The Manipulation Of Iago In Shakespeare's Othello

Within this passage, Iago is more than simply villainous. He is a sadistic mastermind who openly taunts and enjoys Othello’s turmoil. The manipulation of Othello’s innermost fears incites Othello’s spiral and ultimately, his downfall. However, it is Othello’s decision to act on the seeds of doubt planted in his mind by Iago which suggests although Iago orchestrates Othello’s undoing, he alone is not the sole cause of the events to follow. The focus on Othello’s building fear of inferiority, stemming from his ‘otherness’ and his wife’s, Desdemona, supposed infidelity, further contributes to his rage. In this section, Iago is a tool for the validation of fears which Othello holds. These beliefs further contribute to Othello becoming consumed

The exclamation ‘look where he comes!’ (3.3.328) draws explicit attention and encourages the audience to marvel at the spectacle about to unfold before him. Additionally, the excitement from the exclamation highlights Iago’s pleasure in his craft as his masterpiece is finally coming together – starting with Othello’s descent into a jealous fury. Moreover, Iago’s suggestion Othello will never sleep soundly again “nor all the drowsy syrups of the world…thou owed’st yesterday,” (3.3.339-41) initially creates sympathy; the disruption to Othello’s sleep reflects a deeper disturbance and arguably foreshadows the more sinister ‘sleep’ Othello will experience once Iago’s plot is completed, the eternal peace of death. There is a stark contrast between Iago’s showboating and his absent interjection as Othello vocally explores his impending sexual jealousy of Desdemona and Cassio. As suggested by Edward A Snow, “Iago’s plan is to get Othello to imagine Casion in his (Othello’s) place,” and he succeeds in this in part due to his own silence on the