Manipulations In Othello

After losing his beloved daughter to a savage and uncivilized foreigner, and being deceived and manipulated by his own flesh and blood, Brabantio cries out in anguish. Inadvertently via Brabantio, and perhaps purposely via Shakespeare, the Venetian noble's outrage single-handedly establishes the entire play of Othello - portraying each character's fatal flaw and extending even beyond the written word and into our own lives as well. Affirming Brabantio's warning is a series of tragic missteps, misguidances, and manipulations ultimately set forth by the sociopathic mastermind, Iago, whose motivation to unveil and contort the private lives of each major character lies in the mystery of his very being, and his own significant flaw. Othello is not

Othello is oft described as a ruthless general whose stone-cold disposition towards death and war has earned him one of the highest positions in the Venetian military. He resembles the barbaric and undeveloped way of the Turkish, while also coexisting within the civilized realm of Renaissance Venice. However, his appearance and heritage do pose as a threat to a number of Venetian noblemen, namely Brabantio, the father of the woman Othello aims to marry. While Othello is black, old, and unattractive, Desdemona is described as fair-skinned, young and astonishingly beautiful - so much so that Brabantio accuses Othello of using witchcraft in order to seduce her. Othello is painfully of aware of this striking difference between their culture and race, and though he believes wholeheartedly at the start of the story his wife reciprocates the immense love he has for her, it is evident that he is self-conscious, and later doubts his ability to be a proper lover to Desdemona. This inner-doubt, hidden by the sharp, savage features and commanding attitude show that even the lead of the play has hidden secrets - a public persona meant to cover his private incentives - and provides Iago with the perfect onset for his master plan to

Michael Cassio, Othello's lieutenant and close friend to Desdemona, discretely attaches himself to the general's wife after being dismissed by Othello. The duo, who Iago notes are already very friendly with each other, attempt to reinstate Cassio as lieutenant in a rather secretive manner. Cassio suggests he is either too afraid or too embarrassed to face the General, stating "I am very ill at ease / Unfit for mine own purposes" when asked if he would like to speak openly with Othello (3.1.31). Desdemona, instead of presenting her friend's case in a manner which would dispel all suggestion of wrongdoing, barrages her husband with pleas for Cassio's position, telling Emilia "My lord shall never rest / I’ll watch him tame and talk him out of patience / His bed shall seem a school, his board a shrift, I’ll intermingle everything he does With Cassio’s suit" (3.1.30). After Iago planted the seeds of mistrust within Othello, this incessant persistence only makes the General delve deeper and deeper into his own anger. Even in death, Desdemona lies in order to protect her husband; when asked who killed her, Desdemona answers, "Nobody. I myself" (5.2.99). Much of the story's conflict could have been avoided if the couple were honest with each other about their separate plights and fears, and perhaps would discover Iago's plan much sooner. The demise of their relationship, and their