At one point, after Iago has first pointed out that he should look to [his] wife, observe her well with Cassio [III iii 199], Othello then becomes so affected by this that he actually starts having doubts about his marriage. Initially, Othello is a respected and honorable military general, admired by his peers and superiors. He also wants to ensure that Roderigo travels to Cyprus with the Army, because Iago needs him in order to carry out his plan for Cassio and Othellos downfall. Copyright 2023 IPL.org All rights reserved. Iago convinces himself that with Othellos fondness of him and a little help from the devil himself the. In Othello, act 3, how does Iago make Othello jealous. Shakespeare crafts Iago's evil characteristic through the way he manipulates others in order to carry out his plans and his unfit motivation for his maliciousness. The significance of Othellos transition in character is incredible to the play, as it contributes to the theme of how unchecked passion can stray even the strong-willed from maintaining their moral responsibilities., Othello becomes a tragedy of incomprehension where hate, manipulation and revenge derive from the arrogant and blinded nature of the characters and their interactions with one another. This human trait is apparent in Shakespeares Othello, which brilliantly mirrors life. What is Othello's tragic flaw that causes his downfall? In the first act, we find out how Othello perceives Iago when he says he is, "A manof honesty and trust. Race critics and Iago critics agree that Iago wanted to alienate Othello to believe that Desdemona was having an affair. Othello, Desdemona, Cassio, Bianca to some extent and Emilia are all manipulated by Iago in this plan. He seems to be honest through his actions when he is in view of the character. The Shakespearean character Iago is the trusted friend and advisor of the General Othello, who plots the downfall of several characters within the play, due to a number of reasons including jealousy and a search for revenge. ). Analyzes how othello's destruction can be viewed as an outcome of iago's manipulation, but his downfall could have been his own fault. Similarly, Desdemona reflects many of Othellos positive qualities. Despite the fact that the two are similar in their powerful language and, Playing a key role in Othellos demise was one of his subordinates, Iago, whose talent for understanding and manipulating the desires of those around him made him both a powerful and a compelling figure. One being him wanting to defend his honor . Iago who is known for always being true and honest towards others has easily earned the trust of everyone around him, thus giving himself an advantage on his schemes. Iago is primarily responsible for Othello 's downfall because he carefully plans and executes a malevolent scheme to make Othello jealous, which influences the esteemed general to. Although a good reason to dislike Othello, not receiving a promotion should not lead to the conclusion of the murder of Othello. Iago is able to play. The element of chance does not play much of a role on the downfall of Roderigo. Iagos manipulation has not only lead Othello to believe the rumor is true, but has lead him to kill his own wife as well. The first major difference in Iagos manipulation of Othello, compared to the other two, is his large use of imagery in his language. It can be argued that perhaps Iagos plan would not have been so successful if it werent for the fact that Cassio was not a good drinker. Iago deceived each characters perception by pinpointing their weakness of desire, prominence, and, In the very end, Othello tragically dies alongside his wife. This gets Brabantios attention and leds him to hating Othello. Hence it is difficult to say whether Iago or chance was most responsible for Cassios downfall. Elements of fate and Iagos plotting work hand in hand, and without chance it is questionable whether the entire conspiracy would have worked at all. Each of the characters, were pried on their specific type of vulnerability: love, status, and jealousy that blurred the lines between appearance and their reality. The notion of jealousy that lies inside Othello is something that Iago uses to bring down the mighty warrior. Many characters fall into Iago 's web of deception throughout the book. For Iago, Roderigos presence there is vital as he unknowingly becomes a puppet in Iagos game, carrying out deeds Iago himself is unwilling to. Initially he gets the character to think that he is generally honest and then builds that small reputation up to a bigger one so then he can spill out lies to trick them. Through Iago's cunning manipulation and Shakespeare's crafting of language, this passage is constructed as a pivotal point of the play, marking the transition of Othello's personality and revealing his deepest insecurities that eventually lead to his downfall and tragic ending. Iago is able to get Othello to fully trust him and manipulates Othello to believe in false claims which eventually brings both of them to their downfall. For example, Iago's revenge plan including Cassio, triggered jealousy. Iago reveals Othellos insecurities, and prior to Iagos interference, Othello could control any situation. Iago admits that he has no proof of Othellos crime against him, but he still states it as a reason for his hatred. How Does Othello's Pride Lead to His Downfall Iagos manipulation definitely plays a major role but would it have worked so well without these particular elements of chance aiding Iago? In order to heighten Othellos feelings of insecurity, Iago chooses to use lots of imagery connected to black and white, perhaps with the intention of emphasising the fact that Othello isnt socially accepted by the Venetian people because of his race, and his marriage to a white Venetian woman has done nothing to help this. A. Iago represents vice; Desdemona represents virtue, and Othello is easily tempted by the vice of, A cowardly man will always find spineless reasons behind his actions that may result in a series of disastrous events. What is Iago's plan and purpose in act 1, scene 3 of Othello? The general is commanded to go to Cyprus to fight invading Turks. Iago encourages Roderigo to drink excessively to arouse his anger towards Othello so he will tell Brabantio. His mistakes derive from not just one, but three major flaws. Iagos honest reputation and his two-faced personality ensnares the protagonists into his plan. His discourse immediately calms the tension. All of this manipulation results in Desdemonas death. His deviousness shows through when he says I follow [Othello] to serve my turn upon him [I i 42], and he even goes as far to admit to us; I am not what I am [I i 66]. Venice was very much a white-male dominated society. Not only did Iago tell fallacious statements, but also structured a reputation based on honesty and plain speaking. Here he has played on Roderigos love for Desdemona and managed to ensure that he travels to Cyprus. eNotes Editorial, 20 Apr. This only gives Othello more reason to kill Desdemona and get jealous. In some ways you could say that Othello was highly responsible for his own downfall as he was easily manipulated by Iago showing him to be gullible and naive.Iago manipulates Othello by making him suspicious through inference, "Ha I like not that". Shakespeare's Othello is Solely Responsible for his Downfall To What Extent Is Iago Responsible for Othello's Downfall. When Othello ask for proof that Desdemona has been disloyal, Iago tells him about the intimate dream Casio supposedly had one night while laying together. This can be emphasized since Othello was interpreted by Shakespeare as being a . Reading this well, Iago is able to understand that this doubt is what lies at the heart of all of Othello's success. Latest answer posted April 07, 2021 at 11:18:50 AM. gets into a negative environment which changes his view on Desdemona. These insecurities have a key role in the development of the play and the creation of Othellos tragedy. Iagos quick thinking and persuasive techniques are essential in not only his manipulation of Roderigo, but of almost every other character in the play as well. William Shakespeares Othello involves a man named Iago who wants to get revenge on Othello who is known as the Moor of Venice. After the drunken fight between the soldiers in Cyprus, when Othello questions the men in order to reveal what happened, another of Iagos manipulative techniques come to light. Iago manipulated Emilia to have her take the handkerchief from Desdemona without her knowing. Who is responsible for Othello's downfall? - GraduateWay "To what extent is desdemona responsible for othellos downfall" Essays The culture of honor. Iago is envious of Othello and it appears that he makes it his goal to destroy the happiness the others. How did iago makes othello suspicious. A reader can identify his flaws based on his conversations and relationships with other characters. Iago continues his insinuations when speaking to Othello; he provides more "proofs" that are anything but ocular, though Othello has calmed, and . To What Extent Is Othello Responsible For His Own Downfall? Therefore, it could be said that Cassio and Desdemonas downfall are caused by the handkerchief, but Othellos actual death/downfall doesnt come later, until he realises that his wife was innocent. Due to everyone trusting in him he is able to know their feebleness and specifically their personalities. When controlling Roderigo, Iago uses his knowledge of his weaknesses, in this case his love for Desdemona, in order to get what he wants. As well as using imagery to appeal to Othello, Iago also uses it to intimidate him. Iago overtime develops a complex idea that will bring Othello down and complete the determination of revenge, all this because Othello gave a promotion over to someone else. By playing upon Othello and Desdemonas differences in race and social standings, Iago makes Othello believe that his wife is sleeping with Cassio. Keep up your bright swords, for the dew will rust them (1.2 59). Othello expresses his inadequacy in. He is angry with Othello for promoting Michael Cassio, an officer with no real battle experience, to lieutenant over him. Iago knows that once he has gained Roderigos trust, he will be able to control him to some extent, using him in order to make his plans work. Iago preys on Othello's insecurities by giving him lies and half truths about the fidelity of Desdemona. In total he talks about money in his short speech eight times, most likely in order to make his message quite clear. All of this manipulation results in Desdemonas death, As a scheming villain, Iago begins to ensnare Othello into his trap of vengeance by echoing in Othellos mind prospect of an affair between Cassio and Desdemona. The main reason for Iago's success was based on the social differences between the two. In Act Five, scene two, Othello shows the audience how he believes that Iago is most honest (Shakespeare 1302). Once again, Iago has used a combination of persuasion and playing on weaknesses to influence Roderigo. As he plots the downfall of many of the characters including Othello and Cassio, he lies to Roderigo telling him that Desdemona will soon tire of the moor and that he should go to Cyprus in order to be there when it happens. After he kills Desdemona, Othello explains his reasoning to Iagos wife, Emilia, justifying that Cassio did top her, ask thy husband else (Shakespeare 1360), meaning that he killed his wife because according to Iago, Cassio and. After recommending him to talk to Desdemona and Cassio leaving, he finally figures out his plan to destroy Othello. Log in here. 2010, https://www.enotes.com/homework-help/how-iago-able-manipulate-othello-159997. He is intelligent in that he is able to manipulate people and events in his favour, which he thrives on throughout the play, classifying him as the antagonist of the play. At this point, it is questioning to the audience of the continuation of his plot. In the novel Othello by William Shakespeare, Iago demonstrates the character of an insecure man who encounters insecurities that come in the forms of jealousy, personal/sexuality, and identity. [II iii 222-228]. According to A.C Bradley, a tragic hero is defined as someone of high class, who possesses a specific flaw that will eventually lead them to their demise. He is intelligent in that he is able to manipulate people and events in his favour, which he thrives on throughout the play, classifying him as the antagonist of the play. Already, so early in the play, we can acknowledge Iagos scheming personality, and his soliloquy, a device used by Shakespeare in order to emphasise just how deceitful his main character is, only helps to highlight this.
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