On line 90, Othello says "Perdition catch me soul that I do love thee". By line 443, he says, "All my fond love, thus do I blow to heaven". Examine how Iago brings about this change.

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On line 90, Othello says “Perdition catch me soul that I do love thee”. By line 443, he says, “All my fond love, thus do I blow to heaven”. Examine how Iago brings about this change.

Act three, according to the traditional structure of Shakespearean Tragedies, contained the play’s climax. In the case of ‘Othello’, act three, scene three is the key scene of this act and consequently, also of the play. As the title suggests, during this scene Shakespeare portrays the very great power Iago has over Othello and his masterful management of the Moor and also of events, all of which he combines to cause a great change in Othello’s feeling, emotions, and some would say, his very character.

   From Iago and Othello’s entrance in act three, scene three, Iago is manipulating Othello’s emotions. He uses a wide variety of techniques, the first being the highly suggestive holding back of information. As early as line 36, Iago is subtly suggesting that there was something suspicious in Cassio’s actions. By withholding information, Iago forces Othello to come to his own conclusion as to what was suspicious. People are, in general, more likely to support an idea if it was one of their own, so by making Othello suggest Cassio’s guilt, he is therefore more likely to believe it later on. Iago repeats this technique after Desdemona’s exit, suggesting that something was wrong between Desdemona and Cassio. Iago’s reluctance to reveal information and his suggestive language, makes Othello begin to doubt Cassio, where before he trusted him entirely.

   Iago also plants ideas and images into Othello’s head. In lines 38-40, Iago suggests that Cassio did “sneak away so guilty-like”. Until then, the idea of Cassio’s being anything but trustworthy had not entered Othello’s head. This idea of suggesting images and emotions, which had not been thought of before by Othello, is one that can be seen later in the scene when Iago is referring to Desdemona and Cassio when they are alone. His language is bestial and very base. The idea that they were “as prime as goats, as hot as monkeys” is one that stands out, not only in the minds of the audience, but also in the mind of Othello, who later refers to it in act four, scene one, line 263.

   Othellos’ ironic words after Desdemona’s exit act as an indicator of shakespears’ as to what is to come;

“Perdition catch my soul

Join now!

But I do love thee! And when I love thee not,

Chaos has come again.”

These prophetic words come true as, by the end of the scene when Othello declares that he loves not Desdemona any longer, he gives the order that not only Cassio is to die, but Desdemona also.

   After persuading Othello that there is a reason to doubt Cassio, Iago, when asked prolongs giving his opinion of Cassio’s honesty, instead repeating the question. While Iago echoes the question, he does not repeat it in its entirety, instead he focuses on words indicative of the crucial elements ...

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