That has such noble sense of thy friends wrong!” he is completely fooled by Iago. If no one trusted Iago then it would be a lot harder for him to manipulate them and he relies on this for the success of his plan.
In the first act of the play Iago and Rodrigo go and rouse Barbantio in the middle of the night to tell him of the elopement of Desdemona and Othello. Iago uses Rodrigo as a spokesman to manipulate Barbantio into thinking that the elopement is a betrayal. He puts horrible thoughts in Barbantio mind of racial differences, such as, “an old black ram is tupping your white ewe.” And refers to Othello as “a Barbary horse,” He uses these disgusting metaphors because they give bestial imagery. He is referring to Othello as an animal and making him seem unworthy. He wants it to have its full effect on Barbantio. Barbantio as a father objects to the marriage. He goes straight to the Duke. He would have wanted to select his daughter’s husband himself. This is the first time Iago betrays Othello.
All the way through Iago uses Rodrigo for his money, Rodrigo says, “I take it much unkindly that thou, Iago, who hast my purse as if the strings were thine own should know of this.” This suggests that he objects to Iago using him, but until the end of the play thinks that Iago is trying to help, so allows him to. Iago often says “Put money in your purse” He is still manipulating Rodrigo into funding his own plan. Iago is obviously enjoying this thoroughly. He is like a puppeteer. He merely pulls the strings and gets every one to do what he wants.
After Othello and Desdemona have pleaded their case in front of the Duke, he agrees to their marriage but commissions Othello to lead the Venetian army and defeat Cyprus.
He does so and the play moves to Cyprus where Othello is reunited with his wife, Cassio and Iago. Iago immediately continues his campaign against Othello by dropping subtle hints about Desdemona and Cassio’s friendship. He speaks to Othello of how, “She did deceive her father, marrying you;
And when she seem’d to shake and fear your looks
She loved them most” He is implying that if Desdemona were capable of betraying her father, then betraying her newly wed husband would not be beyond her. He is very clever he doesn’t go straight for the kill he takes his plan step by step planting seeds of doubt as to Desdemona’s loyalty and manipulating situations. He is always careful to stay above suspicion.
One of the other people Iago manipulates Is Cassio; he is a good friend of Othello. He is a loyal, friendly and sociable man and as a consequence is much loved. Iago knows that his weakness is drink; Cassio also recognises that he cannot handle his drink and normally deliberately avoids alcohol so Iago convinces him to drink. He explains “If I can fasten but one cup upon him, with that which he hath drunk tonight already, He’ll be as full of quarrel and offence as my young mistress’ dog.” He is trying to get him drunk so he will start a fight and ruin his reputation. All the better if it happens in front of Othello so he would have to demote him. Iago also knows that Desdemona will plead for Cassio because they are good friends. But what with the things Iago has already said, this makes her look guilty of the adultery that she is not even capable of.
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The key to Iago’s plan is a handkerchief. It is very precious to Othello explains,
“That handkerchief did an Egyptian to my mother give:
She was a charmer and could almost read
The thoughts of people. She her, while she it ‘Twould make her amiable and subdue my father entirely in her love; but if she lost it
Or made gift of it, my father’s eye
Should hold her loathed and his spirits should hunt
After new fancies. She dying gave it me,
And bid me when my fate would have me wive,
To give it her. I did so, and take heed on’t:
Make it darling, like your precious eye.
To lose’t or give’t away were such perdition
as nothing else could match.” Iago is aware of the importance of the handkerchief and he manipulates his wife into steeling it. She is also aware of its importance and when she gives him the handkerchief she says, “What you will do with’t, that you have been so earnest to have me filch it?” She is questioning him on his reasons but does not suspect him, because she is so desperate to earn his affections. Emelia is good friends with Desdemona and she says she found it easy to steal the handkerchief “No faith; she let it drop in negligence, and to th’advantage I being here took’t up.” she is blaming it on Desdemona’s idleness. This suggests that she is of a thoughtless nature. She is a cynic, not at all devious like her husband and her motives are honest. Iago has no affection for her; he merely uses her as he does every one else in the play. She says “I would not do such a thing for a joint-ring,
nor for measures of lawn, nor for gowns, petticoats, nor
caps, nor any petty exhibition. But for all the whole
world! Ud’s pity, who would not make her husband a
cuckold, to make him a monarch?” She is saying to Desdemona that if someone were to give her the world then she would commit adultery. Desdemona is quite naive and is shocked by this.
Iago talks to Othello of infidelity and jealousy
“What if I had said I had seen him do you wrong?” He is still sowing suspicion in Othello’s mind until he is convinced that Desdemona is betraying him. He pushes Othello until he has an epileptic fit. Shakespeare often uses epilepsy as a sign of weakness; he is showing that Othello is beginning to crack. Iago then sets it up so that Othello hears Cassio talking of his new love Bianca. He hides Othello near and manipulates the conversation so that, to Othello’s ears it sounds as if he is talking of love for Desdemona. Iago explains
“As he shall smile Othello shall go mad;
And his unbookish jealousy must conserve
Poor Cassio’s smiles, gestures, and light behaviours
Quite in the wrong.”
Iago plans are working. Then to add salt to the wound Bianca enters the scene to give Cassio back the handkerchief, saying
“A likely piece of work, that
you should find it in your chamber and know not
who left it there . This is some minxes token, and
I must take out the worke?”
She seems cross, but she is probably quite hurt. She leaves and Iago convinces Cassio to follow her. Othello then comes out of hiding Iago. He is in so much pain that he talks of killing her. “I will chop her into pieces, cuckold me?” He is ashamed that she has made a fool out of him.
In the next scene Othello publicly humiliates Desdemona. He hits her in front of
Lodivico. Who had been sent by the duke. All the characters in the play are people of honour apart from Iago. This builds on there character each in different ways.
Cassio loses honour when he lose his reputation in front of Othello he says,
“Reputation, Reputation, Reputation, O I have lost my reputation!” This shows just how much the opinion of other people means to him.
Othello shows that he is willing to kill the woman he loves to defend his honour,
Desdemona is naïve and only wants to do write by her husband she says
“Dost thou in consequence think- tell me,
Emelia- That there be woman do abuse
their in such gross kind?” She cannot understand why anyone would commit adultery. Iago sees the idea of honour as a weakness he uses it to his advantage.
He says “The Moor, -
How be it that I endure him not-
Is of a constant, loving, noble nature, and I dare think
He’ll to Desdemona a most dear husband.” This shows a total contempt he has for Othello and his honesty.
After Othello humiliates Desdemona in public she goes to Iago. He comforts her but still persuades her to go to Othello to plead for Cassio. She has also fallen for Iago’s trickery as she is of a naïve nature. She goes to talk to Othello but he doesn’t give her the chance to explain and that night he kills her in her sleep. Then Emelia enters she declares Desdemona’s innocence, she tells him of the handkerchief
“O thou dull moor, That
handkerchief thou speak’st
of I found by fortune
and did give my husband;
For often, with solemn earnestness
More than indeed belonged to such a trifle-
He begged of me to steal it.” She has realised what a fool she has been. Iago and some of the other characters have come in to see what all the noise is about. Iago goes into a rage and he kills his wife. He is no longer being subtle, devious or cunning he has lost the game that he was playing. This is when the other characters see him for what he really is. Othello sees that he has killed his beautiful, loyal and loving wife. He commits suicide and dies in his her arms. This symbolises his deep affection for her and is another example of how Shakespeare loves to write romantically.
