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Manipulation And Deceit In King Henry IV

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In the plays Othello and King Henry IV, acts of manipulation and deceit are commonplace among chief characters where the true intentions of the manipulative characters often appear as dramatic irony. Manipulation is defined as the management or skillful influence in an unfair manner, which quite accurately describes how characters like Iago and Prince Hal go about their attempts to rise to power or merely play out their hidden agenda. This sly maneuvering performed by several characters seems to entice the audience in spite of the fact that some of the manipulative characters are portrayed as villains. Shakespeare creates multiple parallels between the two characters and both plays find similar endings, ones that favors the characters with …show more content…

On the other hand, Prince Hal is the unlikely hero in Henry IV who schemes a comeback to win over the approval of his father and his constituents through manipulative practices. One could reason that the audience is drawn to both of these characters because they are given a deeper insight into the minds of these characters which is partially due to the amount of soliloquies each character delivers. In his first soliloquy in Act 1, Iago says “I hate the Moor, And it is thought abroad that ‘twixt my sheets He’s done my office. I know not if ‘it be true, But I, for mere suspicion in that kind, Will do as it for surety” (Act 1 scene 3, 323-327). This passage thoroughly demonstrates that Iago lacks reason and will pursue his evil intentions even when the rumors about Othello may be unfounded. Iago does not know for certain what he is accusing Othello of yet he vows to act as if they are facts. While one could attribute Iago’s disdain for Othello to many things, namely, feelings of envy towards Cassio, sexual interest towards Othello, or simple racism; the mere fact that there is no clear motivation for Iago’s actions is a clear indication that Iago cares very little for his relationships and does not wince at the thought of treachery and the vicious backstabbing of those closest to

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