Iago Betrayal In Othello Essay

That if she lied to her father then why wouldn’t she lie to him? Iago uses this quote to tell Othello that she will deceive him and doesn’t love him like she used to. Soon after in this same scene Iago says this, “Men should be what they seem; Or those that be not would they might seem none!” (Shakespeare iii, III, 130). This is ironic since Iago isn’t at all what he seems and he doesn’t look like the evil that he is. Here Iago uses irony to use reverse phycology on Othello. He says this to make Othello question the man Desdemona is “having an affair with”. This line also influences Othello into thinking that Iago is his friend manipulating him into thinking Iago is saying things in Othello’s best

You have told me she hath received them, and returned me expectations and comfort of sudden respect and acquaintance; but I find none” (IV, ii, 186-190). Roderigo started to see that Iago is cheating on him, but Iago is smart enough, and Roderigo is dumb enough for Iago to confuse him. In the second act during the party after the defeat over the Turks, Cassio becomes very drunk and easily taken advantage of. He then runs into the room where everyone is and attacks Roderigo. Montano intervenes and is then wounded by Cassio; Othello is forced to demote Cassio from his position of Lieutenant. With Cassio devastated he asks for advice from Iago, he then informs Cassio the only way to gain his position back is to talk to Desdemona. Cassio then leaves “good night, Honest Iago” (II, iii, 306). Shakespeare put in those two extra words on purpose; he is trying to show how Iago is already able to play with people’s minds and how manipulative he can be. Us, the audience knowing what Iago really wants to do, but Cassio puts trust into Iago with his position and future. The last person to believe Iago is honest and to trust him is Othello. Iago started to tell Othello of how Desdemona might be sleeping with Cassio, and how she is cheating on him. Othello does not believe him as there is no proof, “I’ll see before I doubt; when I doubt, prove; and on the proof there is no more but this” (III, iii, 190-191). Othello knows

     Iago told Othello that he would discuss Desdemona with Cassio, and that he would talk about the affair. Iago does not do this, and instead he talks about Bianca with Cassio, and Cassio laughs at things Iago says. Othello sees Cassio laughing and just assumes he is laughing at Desdemona, which in return upsets him very much. Iago used several tactics to set up Othello for deception in this case.

Othello trusts Iago and now Iago is trying to take his wife from him for someone else. Furthermore, “He takes her by the palm...sir in.” (pg. 71). Iago watches Cassio and Emilia because he thinks they had an affair he watches them carefully so he can figure out how to convince Othello that Desdemona and Cassio are having an affair. Another example involves the plan to help Othello kill Desdemona. “Do it not with poison. Strangle her in her bed, even the bed she hath contaminated” (pg. 185). Othello believes that Iago is most honest, thus he believed killing his wife Desdemona was the right thing to do. Iago brainwashed Othello into believing the wrong thing was the right thing. The characterization of Iago is created by the use of dramatic irony. The audience knew how devious Iago is, but the characters fell for his mischievous acts.

Secondly, Iago’s use of imagery creates such a lucid picture that makes it hard to believe that it is anything but true. Iago tells of how he slept with Cassio and how Cassio, “gripe an ring my hand, Cry O sweet creature [Desdemona]! Then kiss me hard As if he plucked up kisses by the roots…” This very visual tale makes it hard for Othello to think of anything other than that Desdemona and Cassio are together. It clearly shows that Iago was witnessing an account that Othello believes is true even though Iago later states that it was only a dream; the visual picture is their. Othello believes this is substantial evidence to accuse Desdemona of being with Cassio.

Othello is an easy target in this drama, because Iago already knows that he is a very insecure person. With that stated, it will be easy for Iago to use Othello’s jealousy to trick him into thinking that Desdemona is an unfaithful wife. Iago will manipulate the way Othello sees things in order to convince him that what he sees is innocent acts between Desdemona and Casillo. Iago’s starts to plant the idea in Othello’s head of an affair after Othello sees Casillo rush leaving Desdemona in a manner that looked as though he is guilty (1223). Alone with Othello, Iago begins to make Othello feel threatened by Casillo and Desdemona’s apparent relationship by bringing up the fact that Casillo served as Desdemona’s and Othello’s go-between during the time of their courtship. The conversation ends with Iago asking Othello to watch carefully of Desdemona and Casillo, and Iago exits giving Othello time to question the accusation of Iago (1225-1228).

Iago seems sincere enough, and he makes a concerted effort to ensure that he remains aces in everyone's book. So when Iago begins to plant the seeds of doubt into Othello's mind, Othello has no cause to doubt him. Desdemona is his wife, the woman that he loves with all his heart. Yet, see how quickly he is dissuaded, and how he disparages her. "Ay, let her rot, and perish, and be damn'd tonight, for she shall not live. No, me heart is turn'd to stone, I strike it, and it hurts my hand?I will chop her into messes. Cuckold me!" (1167). But Othello never thinks to disbelieve Iago. He believes Iago to be an honest man, wise and simply trying to help. So he doesn't stop to think that maybe he should talk this over with his wife before he launches himself into a state of panic.

Othello is the character with whom most of Iago's methods have success. His weakness as a jealous lover is apparent early on, but only after Iago’s has planted the seeds of doubt within his mind. Such is Othello’s trust for Iago that he uses the misnomer of describing Iago as ‘honest Iago’ and irony considering the action held within the play.  The trust is obvious and implicit and thoroughly entrenched within the language. Othello surmises on the aforementioned doubts during the last act of the play when he says;

Othello’s love for Desdemona was so deep he could not bear the thought of another being with her; “If she be false, O! Then heaven mocks itself. I’ll not believe’t.” Iago uses the characters of Cassio and the obsessive Roderigo as his weapons in his cunning plan. Iago drives the idea into Othello’s mind that Desdemona has been unfaithful, inciting him into a state of jealousy. “Excellent wretch! Perdition catch my soul, but I do love thee; and when I love thee not, chaos is come again.” Othello growing insecurities about his wife’s faithfulness only adds to his psychological suffering which in turn acts as a catalyst towards the suffering of other characters involved in the play.Iago tells these lies with the intention of driving Othello insane as well as establish his dominance and influence the situations of those characters close to Othello. Evidence of this comes in one of Iago’s soliloquies from act two, scene one; “That Cassio loves her, I do well Believe’t: That she loves him, ‘tis apt and of great credit.” This section shows that he is trying to convince himself that his own manipulative lies are true and is trying to reassure his motives by justifying his own actions. By convincing Othello

This quote by Iago puts into Othello's mind that Desdemona may be cheating on him with Cassio. Othello then begins to question whether he was right to marry or not and although without proof, he believes in Iago's words. This is shown in his statement, “why did I marry? This honest creature doubtless sees and knows more, much more, than he unfolds”(Shakespeare 1324), indicates that he quickly turns to doubting his love Desdemona and takes Iago as being credible and true. It also causes him to become jealous and angered with only a simple touch of trickery by Iago. This marks his first sign to a down hill plunge in moral.

Othello was a weak man with many flaws especially in his relationship with his beloved wife Desdemona. A way Othello’s relationship with Desdemona is flawed is the amount of trust he has in his wife Desdemona compared to the amount of trust he has for his friend Iago. Iago tells Othello that his wife is cheating on him and Othello believes him, “She’s gone, I am abused, and my relief/ Must be to loathe her. Oh, curse of marriage” (3.3.269-270). Iago is lying to Othello and convincing him that his lovely wife is cheating on him. Othello is already sad that Desdemona has cheated on him even though Iago has just told him about her cheating and has not asked Desdemona about it. Othello has recently just married Desdemona and has not even consummated the marriage compared to Iago who he has known for a while and due to that he believes what Iago tells him more then what his wife would if he asks her. He believes Iago without even asking Desdemona about if it is true or her side of the story because their relationship is flawed and do not have trust in each other. Iago realises the lack of trust they have with each other and uses it to ruin his relationship with his wife and lead him to his demise. Another flaw in Othello’s relationship with Desdemona is that he is a weak man and he has low self confidence in himself. Iago tricks Othello into thinking Desdemona is cheating on him which makes Othello confused and states, “Haply for I am black,/ And have not those soft parts of conversation/ That chambers have, or for I am declin’d/ Into the vale of years” (3.3.265-268). Othello is already self-conscious and has many insecurities about being the only coloured man in

In Shakespeare’s Othello, betrayal serves as a major theme. While the antagonist, Iago, presents the most prominent betrayals, there are many other overshadowed acts of betrayal.

Iago once sees Cassio holding Desdemona's hand while talking to her, so he decides to convince Othello that his wife cheats on him. Iago's wife, Emilia, is Desdemona's attendant, which makes Iago make use of this as well. Iago tells Othello that he has heard Cassio call out Desdemona's name in his sleep, and he suspects Desdemona and Cassio to be in love. This makes Othello get anxious about losing his wife's love for him; he says: "She's gone.

Othello has problems with trust because he questions his wife’s loyalty by asking if she had been with other men. Othello clearly displays that he is not faithful to Desdemona. Finally, Othello places his trust with Iago. Iago explains that at night, “I lay with Cassio lately / I heard him say, “Sweet Desdemona”, / let us hide our love.”

For this plan, Iago has to promise people things and since he can't deliver, he stretches the truth. His first stretch was about Desdemona and Othello's wedding. He dramatically explained to Brabantio- Desdemona's father- that his daughter has been stolen and his heart has been broke (1.1.94-96). His plan is to get Othello and Desdemona to split up and he thinks by telling Brabantio she was stolen, he’ll have to come and take her away from him. Othello hasn't actually stolen her, Iago's just being dramatic. Farther into the play, Iago's plan is to start making OThello jealous. He starts to put these small doubts into Othello's head of Desdemona and Cassio starting to fall in love with one another. Iago even goes as far as to say Desdemona is cheating on Othello, “With her- on her- what you will” (4.1.42). Iago has now told Othello that Desdemona has laid with Cassio when in reality, she hasn't. Desdemona is loyal to her marriage in reality, and Iago has made this illusion in Othello's head that she has cheated. This is just another way Iago is seen stretching the truth and making stories sound horrible.