Iago's Manipulations

Othello: The Manipulations of Iago

Othello, a play by William Shakespeare, tells the tragic tale of the black Venetian general, Othello, and how he is manipulated by his ambitious friend, Iago. Iago becomes angry at Othello when he promotes Michael Cassio rather than Iago to the lieutenancy. Iago then schemes a plot to take down Othello. Iago uses Desdemona, Othello’s new wife, to take down the great general. He leads Othello to considering that his wife is cheating on him with Michael Cassio. This causes Othello to become suspicious and eventually drives Othello into killing Desdemona. In the end, Othello learns that his wife was faithful, and Iago had lied to him. This upsets Othello and causes him to also kill himself. Iago’s many motives are never revealed to the audience or the characters as in the last scene he states, “Demand me nothing. What you know, you know. From this time forth I never will speak word.” (Othello. Act 5 Scene 2: 355-356). In the play Othello, Iago is the master manipulator that formulates devious plots against the characters of Roderigo, Cassio, and Othello by using their desires to his advantage to reveal their underlying weaknesses.

Roderigo is an emotional and fool-minded Venetian man that is in love with Desdemona. Roderigo’s life is tortured by his unceasing and unreciprocated love for Desdemona. After Iago tells Roderigo of Desdemona’s secret marriage to Othello, Roderigo feels there is no longer a will to live and says, “It is silliness to live when to live is torment.” (Othello. Act 1 Scene 3: 350.). Iago takes advantage of Roderigo’s sadness and assures Roderigo that if he does as Iago tells him, he will get Desdemona’s love. Iago does not in any way help Roderigo attain the love that consu...

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...t Othello is a pure and innocent, yet also too gullible in distinguishing between his enemies and friends.

The desires of Othello, Cassio, and Roderigo allowed Iago to develop his deceitful plots by either offering, in the cases of Roderigo and Cassio, or taking away, in the case of Othello, what they want most. Iago used the weaknesses of others to complete his horrifying mission of destroying those above him. Iago manipulates Roderigo by using him as a pawn in his game to gain power. He also manipulates Cassio by using his flaw of becoming angry when drunk against him, a secret Cassio believed he told to a trusting friend. Othello is most clearly blindsided by Iago’s plot and no longer desires to live when he realizes he has killed his truthful wife after being told a lie. These characters all shared the common fatal flaw of trust, which lead to their downfall.