The Manipulative Character In William Shakespeare's Othello

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

Powerful words are used in the world of “Othello” and can create order or chaos. Othello uses language when he tells his stories of war to Desdemona and as a result wins her heart. A positive example of the power of language is how Othello and Desdemona fall in love (Krieger, 2012). “She wished she had not heard it, yet she wished that heaven had made her such a man” (I, iii, 160-161). Iago uses the negative power of language as corruption to

Once a seed of suspicion or doubt is planted in a person’s mind, the noxious effect of jealousy is soon to ensue. Jealousy and suspicion are Othello’s flaws hubris throughout the play and foreshadow to the audience his imminent downfall. He believes what Iago tells him so strongly that he compromises his close relationship with his best friend and his love for his wife. Iago manipulates Othello through the use of extortion, literary techniques, and his keen judge of character. His syntax and diction are so simple yet so powerful because he uses the correct rhetorical questions and addresses Othello with respectful terms such as “my lord.” He allows Othello do most of the talking

Othello’s elegant and self-absorbed speech reveals his hubris, thus disrupting the chain of being. Othello’s frequent change in his tone of voice, during his speech, shows his authority and confidence. We hear this in his sarcastic statement of “Rude am I in my speech…” This sarcasm contradicts Othello’s confidence in himself, heard in his changing tone, emphasizing the tragic hero’s hubris. His elegance of speech is emphasized through constant pauses which allow the internal audience to absorb and contemplate his words. The silence after he says “True, I have married her…”, emphasizes his statement and manipulates the internal audience to believe his words. The ‘magic’ in Othello’s language puts him into a position of power which diminishes the authority of the Duke, disrupting the chain of being.

Although Othello seems confident about himself and his position, in reality, most of the times he feels the need to prove himself to others to get their respect. Before Othello goes into details about how he and Desdemona fell in love, he says, “Rude am I in my speech,/ And little blessed with the soft phrase of peace” (Othello 1.3. 96-7). By “rude am I in my speech” Othello means that he is not good at speaking, but right after he says this, he goes on to make a long speech. Othello says this to bring the element of surprise and also to prove to them that he can do anything they can do. The want and need to establish his power and boast reveals that deep down Othello does not fully have confidence in himself.

Iago also uses language to create the desired effect he wants to be perceived, when he talks to Brabantio about Desdemona and Othello, he does not merely say that they are in love and are sleeping together, he uses crude, insulting language to describe Othello, ‘making the beast with two backs’(I,I,107-108) with his daughter.

Words embody power, giving people enough credibility to destroy or uplift others. In Othello, words are the prime weapon used to destroy Othello and his future. Iago refers to Othello as “Such a thing as thou…,” “knee-crooking knave,” and “abuser of the world” (Shakespeare I.ii.57, I.i.22, I.ii.62). Iago uses these words against Othello, even though he is simply Othello’s advisor, to create a power over him. Iago manipulates people and situations with words, destroying them in the process. Iago uses his words to make people feel a certain way. Iago tells Othello, “I see this hath a little dash’d your spirits…In faith, I fear it has . . . But I do see you’re moved. (III.ii. 166ff). Iago wants bad news

In Othello, William Shakespeare portrays how Othello is a highly respected figure in Venetian society, but that the racially prejudiced reality he faces threatens to unmask his deepest insecurities. Iago despises Othello due to how he has vastly excelled him in military rank. He desires to reduce Othello’s glittering reputation and love life to dust. He is keenly aware of how Othello has always felt different than everyone else in Venice due to his African background. Othello believes that his relationship with Desdemona will finally allow him to escape his insecurities. However, Iago uses Othello’s greatest strength against him as he allows his love for Desdemona to become his greatest weakness. Iago’s racial prejudice leads him to manipulate

Iago has struck at Othello’s core by revealing to him the alleged betrayal of Desdemona, of whom Othello feels is integral to his being. Iago forces Othello into a position where he has no armour to protect himself, and no foundation to support himself. Once the seed of doubt begins to sprout within him, Othello can no longer trust his “gentle” Desdemona, creating this resentment filled obsession over her alleged

Good morning/afternoon year eleven. Today, I will be speaking about how the power of language is explored in Shakespeare’s “Othello” through the complex characters and their speeches throughout the play. Othello and Iago, the protagonist and antagonist, both have moments in which they use language to speak directly to the audience. They convince us to feel or think a certain way, despite the underlying truth in their speech. Iago’s speech in Act 1, Scene 1, Line 42, detailing his feelings towards Othello, and Othello’s speech at the beginning of Act 5, Scene 2, prior to murdering his wife Desdemona, both use language to convey a manipulated truth and intent. These speeches inflict emotions onto the audience, as though we are being spoken to and tricked just as the characters in the play are.

Othello’s language is very important in understanding his character. Despite his obvious eloquence, Othello protests: ‘Rude am I in my speech/ And little blessed with the soft phrase of peace.’ He uses false modesty in order to underline his inferior speech. A critic A.C. Bradley views Othello as ‘the greatest poet of them all’.

However the textual integrity of the play can be questioned. In terms of its pacing, Othello’s transition from a love that overcame social boundaries to murderous hate is almost too abrupt, to the point that it is unconvincing and unrealistic. The fact that Othello blindly follows the words of Iago, without once consulting Desdemona, takes away the play’s realism. On the other hand, this can be attributed to the gender system of the time, and Othello’s insecurities about his race and age. Stage directions instruct Othello and Iago to kneel, and to modern audiences this symbolises that the bond between the two men is stronger than marriage representative of the patriarchal society of Shakespeare’s time.

To influence his audience, Othello uses logic as well as an entrancing tone that surprises and allures his audience of Brabantio and the duke. Othello offers to tell his story, despite his discomfort with words. Othello tells the men that, “Rude am I in my speech, and little blessed with the soft phrase of peace. . . and therefore little shall I grace my cause in speaking for myself.” (lines 96-104) This preview to his speech gives the men a feeling that he’s going to be rough and unlearned when he talks, and definitely unworthy of Desdemona. This idea is quickly dismissed when he does begin to talk, almost magically, and it completely puts Othello in a good light. His tone, imagery, and diction all add to the

What makes one person to be considered evil, while another is considered righteous? The character Iago, in William Shakespeare’s Othello, could be considered evil because of his plot against Cassio and Othello. Othello, could be considered righteous, because he believes his wife has been unfaithful. The line between these two labels, evil or righteous, is thin. Ultimately, actions speak louder than words. Iago is evil in his actions towards Othello, but between the two, Othello is the most evil for reacting to lies in the most violent of ways.

Iago’s relationship with Othello becomes a power struggle where Iago attempts to degrade Desdemona in order to position himself so he can ‘poison’ Othello. Here Shakespeare is showing how powerful and manipulative Iago can be with his use of words, and how powerful they can be. This power struggles is exemplified