How Does Iago Successfully Manipulate Othello in Shakespeare

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How Does Iago Successfully Manipulate Othello in Shakespeare’s Play Othello?

July 25th 2006

Playwright William Shakespeare wrote “The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice”, or “Othello” for short in the year 1603 and it is believed that it was first performed in 1604 in Elizabethan England, though these dates are approximate due to Shakespeare not publishing his plays during his lifetime. Othello was written as a play to be performed to roughly two to three thousand people in theatres such as the Globe Theatre in London. The story of Othello is believed to have come from a collection of stories known as ‘The Hundred Tales’, written by an Italian author by the name of Girladi Cinthio in 1566.  Shakespeare edited the plot into a story that would fit his own personal style for dramatic purposes. The story was edited to make the theme, like many of Shakespeare’s works of the time, Tragedy.

The play is split into five Acts containing a various Scenes in each act, and is set in two places; first Act One is set in Venice, and Act Two-Five in Cyprus. The play tells the story of two lovers, Othello, a black Moor (Turk) and his wife, Desdemona a white Venetian woman, torn apart by Iago who manipulates many people throughout the play in order to seek vengeance.

The story begins in the city of Venice in Italy where it is discovered by Iago and his friend Roderigo that Othello had promoted Cassio to the position of Othello’s lieutenant instead of Iago. Iago is very angry at this and wishes to seek revenge on Othello for not promoting him. Iago tells Roderigo “I follow him to serve my turn upon him” meaning that Iago will continue to serve Othello, but only in order to achieve his revenge.

The two men then focus on Roderigo’s problem, his undivided love for Desdemona. Roderigo was in fact a former suitor for Desdemona yet his love for her was denied by Desdemona and her father. The devious Othello decides to jeopardise the secret marriage between Desdemona and Othello by persuading Roderigo to inform Desdemona’s father, Senator Barbanito that Othello and Desdemona are sleeping together. The reason this is controversial is because Othello is a moor of Turkish origin and in society of this time it was very uncommon and quite a taboo to marry outside of your race. Barbanito checks where his daughter is and finds she is not present; he then calls Othello and Desdemona to him. He attempts to arrest Othello but Othello is instead summoned to the governor of Venice on official business. Othello is then brought before the Duke and accused by Barbanito of using “practices of cunning hell...mixtures powerful o’er the blood, or with some dram conjured to this effect and wrought upon her.” This accusation is that Othello used evil practices perhaps with some kind of potion or narcotics in order to make Desdemona love him. The Duke states that this declaration is not prooven and gives Othello a chance to defend his innocence. Othello proves the accusations are false by calling upon Desdemona to announce her love for him. Desdemona declairs to her father that she loves Othello and their marriage is blessed by Barbanito in a somewhat reluctant way. Iago’s first plan of vengeance by having Desdemona’s father break up Desdemona and Othello had failed. In a way it also benefits Othello too as his love for Desdemona becomes public knowledge whilst being accepted as a just union.

After this fiasco the purpose of the Duke’s summons is then revealed. The Turks are believed to be sailing towards Cyprus and war veteran Othello is asked to go to Cyprus and defend it from them. Othello sails off to Cyprus with his lieutenant Cassio, to be later followed by Desdemona, escorted by Iago.

Iago persuades Roderigo go to Cyprus with him (as Iago is using him for his money) by saying that Roderigo could make money by fighting in wars and he exploits Roderigo’s love for Desdemona by telling him “It cannot be that Desdemona should long continue her love for the Moor”, meaning Desdemona will become free when she tires of Othello. After much persuasion, Roderigo agrees to come to Cyprus, but as an unwelcome ex-suitor, Roderigo must go in disguise. This is an example of how Iago exploits the weakness of friends by pretending to help them in order to benefit himself.

Act Two takes place in Cyprus and begins with the scene of Montano, the Governor of Cyprus looking out to a ferocious sea in conference with two gentlemen. They ponder whether the Turkish fleet could have survived such a foul storm. A third gentleman approaches them and brings them news from the newly arrived ship of Michael Cassio who witnessed the annihilation of the entire Turkish fleet whilst Othello is making his way to Cyprus on his own ship. This arrival is shortly followed by the arrival of Iago’s ship from Venice containing his wife Emilia, Desdemona and the disguised Roderigo. Cassio greets Iago and Desdemona, and flirts with Desdemona with seemingly harmless displays of friendly affection. Not long after this greeting Othello arrives into Cyprus and greets his lady Desdemona with a great embrace.

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 Later all the characters exit but Iago and Roderigo. Iago has been plotting some more and decides it would be to his advantage if Roderigo was to start a fight with Cassio resulting in one or both of them getting into trouble. Iago tells Roderigo “Desdemona is directly in love with Cassio” and uses the previous affectionate welcome in order to back this up. Here it is plainly obvious that Iago is manipulating the trust his friend Roderigo has in him in order for Roderigo to do Iago’s dirty work, with disregard for the safety of his so called friend.

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