In Othello, Desdemona deceived her father, losing his trust and support over her love and marriage to a Moor. Iago tells Brabantio, Desdemona’s father that Othello,the moor had kidnapped his daughter to wed her, and Brabantio hunts down Othello to confront him; disbelief from Brabantio caused Othello to order him to take him into custody to find the truth, and they invite Desdemona to admit their relationship was true, and of mutual feelings. After having his trust betrayed, Brabantio warns Othello that he too may be lied to by Desdemona and to watch her by saying, “Look to her, Moor, if thou hast eyes to see: She has deceived her father, and may thee”(1.3.18). Brabantio built a trust that Desdemona was nothing but loyal to him, but when she married behind his back that trust had been demolished and …show more content…
Iago set his plan into action to tell Othello of what he’s ‘observed’, that Desdemona and Cassio may be having an affair, and Othello trusts that she is faithful, but Iago suggests if she can deceive her father, why can’t she him. Othello was told not to take the information given by Iago as anything more than a suspicion, but after a night on the subject, Othello gets angry at Iago and says,”What sense had I of her stol’n hours of lust? I saw ‘t not, thought it not, it harm’d not me: I slept the next night well, was free and merry; I found not Cassio’s kisses on her lips: He that is robb’d, not wanting what is stol’n, let him not know’t and he’s not robb’d at all”(3.3.50-51). Othello’s peaceful slumber has been disrupted by what he’s been told, and his dreams have been soiled by the images and ideas of Cassio and his wife. He believes it better to not have been told and not know than to be told and be tormented by the possibility. Othello doesn’t realize his arising jealousy that will take over his trust will end his love and himself in
When Iago first sets out to deceive Othello, he tells him, "look at your wife; observe her well with Cassio" (3.3.196). He knows that if he can plant enough doubt and jealousy in Othello's mind, Othello only needs to look at Desdemona being friendly with Cassio to suspect infidelity. After this, when Desdemona asks for Cassio's reinstatement, it looks as though she is trying to get something better for her lover, as opposed to just helping a friend.
to him. For example, on one occasion Othello suspects Cassio, ''ha! I like not that''. This explains to us that Iago is making Othello. suspicious that Cassio and Desdemona are having an affair, Othello.
Throughout the novel, up until his insanity, Othello is described as a temperate man whose honor does not allow him to believe assumptions unless he has been shown proof. Firstly, when the men of Brabantio, Desdemona’s father, confront Othello’s men, Othello calmly says, “Keep up your bright swords, for the dew will rust them.” (10). Othello is confronted on the matter of his elopement with Desdemona with force and with words. Not only is he very cool about his dealings with violence, but also when he is asked to tell the story of how he had Desdemona fall in love with him he states the truth, and he doesn’t leave out any details of how he accomplished it. He openly admits that had any other man told his story, that man also would have won her heart. Only a truly honorable man can admit that it was a story, and not his personality that truly won the woman’s heart. Othello’s honor is shown by his trust in the people he knows and loves. When Iago tells Othello that he believes Cassio and Desdemona are having an affair, Othello does not believe Iago initially.
The situation above leaves an opening for Iago to fulfill his vital plan to bring down Othello through Desdemona. Cassio was a mental wreck and told Iago that his reputation was ruined. Iago told him that he can get his rank back through Desdemona and get back on Othello's good side. "Confess yourself freely to her, importune her help to put you in your place again (p. 54)." Once Cassio talks to Desdemona, Iago will speak with Othello and get him to think of his wife's trust. In Act three Scene three Iago is speaking to Othello and warns him to look out for Cassio and Desdemona. Othello asks Iago if it was just Cassio that left from speaking with his wife.
In fact, Desdemona holds herself in such high regard that she almost seems incapable of believing that anyone else may not. Luckily for her, Othello similarly holds her in high regard, at least until Iago begins to manipulate him. Even before Othello, Desdemona’s own father, Brabantio, thought highly of her. When she elopes with Othello, he never believes that she ran away from home willingly. He believes that Othello had enchanted her until she herself says otherwise. Upon this realization, Brabantio, warns Othello against Desdemona, telling him:
There were only two things keeping Othello with the people of Venice as a black man and those are having the opportunity to be the husband of Desdemona and also being there as the general of the army. In addition, the fact that Desdemona confirmed and expresses her love for Othello before her father and the Duke strengthens Othello as well.
Implicitly targeting Othello’s doubts about marrying Desdemona and insecurities about her actions with infidelity, Iago eventually impacts Othello enough that the General himself confides in Iago about his own wife. Earlier in the play, ‘honest Iago’ needs to first gain Othello’s confidence and he does so by expressing his loyalty to Cassio, “I had rather have this tongue cut from my mouth/ Than it should do offence to Michael Cassio”, while Othello is present in a conflict (2.3. 203-204). Then, later in the play Iago baits Othello by suggesting that Desdemona and Cassio are having an affair. Immediately, Othello wants more information; however, Iago nervously responds with, “…vicious in my guess-/ As I confess…” and tries to calm Othello by saying, “My noble lord-” (3.3 46-47, 93). When voicing his devotion to Cassio, Iago immediately begins to play on his false reputation as ‘honest Iago’. He enables Othello, and his fellow characters, to think highly of him and to respect that even when his partner, Cassio, has not been following orders, Iago would even endure physical pain and have his “tongue cut from [his] mouth” and proves his locality (2.3. 203). This leads to when Iago responds to Othello’s queries, about
In Act three, Scene three, Desdemona agrees to speak to Othello in Cassio’s behalf) As Desdemona and Cassio discuss Cassio’s loss of rank and trust in Othello’s eyes. Iago brings to Othello’s attention the discussion taking place between Cassio and Desdemona. Iago knowing full well why the discussion is happening. Iago hints the pair seems to be spending a lot of time together. Iago plants the seed of doubt in Othello’s mind Othello begins to ponder the idea of whether Iago suspicions are true.
In the play Othello by William Shakespeare Iago is the one seen as the puppet master, the orchestrator, which is mostly true. Although Iago does essentially get the ball rolling, Othello and Desdemona aren’t exactly innocent either. Both of them are prime examples of just how easily the human psyche/mind can be manipulated to hating, betraying, and even killing the people they love (Othello mainly). Other characters, like Roderigo, Cassio, and Emilia, are also blameworthy. They didn’t try to stop Iago, or refrain from their relationship with Desdemona (Cassio), they were so easily manipulated that it’s hard not to see their fault in the events that transpired. All of these characters, not just Iago, are at fault for what happened. Everyone
In Act 1 Scene1, Iago persuades the rejected suitor of Desdemona, Roderigo, to accompany him to the home of Brabantio, Desdemona’s father, in the middle of the night. Once there the two awaken him with loud shouts about his daughter’s elopement with Othello. In response to Iago’s vulgar descriptions of Desdemona’s involvement with the general, Brabantio arises from bed and, with Roderigo’s help, gathers a search party to go and find Desdemona and bring her home. The father’s attitude is that life without his Desdemona will be much worse than before:
When Othello asks Iago for proof of Desdemona’s deceit, Iago describes scenes and events in which Othello has a reason to be jealous. In Act III, Scene I Iago is describing to Othello, Desdemona and Cassio’s imagined relationship, “It is impossible you should see this/ were they as prime as goats, as hot as monkeys, as salt as wolves in pride, and fools as gross as ignorance made drunk.” These images planted themselves inside Othello’s mind and haunted him until he did something about it. These images led to Othello believing Desdemona really did love Cassio.
Throughout the drama, Othello let Iago control him as if he was a puppet under his master’s hands. When Iago first brought up the idea that Desdemona and Cassio might be having an affair, Othello did not believe him, he had faith in his wife. After many lies that Iago planted in Othello’s ears, Othello started to believe him and he dropped most of the faith that he had in Desdemona. Iago told Othello that in his sleep, Cassio said “Sweet Desdemona, let us be wary, let us hide our love”. Cursed fate that gave thee the Moor” (III.iii.416-417).
Othello has always been in love with Desdemona; but he let everything get in the way. Othello says "Rude am I in my speech, And little bless'd with the soft phrase of peace: For since these arms of mine had seven years' pith, Till now some nine moons wasted, they have used Their dearest action in the tented field, And little of this great world can I speak, More than pertains to feats of broil and battle, And therefore little shall I grace my cause In speaking for myself. Yet, by your gracious patience, I will a round unvarnish'd tale deliver Of my whole course of love" (1.3.81-91). In this quote Othello describes his love for Desdemona; and tells his life story to explain himself. This quote took place in the very beginning when he and Desdemona just got married. Then he let Iago into the picture; and then Othello’s and Desdemona’s pure love was diminished. When Iago comes to tell Othello that Desdemona is being unfaithful he states, “Be sure of it; give me the ocular proof” (3.3.3360). Even though Iago has come and told him that his wife is cheating he wants proof that she is doing that. The reason why is because he loves her so much, and he does not want to just assume that she is being unfaithful. Now Iago kept coming back feeding the fire that he created; by talking to Othello about the “love triangle” between Cassio, Desdemona, and himself. Othello states “Excellent wretch! Perdition catch my soul But I do love thee! And when I love thee not, Chaos is come again”(3.3.90-2)...
Othello and Amir are corrupted by the powerful emotion of jealousy. Othello’s jealousy against Desdemona stems from the manipulation put forth by Iago. Iago decides to play on Othello’s jealous nature, and constantly tells him that Desdemona is being unfaithful with Cassio. Othello endlessly denies his jealousy, but it is evident he is losing his mind as he watches Desdemona and Cassio carefully. He speaks to Iago saying, “I’ll see before I doubt, when I doubt prove. And on the proof, there is no more but this, away at once with love or jealousy” (3.3.290-293). “Othello believes Desdemona is unfaithful with only the insinuations by Iago, this proves that Othello is prone to jealousy.” Once Iago plants Desdemona’s handkerchief in Cassio’s room, Othello is given the proof he needs to fully believe that Desdemona has made him a cuckold. “I tremble at it, nature would not invest herself in such shadowing passion without some instruction, it is not words that shakes me thus” (4.1.46-48). Othello experiences jealousy so strong, that he experiences a seizure. This seizure is proof Othello is now overwhelmed with jealousy and he no longer can be certain that Desdemona is innocent.
Due to her father’s nobility, Desdemona’s high social standings translate to her angelic character which the Venetian culture pressures her to fulfill. Because of high expectations placed on Desdemona, Brabantio disbelieves Desdemona’s elopement with Othello, where he concludes “is there not charms/By which the property of youth and maidhood/May be abused?” (I.i.193-95). Utilizing the magic motif, William Shakespeare conveys Brabantio 's skepticism in his daughter’s deliberate abandonment, by logically reasoning supernatural forces must be at fault. By disregarding Desdemona’s desires for leaving, Brabantio assumes his daughter possesses virtuous qualities, making her incapable of defying him. Brabantio considers only one possibility for Desdemona’s elopement with the Moor: Magic. Compared to Desdemona’s father, Othello’s lieutenant, Michael Cassio also views her as possessing cherubic qualities. When Desdemona enters a room Cassio demands “hail to thee, lady, and the