Iago’s Ingenious Manipulation Tactics in Shakespeare’s Othello
In Shakespeare’s Othello, Iago is a vengeful villain who easily manipulates others into giving him
exactly what he wants. Because the characters seem so trusting of him, readers can infer that Iago has
already built a strong relationship with them before the beginning of the play. This gives Iago an
advantage over the other characters as he has already proven to be honest and reliable. We see this when
Iago convinces Roderigo to assist him in telling Brabantio that Othello has married his daughter,
Desdemona. He does this by playing on the fact that Roderigo is interested in having a relationship with
Desdemona but has been unsuccessful thus far. He tells him that by making Brabantio aware of the secret
relationship, he would be more willing to give Desdemona to Roderigo. Another thing that makes
manipulation so easy for Iago is that those around him are susceptible to manipulation. When Iago tells
Roderigo that he will have a better chance of marrying Desdemona by waking her father in the middle of
the night and revealing her relationship with Othello without her father’s consent, Roderigo does not need
much evidence of this to be true. We see this again when Iago pressures Cassio into drinking, though they
are both aware of Cassio’s inability to hold a drink. Furthermore, Iago is a manipulative genius. By using
his understanding of human nature and persuading people of his innocence, he can blur the line between
lies and reality. An example of this is when Iago is reluctant to tell Othello of Cassio’s drunken fight.
Throughout the beginning of Othello, Iago proves numerous times that his intelligence is far beyond other
characters’ comprehension, making him a perfect storm for disaster.
In Shakespeare’s Othello, Iago is a vengeful villain who easily manipulates others into giving him
exactly what he wants. Because the characters seem so trusting of him, readers can infer that Iago has
already built a strong relationship with them before the beginning of the play. This gives Iago an
advantage over the other characters as he has already proven to be honest and reliable. We see this when
Iago convinces Roderigo to assist him in telling Brabantio that Othello has married his daughter,
Desdemona. He does this by playing on the fact that Roderigo is interested in having a relationship with
Desdemona but has been unsuccessful thus far. He tells him that by making Brabantio aware of the secret
relationship, he would be more willing to give Desdemona to Roderigo. Another thing that makes
manipulation so easy for Iago is that those around him are susceptible to manipulation. When Iago tells
Roderigo that he will have a better chance of marrying Desdemona by waking her father in the middle of
the night and revealing her relationship with Othello without her father’s consent, Roderigo does not need
much evidence of this to be true. We see this again when Iago pressures Cassio into drinking, though they
are both aware of Cassio’s inability to hold a drink. Furthermore, Iago is a manipulative genius. By using
his understanding of human nature and persuading people of his innocence, he can blur the line between
lies and reality. An example of this is when Iago is reluctant to tell Othello of Cassio’s drunken fight.
Throughout the beginning of Othello, Iago proves numerous times that his intelligence is far beyond other
characters’ comprehension, making him a perfect storm for disaster.
