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Othello: Iago's Cruelty

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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 …show more content…

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.

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The cruelty Iago is able to incite in Othello and Roderigo reveals their deep passions and overwhelmingly trusting natures. The fact that Othello is so vulnerable and susceptible to Iago’s poisoning sheds light on his lurking insecurities about age, race and appearance, which Othello is ultimately unable to ignore. Likewise, Roderigo’s willingness to sacrifice all money and morals by Iago’s bidding reflects his naive passions and an overall lack of personal strength. In stark contrast with Othello and Roderigo, Desdemona, the primary victim of Iago’s cruelty and yet the only one who dies completely unaware of it, turns out, somewhat ironically, to be the only one whose inner self is completely unaffected by Iago. On the eve of her death, even after being horribly mistreated by Othello, she firmly upholds her values of loyalty and obedience, and her belief that no woman would ever wrong her husband.

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After Iago manipulates Othello into believing that his wife has not been loyal, Othello is shocked, and scared of the effect on his honor. The more manipulation by Iago, leads to more fear and rash acting by Othello. This escalates into an equivalent of a fight or flight response. Othello believes that, in order to protect his honor and his reputation, he must kill Desdemona. This rash decision surfaced from a point of extreme manipulation, and despair; a situation created by Iago.

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Line 273). Although he claims his marriage as a full of love and pleasure, as Iago just barely touches Othello’s weakness, he begins to collapse on its own, and changes his attitude towards Desdemona immediately and regrets his relationship with her. Hence, Othello--who is exasperated from the torture--murders Desdemona ultimately. After the murder, as Othello becomes to recognize all the truth that Desdemona at no time has a such an affair with anyone and the full extent of Iago’s involvement, he is racked by intolerable guilt and sense of betrayal, he kills Iago and suicides. Before the suicides, he talks to himself, “O fool!

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Written in 1603 by William Shakespeare, The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice tells the story of Othello, an esteemed foreign general, who after marrying Desdemona, the beautiful daughter of a Venetian senator, is manipulated into extreme paranoia by Iago, a spiteful ensign. Having been led to think that Desdemona has committed adultery, Othello murders Desdemona, and upon realizing his deception by Iago, subsequently commits suicide. Though the plot itself is relatively simple, the subjects addressed throughout the writing constitute a story of utmost complexity and depth. At the heart of Othello is the titular character himself, a man torn between tenderness, hate, trust and jealousy. As a major player in his own tragic downfall, Othello fits multiple key aspects of the tragic hero archetype: he is essentially a virtuous person that nevertheless possesses a critical flaw, a flaw that ultimately culminates in his consumption by the worst aspects of his

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Othello murdered Desdemona in anger. Iago 's wife, Emilia, then reveals that Desdemona 's affair was created story of Iago. Iago murdered Emilia and Othello attempts suicide. Cassio rules Cyprus and Iago’s punishment is left for Cassio to choose. IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS OF OTHELLO’S CHARACTER Othello is a tragic hero.

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He wants Othello to suffer and to be left with nothing. As the night progresses, Othello commits his evil action to Desdemona, “It’s too late. (he smothers her)” (5.ii.95). Iago’s manipulative acts had lead Othello to commit a murder to his beloved wife. Once Emilia enters the room she becomes shocked of all the murders, but soon unravels the truth about Iago’s malicious plan, “I will not charm my tongue /

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In the play Othello, William Shakespeare creates an elaborate tragedy with various in depth characters, enhancing the story with powerful characterization. Iago, the main antagonist of Othello, exemplifies Shakespeare’s use of characterization to create in depth and complex characters. Using his manipulative nature, intellectual mind, egotistical attitude, and dishonesty, Iago controls the other characters in order to achieve his goal, leading Othello to succumb to an overwhelming jealousy causing his downfall. In order for Iago to gain control of the characters in the play, he manipulates Othello, Roderigo, Cassio, and more to believe false information and turn on one another.

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He tells the Venetians that he loved his wife, and his dedication created his destructive behavior. In doing so, he admits that he “loved not wisely but too well; Of one not easily jealous” (Lines 7-8). He partially takes accountability for his actions, implying he reacted the way he did to preserve his love for her. Othello now sees that he has killed Desdemona based on false accusations that Iago created. It shows the audience that he was susceptible to Iago’s lies, which ultimately reveals Othello’s insecurities and flaws.

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