Othello, Cassio, and Iago

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Seeing is Believing

Proof is something that all human beings seek. Without proving something in order for it to be valid we would have nothing to tell us when something is false. Everyday people use proof as a part of reason; it has been used to turn a hypothesis into a theory, a rumor into fact, without proof we would have nothing. There are many different ways to prove something, some more affective than others; having a person simply tell you something is true or false does not always do the job, but in simplistic matters it may be all they have to work with. More complex matters involve a type of proof that is the most concrete type of proof; ocular proof. Ocular proof exemplifies the saying “seeing is believing” by stating that something cannot be proven unless it is seen by the person wanting proof. If a person is relayed ocular proof, it is not ocular proof to them but becomes word of mouth either to confirm or falsify what one has thought. When one seeks ocular proof, it requires a sort of maneuvering depending on what they are trying to validate. In Othello's case, he wants ocular proof that his wife is having an affair with Cassio; which means he would have to catch them in bed together. Othello is convinced by Iago that Desdemona must being having an affair as he saw Cassio with her handkerchief. In order to make what Iago is saying true, Othello demands ocular proof. Othello gives Iago another option, telling him that he needs to see Desdemona and Cassio in the act, or it needs to be proven so there are no other possible explanations for the actions of his wife. This is a loop hole Iago has been given in order to further control how Othello sees things. Iago's sly and deceitful behavior and language lead Othell...

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...other man; let alone with Cassio who is Othello's lieutenant. Iago's anger towards Othello leads him to play with the Moor's emotions and manipulates what he sees by using language as his weapon. Iago also uses Othello's trust in his ensign to further put his revenge into reality. He uses trustful language to make Othello have faith in him, also Iago talks about things he does not care about, but knows that Othello finds them important. When Othello “sees” that Iago has hurt Cassio, he feels the urge to get his own revenge on Desdemona by killing her. By this point, Iago has convinced Othello that his wife is guilty of infidelity and he no longer needs that ocular proof he has been seeking throughout the play. All because of Iago's sighting of Desdemona's handkerchief, Othello begins to doubt his marriage and in turn puts more faith in his “friend” than in his wife.

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