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Iago's Manipulation: Wicked Trait

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FCAs Myla Semanision CER /60 Mrs.Chase/Mr. Cromie Citations /10 English 11 Intro and closing /15 5th Hour 3 vocab words /15 November 29, 2017 The Manipulator Manipulation is a wicked trait. Iago, one of the main characters in Othello by William Shakespeare, posses this wicked trait of manipulation. The play begins with Iago and Roderigo having a conversation about the fact that Iago does not like his boss Othello. Iago was passed over for a promotion, despite his claim that he had more field experience …show more content…

Iago is comforting Cassio in the courtyard after Cassio was stript of his lietendant postion. Iago says to Cassio, “Confess yourself freely to her; importune her help to put you in her place again. She is of so free, so kind, so apt, so blessed a disposition she holds it a vice in her goodness not to do more than she is requested.”(II.III.306-314). Iago suggests to Cassio that he should ask Othello’s wife, Desdemona, for help in regaining his lieutenant position. Iago knows that Cassio is easily manipulated due to past experience of easily persuading Cassio to get drunk, despite Cassio’s original objection. Iago is pretending to want to help Cassio regain his position, but the veritable reason he wants Cassio to go to Desdemona for help is to create more disputes between Cassio and Othello. Iago is aware that Othello will be very jealous if he sees his wife with Cassio, and intends to end Cassio and Othello’s friendship once and for all. Iago manipulated Cassio because Cassio possessed the position Iago so desired. It was only to Iago’s advantage to ruin Othello and Cassio’s friendship, because he did ultimately receive the lietandent position he always …show more content…

Othello confronts Iago and tells him that he believes Iago’s suspicions about Desdemona being unloyal are untrue. Iago replies, ”O monstrous world! Take note, take note, O world, to be dwelt and honest is not safe.”(3.3.377-378). Iago says that telling the truth is no longer safe because people often do not believe the truth. Iago knows that Othello possesses a strong weakness of jealousy, so he is aware that Othello will only want to hear more if he pronounces that he’s telling the truth. Iago then goes on to tell Othello that his wife Desdemona is sleeping with Cassio, which is in fact a fib. This fib makes Othello very jealous, and makes him angry enough that he kills his former sweetheart Desdemona. This lie completely ruins Othello’s marriage and his friendship with Cassio, which was exactly Iago’s plan all along. Iago hated Othello from the start, and all he ever wanted to do was to get proper revenge on Othello, and this was his way of accomplishing just

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Further on, Iago manipulates Cassio once more as mentioned earlier due to Cassio’s trusting nature. Iago assures Cassio that is he went to Desdemona for help to get his position back instead of Othello, she will be able to help him and the mend the broken reaction between him and her husband, unfortunately Iago plans to use this to later bring him and Othello

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In the story Iago is jealous of Cassio; who got appointed lieutenant by Othello instead of Iago. In his jealousy, he decides to frame Cassio and ruin or destroy both Othello and Cassio. He convinces Othello that Cassio is having an affair with his wife. This makes Othello jealous of his wife; this causes Othello to kill his wife and sends Iago to kill Cassio. When Iago’s scheme to frame Cassio is discovered Othello attacks Iago and kills himself in his sadness.

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Iago has jealousy and hatred towards Cassio from the beginning. Iago was not chosen to be lieutenant and Cassio was by the passing down from Othello. Iago has a selfish personality and throughout the story tries to bring down other characters with his jealously. Jealousy is the basis of the story on why things go wrong with Othello and Desdemona. Othello and Desdemona’s relationship takes a turn because of the confits Iago puts upon everyone.

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In his own word Iago states, “Look to your wife, observe her well with Cassio. Wear your eyes thus, not jealous nor secure. I would not have your free and noble nature, Out of self-bounty be abused. Look to ’t. I know our country disposition well.” (Act 3, Scene 3, lines 202-206) At this point, Othello starts to question Desdemona’s loyalty, all because Iago hinted that there’s something going on .

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Another piece of evidence from Othello states,” You are happy now, but I'll ruin your happiness, no matter how honest you may think I am” (II.i.220). This evidence is relevant considering that this hints at what Iago is capable of doing. For example, when he says” no matter how honest you may think I am”. This leads readers to the plot when Othello does believe Iago is honest because of what he told him about Desdemona. Furthermore, this portrays Iago’s character trait as; since he is doing all this because Cassio got lieutenant while he did not; this would lead him to inflict harm upon Othello.

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As asses are” (1.3.391-4). The fact that Othello truly believes Iago is honest, coupled with the fact that he has no reason to be suspicious of a plot against him, especially from Iago, is what lets Iago’s plan become so successful. While it is unclear why Othello automatically believes Iago’s insinuations—perhaps because they have known each other longer than Othello has known Desdemona, or because he doesn’t believe Iago would gain anything from lying, but Desdemona would gain a lot from lying about an affair—Othello does almost immediately conclude, solely from Iago’s reports, that Desdemona is cheating on him. This conclusion would be almost impossible without Othello’s confidence in Iago’s

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In this quote, Iago is seen with Roderigo, telling him to call Brabantio, Desdemona’s father, to tell him about Desdemona and Othello’s marriage, in order to stir up drama in his life, so he can start manipulating other characters later on to achieve his goal of ruining Othello’s life because he doesn’t like him. Secondly, he manipulated Cassio into getting into a drunk fight. This is proven by the quote “If I can fasten but one cup upon him With that which he hath drunk tonight already, He’ll be as full of quarrel and offense” (Shakespeare 2.3.49-51). This passage directly proves Iago made Cassio drink too much in order to get him to fight Montano, so he could use that as a way to get Cassio fired from his position and then use that as a way to frame Cassio as someone who is secretly in a relationship with Desdemona and ruin Othello’s marriage. Thirdly, he manipulated Othello into thinking Desdemona is cheating on him.

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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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None of the characters understand Iago’s intentions and believe his honest act is his true identity when in reality Iago is manipulating his master to fulfill his intentions. Iago influences Othello, and exploits his weaknesses; “till [he] is even with [Othello]” (1,2,288) essentially achieving his desires. Iago uses Othello as a pawn to influence, and stimulate jealousy creating chaos around him. He does this by manipulating everyone close to Othello into believing Cassio is having an affair with Desdemona, causing him to direct all of his attention to

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Iago does so by stating “what if I had said I had seen him do you wrong or heard him say- as knaves be such abroad, who having, by their own importunate suit, or voluntary dotage of some mistress, convinced or supplied them, cannot choose but they must blab” (4.1). Othello responds by asking “hath he said any thing” to which Iago replies by saying “Lie-…with her, on her, what you will” (4.1). In doing so, Iago creates intense anger within Othello towards his wife Desdemona. That anger would be responsible for causing Othello to fall into a seizure due to the stress. Iago then mutters “work on, my medicine, work!

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Iago still wants people to believe in him, and he is using the right words—the right rhetorics—to continue this lie. He say’s he is sorry that he put that idea in Othello’s head, but he continues to inject more ideas into his head. Later on, he suggests that the way to catch them is to catch them in bed together, with him on top of her; he is still saying these things regardless of how distraught Othello is, but the rhetorical strategy here is to overflow him with ideas so that he becomes more irrational. Iago then tries to make this situation circumstantial by feeding more ideas, but then wording it in a way that makes it seem like it can happen, but it can’t be proven, so Othello just has to believe it. Iago does this by saying it would be difficult to lure Desdemona and Cassio into bed together and having Othello watch, so he words it in a way that makes it sound difficult (because it isn’t possible because she’s not having an affair), but this form of rhetoric—word choice—makes it seem like it’s going to happen, and he just has to believe him.

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Iago had brought up that Desdemona had definitely fooled her father when she first fell in love with Othello and claim she is a good liar. He warns Othello to be careful and not to be very jealous because they aren’t completely sure about her being unfaithful. Othello starts to feel insecure because he is black, getting old, and not a smooth talker and feels that she losing interest. Desdemona tries to talk to Othello but he felt that he had a headache, she tries to comfort

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But, Othello did not seem to think so. This caused Iago to feel like he wasn 't appreciated and he vowed to get revenge on Othello. He got his revenge by working Othello 's mind to believe that Desdemona was cheating on him with Cassio. After Iago got Cassio drunk one night, Cassio lost his place as lieutenant. Iago suggested that he go plead to Desdemona to show her he is a good man, and then she would convince Othello.

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Othello starts to believe Iago’s lies about his friends and wife, leading Othello to change his behavior towards his closest allies. Iago instigates a fight between Cassio and Montano, and Othello must take charge of his soldiers, he says: Thy honesty and love doth mince this matter, Making it light to Cassio. Cassio, I love thee But never more be officer of mine. (2.3.210-213) Othello makes the decision to fire Cassio, and things get worse when Iago makes his wife, Emilia, steal Desdemona 's handkerchief.

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Iago also manipulates Othello with jealousy. When Othello is gone at war, Iago tells him that Cassio and Desdemona were getting too close. At first Othello does not believe him, but by Iago saying “nothing,my lord; or if- I know not what” Othello starts to question if it is true (III. III. 39). Iago constantly uses his “innocence” to make Othello jealous and start to assume that it is true. These actions eventually lead to a tragic event.

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