Gina Barrett
Block 3
April 27, 2013
Iago as a Predator
“Manipulation is defined as exerting shrewd or devious influence especially for
one's own advantage” (Princeton University). One may use intelligence, wit, and
deception to manipulate others and their actions. However, is it possible for one person to
manipulate almost everyone around them? How would this person go about doing so? It
may seem like a very difficult task for one person to control so many. However, it is very
possible especially if each individual has a weakness. For example, Adolf Hitler was able
to control the actions of a whole nation through manipulation and propaganda. The
people were so desperate for economic and social relief that they were blind to the evil
they would soon find themselves surrounded by. Although not as extreme, Iago from
William Shakespeare’s Othello acts in a similar way. Because “honest” Iago is held in
such high regards and spoke of so well, many trust in him and agree with his suggestions.
He also has a keen sense for weakness in others, which allows him to beguile others in an
easy manner. Throughout the play, Othello, Iago manipulates others by preying on their
weaknesses in order to control the actions of others and carry out his ultimate plan of
revenge.
Iago’s main goal is to get revenge on Othello, his “best friend.” He wishes for
Othello to experience absolute misery in order to get back at him for choosing Cassio as
lieutenant and not Iago himself. The main component of Iago’s plan of revenge is to
convince Othello that Desdemona has been having an affair with Cassio. Othello’s world
revolves around his beautiful, innocent, and pure wife. He is so passionately in love with
Desdemona that it can be seen as a weakness. Knowing this, Iago plans to ruin Othello’s
world by making his wife seem evil and unfaithful; the complete opposite of the woman
Othello fell in love with. Because Othello still believes that Iago is his honest, true friend,
How should Othello know that his own best friend is deceiving him? Iago takes
advantage of the fact that Othello does not know any better than to believe him. As Iago
states,
“I’ll pour this pestilence into his ear… So I will turn her
virtue into pitch, and out of her own goodness make the net
that shall enmesh them all” (Shakespeare 167).
Originally Othello seems as if he will stand by his own belief, that his woman is pure. He
states, “I do not think but Desdemona’s honest” (Shakespeare 105). He states that he is
free from all jealousy and would never believe she has been unfaithful. Just as Othello
seems as if he would be resistant to Iago’s lies, Iago brings up the fact that Desdemona
deceived her father and could do the same to her. This was significant because just before
the group left for Cyprus, Desdemona’s father told Othello to watch out for her because
she was capable of hiding things. Just moments after Othello states he would never fall to
jealousy, his wandering thoughts of Desdemona’s truthfulness, of course put there by
Iago, send him into a spiraling downfall. Othello soon cries out,
“She’s gone I am abused; and my relief must be to loather
her. O curse of marriage, that we can call these delicate
creatures our, and not their appetites” (Shakespeare 109)
The difference in Othello’s words now and those stated just moments before shows how
easily Iago was able to manipulate him. To further Othello’s misery, Iago tells him that
Cassio has been talking about Desdemona in his sleep. By just simply giving Othello the
idea, Iago’s plan was fulfilled. All Iago had to do was plant the seed of jealousy in
Othello’s mind and soon the green monster had spread through him like a evil and
suffocating weed. Iago knows that Othello’s love for Desdemona is his biggest weakness.
He wants to ruin Othello’s world and successfully does so by making him despise the
woman he is supposed to endlessly love.
Iago knows that his clean, honest reputation is what will make his plot against
Othello possible. In order to keep the reputation he has, another person is necessary to
perform all of his dirty work so that nothing will taint his name. Who would be more
qualified for this position than the obsessive and vulnerable, Roderigo? Roderigo is
desperately in love with Desdemona therefore making him the perfect henchman to Iago
in his plan of revenge because he too hates the Moor. Iago quickly recognizes Roderigo’s
obsession with Desdemona as a flaw and uses that to manipulate him. Iago is able to get
Roderigo to help him by convincing him that he will help him win over Desdemona. As
Iago states,
“She must change for youth: when she is sated with his
body, she will find the error of her choice: she must have
change, she must: therefore put money in thy purse”
(Shakespeare 41).
Iago wants Roderigo to think that Desdemona will soon want someone other than the
Moor. Roderigo, now thinking that he has a chance with Desdemona, is willing to give
everything. Soon Iago is able to get him to hand him over all of his money by telling him
that he is using it to send Desdemona jewels. When Iago wants even more money,
Roderigo sells his land so he can provide the rest. For a moment towards the end of the
play it seems as if Roderigo notices Iago is fooling him and is going to stand up to him.
He threatens Iago that he is going to find Desdemona and request his jewels, which were
really never sent to her, and if she could not give them then Iago would be sorry. Just
when it seems that Iago’s entire plan would be revealed he comes back and says to
Roderigo,
“I grant it indeed it had not appeared; and your suspicion is
not without wit and judgment. But, Roderigo, if thou hast
that in thee indeed, which I have greater reason to believe
now than ever, I mean purpose, courage, valour, this night
show it: if thou the next night following enjoy not
Desdemona, take me from this world… (Shakespeare 167)
This is all Roderigo needs to fall right back into Iago’s manipulative trap. Roderigo is so
consumed by his obsession with Desdemona that just by Iago mentioning that they will
soon be together, he is back to being Iago’s faithful servant.
The fact that Othello chose some arithmetician over his best friend for the job of
lieutenant really was a blow to Iago. Although Cassio is completely innocent in the
situation, by default he finds himself a pawn in Iago’s evil game. Iago despises Cassio
simply for the reason that he was chosen for lieutenant over Iago. In order to make Cassio
look bad in front of Othello and others, Iago wants to get him drunk. Othello had put
Cassio in charge as lookout the night after the win against Cyprus and at first he is
resistant to Iago’s pressure. Cassio states, “I have very poor and unhappy brains for
drinking” (Shakespeare 67). Cassio and Iago both know that alcohol is a weakness to
Cassio and that if drunk he may do things he normally would not. Iago states,
“If I can fasten but just one cup upon him, with that which
he hath drunk to-night already, he’ll be as full of quarrel and
offence as my young mistress’ dog” (Shakespeare 67)
Soon Cassio has consumed much more than he should have and finds himself very drunk.
Like usual, Roderigo is there to carry out Iago’s plan and pick a fight with Cassio. Cassio
begins fighting with Roderigo when he is supposed to be on watch. If that does not look
bad enough, soon Cassio begins to fight Montano, the highly respected previous governor
of Cyprus, after he attempted to break up the fight between Cassio and Roderigo. The
calm, collected, and well-spoken Cassio, in moments, is transformed into a negligent and
immature drunken fighter. This is all due to Iago’s manipulative ways. Cassio is fired
from his position and humiliated in front of many. To further entangle Cassio in his plan
of revenge, Iago tells him to see Desdemona so that she can convince the Moor to give
Cassio back his job. Cassio does not know that Iago is then going to turn around and
inform Othello that Cassio and Desdemona have been spending much time together,
therefore making it seem as if they are having an affair. By taking advantage of Cassio’s
weakness to alcohol, Iago is not only able to demote Cassio but also continue his plan of
vengeance on Othello.
Iago uses manipulation throughout the entire play in order to carry out his plan of
vengeance. By finding weakness in others and using that against them, Iago gets others to
do and believe whatever he says. Although all were good-hearted, Venetian men, they all
fell like slaves to Iago’s manipulative ways. This is seen in Othello who claimed he
would never believe Desdemona to be dishonest, but soon does after being convinced by
Iago. Iago also uses manipulation to fool Roderigo into carrying out his risky plans and to
make Cassio drunk so that he would lose his position as lieutenant. Each individual had
one flaw that Iago did not hesitate to prey on. Iago planned out his scheme so perfectly
that there seemed no way the others would find out. And no one did find out, until it was
too late. Although in the end Iago is seen in his true light, as a liar and villain, it does not
matter to him because he ultimately got what he had wanted, a miserable end for Othello.
Works Cited
Princeton University "About WordNet." WordNet. Princeton University. 2010.
<http://wordnet.princeton.edu>
Shakespeare, William. Othello: The Moor of Venice. (2005). Minnesota: EMC
Corporation, 2005.