The Eyes Can Deceive By William Shakespeare

     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.

There are many reasons of why Iago hates othello so much, some speculate it’s because he was passed over for the promotion or because he believes Othello had sex with his wife Emilia. But the true reason of why Iago does this is unknown he may just be simply because he loves to be in control and twists everyone lives to his liking. Without any proof or evidence Iago repeatedly tells Othello of the affair between his wife and Cassio. He states In sleep I Heard him say "Sweet Desdemona, Let us be wary, let us hide our loves." And then, sir, would he gripe and wring my hand, Cry "O sweet creature!" and then kiss me hard, As if he plucked up kisses by the roots, (.......). Iago first sets the visions of the affair into Othello’s head. Othello already started to believe Iago because he is a “moor(black) and believes he is not handsome enough for Desdemona while Cassio is. Eventually, Iago tells othello about Cassio having the handkerchief that he gave his wife, “I know not that; but such a handkerchief I am sure It was your wife’s did I to-day see Cassio wipe his beard with.” (3.3.437-439) The only reason why Cassio has the handkerchief is because Iago obtained it and put it in his room, yet Cassio has no idea who it belongs to. Instead of Othello talking to Cassio, he believes Iago and this was more than enough evidence for Othello. Othello has believed everything Iago has said and believes he has seen it all and vows to kill Cassio and Desdemona, Yet she must die, else she'll betray more men. Put out the light, and then put out the light, If I quench thee, thou flaming minister, I can again thy former light restore.” (5.2.3-9). Iago uses Othello’s insecurities and trust to put a false affair of his wife and Cassio into his head. Othello has no doubt and kills Desdemona and when he realizes that Iago tricked him he takes his own

Iago warns Othello that “[Desdemona] did deceive her father, marrying [Othello], and when she seemed to shake, and fear your looks, she loved them most.” (Shakespeare 3.3.207-210). We can see that Iago is trying to make Othello jealous by pointing out that Desdemona has already betrayed someone that she loved so what would prevent her from doing it again. Iago manipulates Othello by claiming that Desdemona gave Othello’s handkerchief away “yours by this hand! And to see how [Cassio] prizes the foolish woman, your wife! She gave it to him, and he hath given it to his whore” (Shakespeare 4.1.170-173). The final blow to manipulating Othello, Iago tells him that Desdemona gave Cassio her handkerchief confirming her betrayal. This is the end to behaving rationally for Othello. Mark Rose insist that Iago is “playing his victim [Cassio] with wine has robbed [Cassio of his reputation]. The presentation of Cassio as a decent man changed into a drunken madman foreshadows the actions of Othello to come” (Rose 285). This displays the idea that Iago is manipulating anyone in any way in order to get to Othello. In this case he is manipulating Cassio’s reputation so that later in the play Iago can use Cassio against Othello to make him jealous of his wife cheating on him with Cassio. Iago is easily able to set this in motion because he damaged Cassio’s reputation so much that Othello doesn’t trust him, or want him

By the middle of the play Othello’s mood and demeanor seem to shift from being peaceful and patient to very anxious, paranoid, and gullible. For example when Othello is talking to Iago and Iago suggests that maybe his wife is not being faithful to him, it becomes Othello’s obsession to get down to the bottom of it and catch her. “I have been talking with your suitor here, a man that languishes in your displeasure / Who is’t you mean / Why, your lieutenant, Cassio. Good my lord” (III.iii.41-43). In this dialog between Othello and Iago, with just two sentences Iago causes Othello to lose trust in his wife and believe she is being unfaithful to him which grows stronger and stronger each scene of the play. Because Iago is extremely cunning and manipulative, he is able to control almost anyone he chooses and he is in control of Othello’s emotions because he knows the things Othello fears. Iago is pretending to be Othello’s friend but secretively is going behind his back and bringing him down. Iago convinces Othello that Cassio is having an affair with Desdemona. “I humbly do beseech

In other words, Cassio is a man who knows as much about war as an old woman does, unless it is what he has read in books. Therefore, Iago finds him hardly qualified for the job he has gained. Iago is also jealous toward Othello because it is rumored that he has slept with his wife Emilia. (Find Quote In Book) Iago now has a motive to make Othello think that Cassio and Desdemona are having an affair to get revenge on Othello and achieve his goal. His hatred and jealously toward Othello and Cassio seem to turn Iago, himself into “the green-eyed monster” (III.iii.1203) that leads him down a path of destruction.

Iago, being remarkably wise, understood this, explaining to Roderigo: “If the balance of our lives had not one scale of reason to poise another of sensuality, the blood and baseness of our natures would conduct us to most preposterous conclusions” (Shakespeare 1.3.322-25). People require balance in their life in order to maintain stability, and therefore maintain their sanity. In the same way balance provides structure in one’s life, imbalance can also bring about one’s undoing. Iago was not traditionally at the apex of power in the Elizabethan triangle of power, but every character was still a pawn in his scheme. His manipulation over each character truly put him as the most powerful character, at least until his true intentions were later revealed. Iago deliberately offset the balance in Othello’s life, and manipulated his jealousy in such a way that allowed him to succeed in all that he had planned. His plan would not have otherwise come to fruition had Othello not allowed his emotion to overpower his logic. Iago was able to simultaneously accomplish every goal in exploiting Othello’s jealousy. Iago painted Cassio, the lieutenant, to be Desdemona’s lover behind Othello’s back. In doing this, he won Othello’s trust, ruined Desdemona and Othello’s relationship, as per Roderigo’s payment to him, and eventually became named lieutenant after Cassio’s demotion. Being the cunning manipulator ultimately brought Iago was success in

In Iago’s soliloquy, he explains that Cassio trusts him, which he can use to his advantage. Because Cassio is naturally charming, Iago knows that if he concocts a scheme where Cassio has lured Desdemona away from Othello, it will be plausible for Othello to believe it. (1.3.433-441) As previously mentioned, he knows his friends very well due to being analytical and simply being close friends with them, which is part of what made his malicious schemes so grand. Also, Iago divulges to himself and the audience that he believes that Desdemona loves Cassio, but not in the way he will make it appear. He knows that Othello is “of a constant, loving, noble nature,” and that he’ll prove to be “A most dear husband.” (2.1.308-313) Iago briefly scrutinizes Cassio, Desdemona, and Othello. Due to years of friendship, he knows all of them well. In this scene, Iago is not exposing his manipulative, cunning ways so much as he is merely analyzing his “friends.” This will prove to be useful to him later in the

Regardless of the tender relationship between Othello and Desdemona, Iago uses Roderigo to seep his lies into Brabantio’s mind and furthermore wreaking havoc among him and his impression of Othello. Dissimilar to this, Iago is supportive and social when it comes to being around Othello and the ones who he stabs behind their backs. Additional to the first instance of Iago’s scheming, he also releases his plans to alter Othello’s marriage and by doing so ruining Cassio’s chance of regaining lieutenancy. After the fight between Montano and drunk Cassio, Iago converses briefly with Cassio who eventually leaves Iago alone in the streets. Once he is gone Iago explains: “And out of her own goodness make the net that shall enmesh them all”(2.3.375-80). From this statement it is clear how Iago has no care towards helping Cassio who needs Desdemona to get his position back, and also for innocent Desdemona who will soon be wrongfully accused of Iago’s bluffs. This is obvious since Iago yearns to create a “net” using Desdemona’s simplicity, and more importantly taking control of everyone’s life with it. Unfortunately the ones who are around him fail to recognize his actions, and without knowing are slowly fooled into their own misery which is all part of Iago’s

In William Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Othello, Iago demonstrates a mastery of manipulation over people who had previously trusted and confided in him. His sudden turn from Othello’s loyal ensign to rage-filled villain seems indicative of a man who can no longer accept his position in life. Iago’s plotting of Othello’s demise starts as idle talk of a disgruntled 28 year-old career military man passed over for promotion. Iago believes that such a promotion may never come after Othello rejects his candidacy and makes it clear that he did not believe him suitable. He sees Othello is only concerned with personal and political gain with his choice of Cassio as lieutenant. When Iago teams with love-scorned and desperate Roderigo, he begins

Firstly, Iago showed how he was the perfect villain with his ability to manipulate characters throughout the play. By manipulating other characters Iago can forward his plan of ruining Othello without other characters becoming suspicious. One character that Iago often manipulates is his friend Roderigo, this one character is the one that mainly does all the hard work of Iago. This quote: “Desdemona should continue her love to the Moor-put/money in thy purse-nor he his to her. It was a violent commencement in her, and thou shalt see an/answerable sequestration-put but money in thy purse. (1.3 334-338) convinced Roderigo to not kill himself and to continue to believe in Iago’s plan of making Desdemona to stop loving the Moor. Roderigo is in love and this is one reason why he is unable to realize that he is manipulated by Iago. Also, Iago manipulates Cassio to go talk to Desdemona, but Cassio is totally oblivious that he plans to use this to the Moor with jealousy. The quote: “I’ll send her to you presently; /and I’ll devise a means to draw the Moor/out of the way, that your converse and business/May be more free. (3.3 37-40) convinced Cassio to talk to Desdemona, which consequently shaped Othello to be even more jealous than before.

The following situation also proves Iago’s ability to effectively use his power over Othello’s intelligence and jealousy. Othello was very gullible and innocent, so Iago took complete advantage of that. He makes Othello believe that Desdemona is unfaithful toward him with Cassio. He does so through a multitude of ways: “If I can fasten but one cup upon him,

Othello, not knowing that Cassio was in fact speaking with Desdemona in hopes of being reinstated as Lieutenant, mistakenly believes that the two are having an affair and that Desdemona has lost her chastity. Iago skillfully capitalizes on the situation by developing his attack further: "She did deceive her father, marrying you" (3.3.220). Othello begins to see Iago's reasoning: if she could deceive her father, she could just as easily deceive her new husband. Once Othello's bliss has been decimated, Iago concentrates on weakening Othello's perception of himself; Iago very carefully and very tactfully chooses words and metaphors that subconsciously pit Othello against the Venetians. Othello begins to perceive himself as an outsider in his own country, "a malignant and turbaned Turk" (5.2.365). A fruitful marriage with a Venetian woman becomes out of the question in Othello's mind. Iago's successful manipulation takes a self-confidant man and reduces him to one at ends with himself and with the woman he loved.

Iago quickly tried to come up with false evidence to apparently, to prove to Othello that this is indeed, reality, “I know not that; but suck a handkerchief – I am sure it was your wife’s – See Cassio wipe his beard with.”(3.3.496). Iago was supposedly ‘thickening his proofs’, and he insisted that Cassio has Desdemona’s handkerchief. Notice how Iago is exaggerating false allegations, only to make Othello think that Desdemona is unfaithful. It becomes fairly manageable for Iago to sell his tale to Othello, as he takes advantage of Othello’s trust, and reports what he ‘apparently witnessed’. After Iago successfully manipulates Othello, to consider his wife as a false-hearted woman, he doesn’t even think to reflect upon his sinful deeds, revealing his cold-hearted soul to the audience. By now, the viewers can only look down upon Iago with disgust, as he is also breaking a loving relationship between an honest man and his innocent wife. Why would Iago want to harm Desdemona when he clearly hates the Moor, and only the Moor? What was Iago’s purpose in slandering a beautiful, innocent woman? Well, Iago’s villainous schemes continue to leave the audience in disbelief. Then, Iago also vividly describes to Othello, about how Cassio is yearning for Desdemona, “There are a kind of men so loose of soul that in their sleeps will mutter their affairs. One of this kind is Cassio. In sleep I heard

While filling Othello’s ears with lies and hatred, Iago says that “I know not that: but such a handkerchief I am sure it was your wife’s- did I today see Cassio wipe his beard with” (Shakespeare, 67). Iago is poisoning Othello’s ears by telling him about the ocular proof that Othello was asking for all along. Furthermore, Iago uses another excellent technique to manipulate Othello by making remember the past events. Iago says to Othello that, “she did deceive her father, marrying you, and when she seemed to shake, and fear your looks, she loved them most” (Shakespeare, 59). Iago is explaining to Othello that if Desdemona can deceive her father by marrying Othello, she can deceive him too. Iago also tells Othello that Desdemona fell for his looks because he is an outsider. Iago is excellent at manipulating the situation and filling others’ ears with lies, which makes his plan successful without anyone suspecting him.

Shakespeare is very well known for his inclusion of tragic flaws throughout the storylines of his novels. Hero’s, as courageous as they may seem, are just like any other person and go through flaws throughout their lifetime regardless of the extent of their situation. In Shakespeare’s novel Othello, with all the events twisting the readers mind from one side to another, there are many distinct qualities that portray Othello’s tragic flaw. Iago was portrayed as an honest character but with his careful deceptions jabbing in Othello’s mind, he is far from honest. Othello’s tragic flaw is that he trusts others opinions more than his own perceptions and Shakespeare develops this flaw by using convincing persuasive appeals and strong syntax throughout