Othello: Iago's Cruelty

Envision a world where every person who you have told a secret to was planning a huge conspiracy against you and everyone you have ever loved. This metaphorical situation becomes the reality for valiant Othello, of the play Othello. In Othello Shakespeare take readers through an intrinsic journey of , Othello, a tenacious military chief who eventually turns into a perpetrator of murder; Othello’s journey is the steps of a hero's journey in reverse. By the end of the play he has lost everything due to trust in the wrong people. Shakespeare uses characters in the play to show that the source of cruelty is inside of the first perpetrator, who takes advantage of others insecurities and ignorance, scrutinizing the fact that trust in the ones

We see this example becoming true with Othello. Readers see a rippling effect of cruelty which stems from other characters insecurities. As seen previously, the root of cruelty starts with subtle, yet artful brain tricks. Iago’s cruelty isn't in the form of physical altercations in the book, however, it is in the form of psychological manipulation; Iago becomes a puppet master . Readers see this when Othello is tricked into believing that his wife is cheating on him with Cassio. Iago takes the worse quality in Othello, which is his insecurities , and maliciously makes him become cruel, Othello ends up murdering his wife Desdemona because of pure jealousy at the end he reflects to himself saying “Of one that loved not wisely but too well;Of one not easily jealous, but being wrought” ( ). Othello is extremely insecure and this is the foundation of him becoming so envious of Cassius a dear friend of Desdemona's, who by the end of the play believes was the person she was cheating on him with. Iago takes the worst quality in his victims and makes them become cruel. Readers see a rippling effect of cruelty, although Othello started out as an innocent victim he ended up becoming just as bad as the main perpetrator, Iago. The only characters that are true victims are the ones who are bystanders Cassio and Desdemona. Desdemona is wrongly killed by her husband, Othello, based on false accusations. In the poem, Othello bases all of his reasons on someone who he believes is noble to him. After he kills Desdemona he confesses stating “I that am cruel am yet merciful” ( ) Othello is self-aware of what he has done, yet he still claims to give mercy. Since Othello realizes his cruelty, readers see how subtle cruelty can be passed down and eventually generate into murder. Even though Othello started out as a victim of cruelty he eventually became a helpless bug in Iago's web of lies.