conspiracies, that his mind has fallen ill. IAGO - My lord is fall'n into an epilepsy.

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Iago’s plan to manipulate Othello into making him believe Desdemona is cheating on him works,which leads to deadly results. Iago was a coward because he was scared that Cassio would call Iago out of his schemes, so he manipulates Roderigo to have him kill Cassio “He hath a daily beauty in his life that makes me ugly;and besides, the Moor May unfold me to him: there stand I in such peril: No, he must die,But so: I hear him Coming”(V.i.20-22). Iago yet continues to play dumb as if he doesn't know what is happening with Cassio and Roderigo, But then Iago kills Roderigo because he fears he will also tell others about him “O,

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In Act 2, scene 1, lines 252-255 Iago explains, “Now, for want of these required conveniences, her delicate tenderness will find it-self abused, begin to heave gorge, disrelish and abhor the Moor.” From the beginning of the play, readers know that Iago hates Othello because he believed it was unfair that someone who was not as experienced in war was promoted as lieutenant, instead of him. Iago was plotting to get Othello to believe that his wife was a strumpet. He knew that this would anger and sadden Othello but he wanted to carry it out anyways, all while still making sure the Moor thought Iago was being loyal to

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In one instance, Iago wants to destabilize Othello and Desdemona’s marriage by appealing to Othello’s jealousy. Iago exploits the inkling of doubt installed by Brabatio in Venice to make him believe that he had been cuckled by Desdemona and Cassio to push him over the edge. Even though Iago manipulates it in others, jealousy stays in Iago. He says that he hates Othello for being passed over on the lieutenant position, but it is later revealed that he also believes that “it is thought abroad that ’twixt my sheets / He’s done my office.

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He says “I hate the Moor” which reveals the purpose of Iago’s revenge which is on personal terms. He thinks that Othello has slept with his wife because he says “it is thought abroad that ‘twixt my sheets” which reveals the suspicion he has. When he said “for mere suspicion” he contemplates that suspicion is the only truth and that suspicion alone is enough to justify against revenge. Iago in the play is a well sought out man. People consider him as “honest Iago” which is a dramatic irony because the audience knows it but the characters in the play don’t know that.

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“I hate the moor, that ‘twixt my sheets has done my office. I know if’t be true but I, for a mere suspicion in that kind, will do as if for surety” (1.3.429-433). Iago says he’s not sure if the rumor is true, but the possibility of it being true is enough to make him jealous and want to continue with this plan anyway.

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The fact that Cassio was the first person to know about Othello’s relationship with Desdemona makes the situation even more complex, because Iago makes it appear that one friend went against another. Being an expert at deception, Iago also effectively manages to use the volume of his voice to stage a conversation between himself and Cassio while Othello observes in secret. Iago is so good at leading the conversation with Cassio, that he simultaneously manages to

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Shawn Smith writes “Iago's manipulation of "proof" as part of his Machiavellian rhetoric is a deception that preys not only on Othello's idealistic faith in language and love, but on Othello's faith in general.” (Love, Pity and Deception in “Othello”) In Act 3, Scene 3 Iago and Othello have a long and meaningful conversation of friendship and trust, yet the real meaning behind the whole conversation is for Iago to convenes Othello that he has many reasons to distrust both Cassio and Desdemona. " Shakespeare’s Iago has a jumble of motives for what he does: Cassio has got the job Iago wanted as Othello’s lieutenant, and Iago suspects both Othello and Cassio have been sleeping with his wife. He cannot shut his mind off until he has imagined all the ways he could be injured, and when he looks inside himself, he finds not motiveless malignity but a whirlpool of grievances, beginning with his own unclear feelings.

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1119 Words | 5 Pages

This is shown heavily on page 147 when Othello says “Give me a living reason she's disloyal” and Iago says “ I do not… to the moor!” In the long quote from Iago he tells Othello a lot of poor fake information about Desdemona and Cassio but is very open to telling Othello everything he knows which causes Othello to trust

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887 Words | 4 Pages

Then, she gave it to her Iago, who planted it in Cassio’s room, where Cassio eventually finds it. Iago knew how much the handkerchief meant to Othello, so having Cassio in possession of the exact handkerchief Desdemona had can mess with his mind and make him even more jealous. Iago was successful in planting his third seed of jealousy into Othello’s

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He trusts him and believes the lies that he tells about Desdemona. In one scene, Iago tries to protect Othello from Brabantio, even though he is the one who told him that Desdemona and Othello married in the first place. He exclaims: He prated, And spoke such scurvy and provoking terms Against your honour That, with the little godliness I have, I did full hard forbear him. But, I pray you, sir, Are you fast married?

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