Theme Of Manipulation In Othello

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.

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.

Later on in the play, Iago lies to Roderigo when he tells him that Othello will be taking Desdemona with him to Mauritania. He suggests that if Roderigo ever wants to see Desdemona again he has to make sure that Othello extends his stay in Cyprus. To do so, he suggests that Cassio must be killed, “Why, by making him uncapable of Othello’s place—/ knocking out his brains.”(4.2.226-227). If Othello goes to Mauritania, Cassio will be assigned Othello’s place. By killing Cassio, Iago gets his revenge and Roderigo would have a chance to win over Desdemona. Roderigo’s character is used to portray the theme of manipulation. He is persuaded into doing Iago’s ill deeds. Iago is only after one thing, to be appointed lieutenant, and he will do whatever is necessary to reach his goal.

What is not clear is whether Desdemona would even consider Roderigo’s advances. We know that Roderigo has failed in previous attempts to court Desdemona and Brabantio “charged thee not to haunt my doors” (Shakespeare 1458). Roderigo is eager to charge forward with Iago’s instructions and is so gullible that he is repeatedly puts his self in physical danger. Roderigo has no realistic chance of success and is therefore considered a pawn for Iago to maneuver. To enlist his help to eliminate Cassio, Iago conjures up a tale of an affair between Desdemona and Cassio that Roderigo is all too willingly to accept about the woman he loves. According to Iago, Roderigo is no longer considered Desdemona’s second choice behind Othello, but falls to a distant third behind Cassio. Roderigo becomes

Manipulation is a very puissant term. It is usually viewed in a negative sense by its definition of skillfully handling or controlling someone or something. Manipulation is a scheme used by people everyday to achieve their goals. It is an attempt to cunningly outwit another to gain personal advantage. In order to outwit the other person, people tend to exploit the person's weakness, which generates more situations favouring them. In Arthur Miller’s, The Crucible and Shakespeare's Othello, the villains, or in other terms, manipulators, Abigail Williams and Iago illustrate the essence of manipulation. Both characters take advantage of their state or situation and skillfully turn others into puppets which later goes on to having a huge impact on the fate other characters.

By taking advantage of this fact, he is able to kill two birds with one stone. Iago feeds on Othello's jealousy by setting Casio up to look like he is conducting an extra marital affair with Desdemona, refuting Othello’s initial denial.  However, eventually, Iago has Othello so angered that he accepts Iago's offer to kill Cassio for him.

In the opening scene, while Iago is expressing his hatred for the general Othello for his having chosen Michael Cassio for the lieutenancy, he contrives a plan to partially avenge himself (“I follow him to serve my turn upon him”), with Roderigo’s assistance, by alerting Desdemona’s father, Brabantio, to the fact of his daughter’s elopement with Othello: “Call up her father, / Rouse him: make after him, poison his delight [. . .] .” Implied in

William Shakespeare’s Othello, the Moor of Venice is a play of great manipulation and jealousy. Iago is the antagonist character of the play Othello. Iago becomes irate and filled with jealousy when Othello names Michael Cassio as his lieutenant, because Iago believed he should have been the one promoted not Michael Cassio. By manipulating everyone around him, Iago portrays himself as an honest noble man whom can be trusted. Iago being known for the honest man he earns everyone’s trust and therefore learns their weakness for his ultimate plan of destruction. Iago’s greatest skill is disguising his manipulative schemes of destroying and betraying the ones around him with what he leads people to believe as honesty. Iago uses their

Secondly, the abuse of power by males through manipulation has great effects on the freedom of women and creates a never-ending cycle in which the misuse of power allows them to gain more of it. At one scene in the play Iago tries to console Othello’s lieutenant Cassio after a drunken fight results in the stripping of his lieutenancy. Iago uses the phrase, “You or any man living may be drunk at a time, man” (2.3.332-333). His remark displays awareness of the fact that there are different expectations for the actions of men and women, which he uses to lessen the blame on Cassio. Instead of relinquishing Cassio’s position, Iago takes his aforementioned power and uses it to proclaim that men have a right to be drunk and thus cannot be held accountable

In Othello, much conflict arises due to Iago’s manipulation of others. His character uses his language wisely in order to get what he wants. In William Shakespeare's Othello, Iago’s mastery of language contributes to his ability to manipulate those around him. Examples of these are prevalent in conversations Iago has with not only Rodrigo, but also Othello.

After seeing everything that he has done and the evidence that he has left behind Iago is the one to blame for the deaths of Desdemona, Roderigo, Othello, and Emilia. From the beginning of the play we can see the hate that he has for Othello after promoting Cassio to Lieutenant. There is evidence that Iago said “I am not what I am” which shows the reader that even from the beginning he was just putting up an act to make everyone think that he was honest but he just used this to deceive them. Iago used this in order to get Othello on his side even to the point where he only referred to Iago as “honest Iago” even though Iago was only telling him lies. Iago put Othello in a sort of trance because he only believed what Iago said and thought everyone else was lying and conspiring behind his back which made him a

Manipulation is one of the most powerful ways of gaining power through the people around one. Not only is it effective, but can be viewed as disrespectful and sometimes unethical. Throughout the play Othello, many motifs are expressed through the words and action characters take that reveal important aspects to the play. Shakespeare utilizes these motifs to display important messages to the audience using manipulation and superiority. This play contains many underlying meanings through its words and events that continue throughout the entire play. In Othello, Shakespeare utilizes animal imagery through Iago’s remarks to reveal the message that one’s idea of feeling superior leads to an epic downfall.

Roderigo pays Iago for this false hope that he will be with Desdemona (1162). When he believes he is getting closer to being with her, however, Iago tells him that it might not happen because Desdemona is in love with Cassio (1169-70). Roderigo is greatly angered by this and resolves to do what it takes to stop Cassio from getting Desdemona even if it means taking his life. His attempt to kill Cassio, however, is unsuccessful, and instead he is the one injured (1175). Roderigo is no longer consumed with thoughts of being with Desdemona. Instead he is consumed with feelings of hatred toward those who might have her love and attention.

In Shakespeare’s Othello, We see the plot to take down Othello from start to finish. It’s full of manipulation, destruction, and deaths. The mastermind behind it all is Iago who feels betrayed when Othello promotes Cassio to lieutenant instead of him. Iago’s plan is to convince Othello that Desdemona has cuckolded him.

What Roderigo is saying though these lines is that Iago convinced him to go and kill Cassio so he can get his spot as lieutentant to Othello and before they are able to kill Cassio, Iago kills Roderigo off because he might rat out to either Othello or Cassio about Iago’s plan to murder Cassio just so he can gain his position.