How Does Iago Use Roderigo In Othello

Iago, recognizing his susceptibility, decides to ‘help’ Cassio and council him regarding the best way to reconcile with the general. Pretending to be Cassio’s friend, Iago tells him “ Our generals wife is now the general…confess yourself freely to her, importune her to help put you in your place again”, setting Cassio up to make it look like his plea for help is something more. Again, Iago influences Cassio while he’s in a vulnerable state and alters Cassio’s motives to look like he wants Desdemona, when the only thing he wants is his position back. Iago then goes behind

Now that Michael Cassio is in distraught, he has no one to turn to, but Desdemona, Othello’s wife. Iago’s ultimate destruction is put into full motion. Michael Cassio and Desdemona spend a lot of secretive time together trying to figure out how to convince Othello to reinstate Cassio’s lieutenant position. The only person that knows their time together is Iago, since he is considered a trustworthy friend. This makes Iago’s plan

Roderigo also plays as a pawn in Iago's plan when he is lied to by Iago about getting married to Desdemona. For example when Iago says to Roderigo, "Plague him with flies"(I,i,71). Iago uses this metaphor to manipulate Roderigo into going to Desdemona's father and telling him that his daughter is married to the Moor, Othello. Iago wants Brabantio, Desdemona's father, to dislike the Moor because Othello did not make Iago his lieutenant. Roderigo is told by Iago that if he tells Brabantio that Othello and Desdemona are married than Brabantio might get them divorced or break them up. This way Roderigo will have a chance with Desdemona and express his love to her. Another metaphor that helps Iago with his plan is "Thus do I ever make my fool my purse"(I, iii, 375). Iago had been convincing Roderigo that money can buy him anything, even Desdemona's love. Roderigo believes him, blinded by his love for Desdemona, and sells his land to get money for gifts. Iago had been using Roderigo for his money and none of the gifts and jewels Roderigo gave Iago to give to Desdemona actually reached her. Roderigo who is crazy about Desdemona gets so carried away with himself that he is too late to realize that he had been tricked and used for his money. Roderigo is deceived by Iago whom he trusted so dearly

Murder, deception, and tragedy are all found in the play by Shakespeare, Othello. The play Othello is set in the Elizabethan era, and is found on the streets of Venice. Shakespeare was a playwright, from the Elizabethan era (1600’s),who wrote many great plays that are still read to this day in age. Othello is a war general, an older man, and a black man, who, by the end of the novel, goes from having it all, to having nothing. This wouldn’t be possible though without the help of the incredibly deceitful Iago, who at all costs wants to ruin Othello and take his job as general. Othello isn’t the only target though, for Cassio, the young right hand man of Othello, will also taste the trickery that is Iago. Iago is a man with a plan, but at what cost does he go to get his way. Iago went too far from his original plan for revenge, and that is why he will be caught in the end.

Roderigo is a co-conspirator with Iago but is not equal in developing a web of lies and jealousy designed to ensnare others. “Thus do I ever make my fool my purse (Shakespeare)”. Iago takes advantage of the desperate former suitor of Desdemona and controls his emotions like a puppeteer pulling strings. With the line, “But for my sport and profit”, it is clear that Iago sees enriching himself off Roderigo’s envy as an amusing task with such an easy mark (Shakespeare 1473). Roderigo is a simple-minded fool who believes that by giving money to a lowly ensign he can win the love of Desdemona, have her marriage to Othello dissolved, and restore her virtue.

Roderigo was a young, rich man that was friends with Iago. Roderigo had deep feelings for Othello’s wife Desdemona and wanted to do anything to steal her from Othello. Roderigo lead to his own death because he helped Iago on his plans to betray othello as well as letting his emotion cloud his judgement on the subject . It can be first seen that Roderigo was being manipulated by Iago in the act one. Roderigo and Iago went to Desdemona’s father, Brabantio, home to inform him of his daughter marriage to othello.

Without a job now, Cassio is vulnerable to Iago, who cunningly feigns friendship and offers him a way back into the graces of the general – through Desdemona. Iago contrives to have Othello observe the departure of the ex-lieutenant from Desdemona’s quarters: “Was not that Cassio parted from my wife?” Building on this tiny piece of solid evidence, Iago’s sinister mind develops a grand array of fabricated evidence for incriminating both Cassio and Desdemona. Emilia assists in the betrayal by providing Iago with the key piece of evidence – the decorated handkerchief which the general previously gave Desdemona: “That which so often you did bid me steal.”

Iago is very notorious for his villainous acts throughout the play “Othello”, by William Shakespeare. Iago’s motives drive him to manipulate and deceive other characters so his “monstrous” (I, iii, 395) plot would succeed. Iago manages to con Roderigo to take his money. Iago also tries to ruin Othello and Desdemona’s relationship by using Cassio as a bait. In this passage, Iago explains how he will manipulate Rodrigo, Cassio and, most importantly, Othello to achieve his goals.

Iago, a man of manipulations, uses a man of a higher social status, Rodrigo, to fund his elaborate plans. In Shakespeare’s Othello, Iago and Rodrigo play partners in crime, determined to get revenge on Othello. Iago seeks his vengeance because he believes he deserves to be Othello’s second in command while Rodrigo pursues Desdemona, Othello’s wife. The two schemers discuss Rodrigo’s love for Desdemona after he announces he wishes to die, and Iago succeeds in his plot to convince Rodrigo to cash out. He exploits Rodrigo’s weakness, his broken heart, to convince him that Desdemona will only be with him once her marriage fails if he can manage to maximize his wealth. Iago must cross boundaries to fit into the culture of the higher class using repetition, degrading word choices, and vivid metaphors.

Iago’s second soliloquy reveals how he manipulates Cassio and Desdemona. While Desdemona waits for Othello to return from his journey across ravenous seas, Iago joins her. He purposely acts like a jerk to Desdemona and his wife, Emilia in front of Cassio. When Iago departs from the group, Cassio, in his good mannered gentleman way, reassures Desdemona that Othello will make it to shore fine. Having Desdemona confide in his words, Cassio takes interest in her just as Iago had planned.

He continues with his plan watching Roderigo instigate a fight off stage and having a drunken Cassio charging Roderigo injuring another character. After the commotion Othello demands to know what has happened there and Iago tells the story. Cassio is demoted, and his reputation is tarnished. He later speaks with Iago mourning the loss of his reputation. Iago tells him to speak with Desdemona and ask her to plead on his behalf to have Othello reinstate him.

Iago then uses Cassio’s youth, handsome and smooth around women traits to “create” an affair between him and Desdemona. Additionally, because Cassio lost his post, he asks Desdemona to talk to Othello about letting him retain his position. This amplifies the rumors and makes Othello even more jealousy driven. Cassio is a lucky character that because of his flirtatious attitude and alcohol addiction became a catalyst in the play. He is not a powerful general like Othello or an evil man like Iago; he remains rather unchanged throughout the novel.

In Othello, by William Shakespeare the theme of jealousy, anger, and pride make the play end in tragic. Since Iago is jealous of Cassio and mad at Othello for over looking him for the position of lieutenant, Iago’s motives are to seek revenge on Othello and Cassio. Iago succeeds in his plan because he is able to manipulate the characters, with no real evidence except the handkerchief that Desdemona is being unfaithful.

William Shakespeare is well-known for his excellent writings in drama, tragedy, and romance. He excels in the storytelling of a tragic hero, and the tragic flaw that the hero possesses. In Shakespeare’s tragedy Othello, the Moor of Venice (rpt. In Thomas R. Arp and Greg Johnson, Perrine’s Literature: Structure, Sound, and Sense, 10th ed. [Boston: Wadsworth, 2009], 1273-1366), there are several contributing factors in the tragic outcome of the play. Iago, the primary antagonist, targets Othello in various ways to obtain revenge and this contributes to the demise of beloved characters. Although Iago and Othello contribute heavily to the final result of the tragedy: Roderigo, Emilia, and Desdemona play key parts in the end of the play.

Othello sees the good in everyone and believes that people are true to their word, which ironically Iago is not. Othello thinks Iago is the most loyal, trustworthy ensign a person could ask for, but behind his back Othello never sees what’s coming at him. Iago fills Othello’s head with so many lies about Desdemona that he begins to have seizures. Othello begins to think that Desdemona doesn’t love him anymore because of his age and race, and that is why she is now going after Cassio. Othello fills with rage and creates his own diabolical plan to kill both Cassio and Desdemona for going against him.