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Manipulation is a powerful
The analysis of the play Othello by Williams Shakespeare
The analysis of the play Othello by Williams Shakespeare
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Othello: Manipulation To Gain Power Manipulation is a very powerful word. People use this tactic everyday to get what they want in life. By deceiving people or tricking them into seeing a certain point of view, people gain power. To skillfully use the power of manipulation a person must use another person's weaknesses. By using a person's emotions against them, they can be manipulated with ease. In Shakespeare's Othello, the character of Iago uses these tactics almost to perfection to achieve his goals. The first scene of Act I illustrates Iago's use of manipulation. Iago knows that Roderigo is upset about losing Desdemona to Othello. Iago himself is angry at Othello for being passed over for promotion to lieutenant for Michael Cassio. Realizing that by playing on Roderigo's jealousy he can gain an ally to work against Othello. Iago does this in a subtle manner. He explains to Roderigo that he was passed up for promotion by Othello. While doing this he makes Othello look inferior by reinforcing the fact that he is a Moor. By pointing out that Othello is a Moor Iago causes Roderigo to become even more jealous, because of the fact that he lost Desdemona to someone who he feels is of a lesser race. It even seems that Iago is toying with Roderigo when he reveals that he is a fraud when he says, "I am not what I am." (I.i.62) By using these tactics, Iago has almost gained total control of Roderigo. Iago uses a different tactic to manipulate Brabantio. He changes Brabantio's way of looking at the marriage of his daughter Desdemona to Othello. He awakes Brabantio by saying "Awake! What, ho, Brabantio! Thieves! Thieves! Look to your house, your daughter, and your bags! Thieves! Thieves!" (I.i.76-78) By saying this, Iago shows a new perspective to Brabantio by insinuating that Othello has stolen his daughter. Iago reinforces this when he say's, Zounds, sir, y'are robbed! For shame. Put on your gown! Your heart is burst, you have lost half your soul. Even now, now, very now, an old black ram Is tupping your white ewe. Arise, arise! Awake the snorting citizens with the bell, Or else the devil will make you a grandsire of you. Arise, I say! (I.i.83-89) After hearing Iago speak, Brabantio has had his eyes open to a new perspective of the situation. Iago then begins to uses a new manipulative strategy, he starts using bestiality to describe Othello.
In order to do this Iago begins by informing the Moor that his new father-in-law has found out about his new relationship to Othello, and in turn he is very angry. However, a scene earlier Iago is the one who skillfully informs Barbantio that his daughter has run off with the Moor, but he did not actually do the telling. Instead Iago used more convincing words in order to get Roderigo to think he would win the new brides heart, if only he attempted to break up the marriage first by telling the father. When Iago finally tells the Moor that Barbantio is coming for him, we ...
Consequently, Brabantio is extremely upset when he learns that they have eloped. Brabantio's anger at Othello's "thievery" leads him to entreat the Duke and Senate to annul the marriage. It is also true that the scene involving Iago and Roderigo telling Brabantio of his daughter's eloping does much to develop the character of Iago as a meddling weasel early in the book. The scene in which Othello and Brabantio argue their cases before the Duke is the culmination of the underlying conflict between Desdemona and Brabantio. Desdemona's direct part in the saga is less important than the effects of this conflict on Othello, who emerges an honorable and lawfully wedded man after his appearance before the Senate.
With Roderigo, someone he commands control over, Iago employs pathos, allowing his plan to appeal to Roderigo’s sensitive emotions about Othello. Roderigo and Iago discuss about how each of them despise Othello when Iago says, “If ever I did dream of such a matter, / Abhor me” using pathos to confirm his hatred towards the General (1.2. 5-6). The play commences with Iago employing direct rhetoric and partnering up with Roderigo to enhance a sense of comradery. Harsh language such as “Abhor me”, exemplifies the hateful emotions Iago feels toward Othello as well as enhances the emotions Iago wants to appeal to in Roderigo (1.2. 6). Affecting Roderigo more influentially, Iago uses deeper, more personal pathos, by highlighting the seemingly good qualities in Roderigo. Iago contrasts Roderigo to Othello pointing out, “Let not they discreet heart think it…manners and beauties: all which the/ Moor is defective in” (2.1. 215, 219-220). Firstly, Iago weighs Roderigo’s positive qualities against Othello’s negatives ones, convincing Roderigo to feel more confident with Iago and following along with his scheme. Secondly, Iago alters this rhetoric to include Roderigo’s love interest, Desdemona. By exemplifying a more personal and sensitive side when talking about “manners and beauties”, Iago can create a bigger impact in
As early as the first scene of the play Iago shows us strong motives for his actions. In this first scene we see Othello, a general of Venice, has made Cassio his new lieutant. Iago feels he truly deserves his promotion as he says "I know my price, I am worth more no worse a place."(l.i.12) Iago over here is confused why Othello has made such a stupid decision. Iago is a man with a tremendous ego who knows, sometimes overestimates, his worth. Roderigo, a Venetian gentleman, understands Iago when Iago said that he is "affined to love the Moor."(l.i.41-42) What Iago really means is "I follow him to serve my term upon him."(l.i.45) Iago wants to use Othello for his personal goals. We also must put ourselves into Iago's shoes. He is a man whose self-esteem and professional carrier have just been torn apart. Iago makes his actions of revenge toward Othello almost immediately by informing Brabantio, a Venetian senator and father of Desdemona, that "an old black ram (Othello) is tupping (his) white ewe (Desdemona)."(l.i.97)
In the continuance of the play, Othello’s eloquence suffers because of the increasing strain coming from Iago. Othello is introduced in
What are we as humans far more afraid of free choice or a forced decision? Manipulation and influence are presented in many ways through out the course of this book. This essay will be more of a comparative analysis between two novels The Tragedy Of Macbeth and Paradise Lost. Though influence may be a large section of our lives manipulation is what gets us to do things.
Iago uses his ability to convince those around him and his hatred, for seemingly the majority, of the other characters to manipulate and accomplish his own ploys. In the beginning of the play, Iago confesses his hatred for Othello. This hatred compels Iago to manipulate others within the play. Iago wishes to cause the most mayhem that he can, and he uses every character to do so. In the play, Iago acts almost as a puppeteer to the other characters, pulling their strings and getting them to do as he wishes. With Othello, Iago tells him that his wife, Desdemona, is cheating on him with Cassio. This manipulation is done due to the pure hate Iago has for Othello and the plan to get Roderigo together with Desdemona. Iago is also seemingly puppeteering Roderigo in hopes to get Cassio killed for both Roderigo to gain Desdemona and for Othello because of the alleged affair with Desdemona. Iago spares no expense when it comes to his plans in the play. As it states in Act 3 Scene 3 “I will in Cassio's lodging lose this napkin, / And let him find it. / Trifles light as air / Are to the jealous confirmations strong / As proofs of holy writ” (Shakespeare, Othello lines 1994-1997). In this excerpt, Iago takes Desdemona’s handkerchief in hopes to frame Cassio and prove the affair. This shows that Iago leaves out no details when manipulating the other characters which shows his true ingenuity and cunning ability when
Already, in Act I, the reader can see how Iago is playing to Rodrigo’s emotions in order to gain personal revenge on Othello. The reader can see that Iago will use Roderigo as a pawn in his plan; knowing Roderigo will do whatever he says. Iago’s reasons as to why he would offer to break up Othello and Desdemona’s marriage include that he is outraged that Othello promoted Casillo instead of him and that he has suspicions that Othello slept with his wife, Emilia (1203). This is the driving factor to Iago’s deceitful actions in the play.
Manipulation of words can have a great impact on human behavior. The impact of manipulation is uncontrollable; individuals use it without even thinking about it because it is what humans do to get what they desire. In the play Othello by William Shakespeare, Manipulation, jealousy and betrayal by characters change how they perceive themselves and others. Iago uses manipulation of words to persuade Othello throughout the whole play. Iago uses his cleverness and his patience to achieve his goals in the play. Othello becomes a dynamic character after getting convinced by Iago, that he began to perceive everyone differently. There are many ways in which characters in “Othello” perceive themselves and others differently.
The events that occur in the first half of Act 1 are all in anticipation of the lead character Othello who we are not immediately introduced too. We learn Iago’s name in the second line of the play and Roderigo’s soon after, but Othello is not mentioned by his name once. Instead he is referred to as ‘he’, ‘him’ and is frequently described as ‘the moor’ (1.1.58) he is also described as having ‘thick lips’ (1.1.67) and later as being a ‘Barbary horse’ (1.1.111) is continuously described by his critics, mainly Iago, as a ‘moor’, demonstrating Iago’s frequently concerning nature of race and also portraying Othello as something of an alien. From this reference we are able to immediately understand Iago’s true feelings and motives for Othello.
	As the act continues and Othello is being searched for by a group of people, Iago attempts to incite Othello into anger against Brabantio, but Othello does not take the bait. He feels that he (Brabantio) may do his worst because Othello is assured that his...
In the story of Othello, Iago murders almost every important characters directly or indirectly. However, what makes him have the motive and lets him become jesuitical people in audience’s mind? He is not “bad”, but he is an egoistic person, who only care about himself. Shakespeare reveals the dark side of the personality on Iago in Othello. Iago plans a huge conspiracy all for his jealousy, the desire to power and his own profit.
In their conversations together, Iago seems to pity Roderigo, claiming to “have professed me thy friend,” yet he advises Roderigo into a position which would only help him further drive his plot forward, simultaneously leading Roderigo to believe that he is helping him (I.iii.379). When Iago is alone, he is less likely to brag about these ideas and more likely to run the audience through his thought process in a stream-of-consciousness. Through these monologues, the audience is able to see the more manipulative side of Iago that he disguises when around Othello. Iago carefully manipulates each character to the position that is most advantageous to him, yet still asks himself, “And what’s he, then, that says I play the villain,/When this advice is free I give and honest” (II.iii.356-57). Almost seeming to be proud of himself, Iago views his planning as nothing more than a game, “[his] sport and profit” (I.iii.429). Iago has no moral qualms about exploiting others’ weaknesses, a situation which ultimately gives him the upper hand against Othello when controlling
The Tragedy of Othello the Moor of Venice was written by William Shakespeare, and it is only one of countless notable plays he wrote. A reoccurring theme in Othello is jealousy brought on usually by deception; throughout the play people often hide their true intentions and are not always what they appear to be like W.H Auden said “There 's always another story. There 's more than meets the eye.” The relationships Iago built on manipulation, lies, and false promises were a crucial part of the play; Iago was able to deceive other characters by twisting the situation so that characters like Roderigo, Cassio, and Othello misinterpreted what they saw. However, he was not the only one to put up a front in Othello; Emilia also put up a façade when
Manipulation is used in nearly every endeavor encountered throughout an average day. Things ranging from day to day commercials all the way to political campaigns are using concealed techniques of manipulation influencing the everyday actions of the public. Leaving any person with access to the world, vulnerable to manipulation. Webster dictionary defines manipulation as, “to control or play upon by artful, unfair, or insidious means especially to one 's own advantage”. Meaning that anyone can come to be skilled in the art of manipulation, even children. Stories such as Night, Lord of the Flies, and The Picture of Dorian Gray are evidence of the disastrous effects of manipulation on the physical state, relationships, mental