Iago's Manipulation: Wicked Trait

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

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

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