William Shakespeare's Othello

William Shakespeare's Othello

Although Iago cleverly manipulates situations and people in his aim to

seek vengeance, the other characters contribute to their own

destruction through their individual character traits. Many of the

characters have qualities that are essentially worthy but which are

ironically able to be used by Iago as weapons against themselves or

others. Desdemona's attractiveness together with her charitable mind

and pity for others is a goodness which Iago can use to 'enmesh them

all'. Iago recognizes Othello's desire for knowledge makes it possible

for him to corrupt Othello's mind whilst Cassio's good manners prove

to contribute to his downfall. Iago never forces any of the characters

to do anything against their will, his main achievement, through his

universal trustworthiness, is to get others to see things from his

point of view. Othello sees him as a soul mate, his wife as a strumpet

and his best friend as his sworn enemy.

Iago sees Desdemona's sexual attractiveness, which is deliberately

exaggerated by Shakespeare, as an opportunity to use Desdemona in

Othello's downfall. She is described by Cassio as 'divine Desdemona'.

Her womanly characteristics and reputation are manipulated and

distorted by Iago which is important in order to make Othello believe

that she is a sexually creature who is attractive to other men.

Desdemona is open about her desire and her wish to consummate the

marriage as she pleads to the Duke 'So that, dear lords, if I be left

behind, A moth of peace, and he go to the war,/The rites for why I

love him are bereft me'. Iago is able to suggest that her sexual

desire is unfulfilled and b...

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...d gives him his stereotypical view of Venetian

woman. As Othello and Desdemona are newly married he would not know

Desdemona that well.

Although Iago is an evil schemeing character, his plans only succeed

as he uses the weakness of other characters and exploits them. Cassio,

Desdemona and Othello all display traits that make them vulnerable

which Iago recognises and utilises in his over all plot to bring about

the destruction of Othello. Cassio openly admits to being proud and

ashamed of his behaviour. His natural attractiveness is used against

him. Desdemona is targeted because of her sexuality which Iago knows

he can wound Otehllo with. And Othello displays powerful emotions

which Iago is able to turn from love to jealousy. The main

characteristic that each person displays that enables Iago to succeed

is trust.