Chelsey Stevens 10/15/03.
Appearance versus Reality in Othello.
In Othello, Iago does a good job in manipulating the people around him into thinking he is telling the truth. Iago tends to mask his identity throughout the play, therefore we never know if he is being true to himself or others. Iago is highly intelligent and does a good job trapping people into his web of lies; there is a dichotomy between the person Iago presents himself as and who he actually is. .
Iago has a lot to do with the transformation of the character Othello throughout the play. Iago even says in the beginning: "The Moor is of a free and open nature, that thinks men honest that but seem to be so, and will tenderly be led by th' nose as asses are - (I, iii 399- 404). Here Iago knows Othello can be easily manipulated and will believe anything he says, therefore he is going to ruin Othello by deceiving him. In the beginning, Othello appears to be honest, passive and kind. We see an example of him being passive when he says to Cassio: "What is the news?- (I, ii, 36) and "What is the matter think you?- (I, ii, 38). Here Othello remains calm, even when Brabanzio and his followers appear to be approaching. However, later in the play Othello's character does not have a calm nature anymore, but instead is full of agitation and hatred.
He trusts his wife Desdemona with everything, but towards the end of the play he loses confidence in her because he listens to Iago's false suggestions about her having an affair with Cassio: "Damn her, lewd minx! O, damn her, damn her! Come go with me part. I will withdraw to furnish me with some swift means of death. For the fair devil. Now are the my lieutenant" (III, iii, 475-479). Here we see the anger and violent rage that is beginning to grow in Othello's character. He is not the passive Moor that he used to be. He becomes transformed into a cruel and tense man because of the lies Iago plants in him.
