The Downfall Of Othello Because Of Manipulation In Othello

The play demonstrates how manipulation results in the feeling of excessive pride, highlighting that certain characters need to be more humanness and humble. Iago wanted to be the Lieutenant, but instead Othello choose Cassio. Iago could not except this so he starts to destroy everyone who has hurt him or is in his way. Iago uses Emilia, his wife, for some of his evil plans, but was never appreciative towards her which lead into her to admit all of his evil actions as she says,

“'Twill out, ’twill out.—I peace?

No, I will speak as liberal as the north.

Let heaven and men and devils, let them all,

All, all cry shame against me, yet I’ll speak” (5.2.219-222).

Iago and Emilia’s relationship is broken and she knows that, but she keeps on helping him because she wants to win his favour. Emilia choose her broken relationship over her friend Desdemona which emphasizes on how she is not humanness or humble about it. She thinks selfishly so her relationship with Iago can go well and does not care about others which results the downfall of several characters including her. Emilia’s situation also emphasizes on the excessive pride she has for her broken relationship which causes her to repel her humanness to the background. In addition, Iago’s plans and traducements towards Othello’s wife lead to Othello to tie up in mixed emotions such as deceived, but still in love, upset, sorry for about to kill his wife, feeling betrayed, and being desperate because he does not know how to solve this adultery problem other then just ending Desdemona’s life as he says,“It is the cause, it is the cause, my soul. / Let me not name it to you, you chaste stars, / It is the cause...” (5.2.1-3). Othello has convinces himself that it is necessary to kill Desdemona because he does not want her to cheat on other man, but that is not the real cause for him and he knows that. In Othello’s speech the repeated words “the cause” represents the excessive pride that Othello has in his mind set. He is unable to admit why he has this cause to murder his wife because he is unsure himself, but the only reason why Othello may have murdered her was because she was a white beautiful woman who is married with a Moor, which is himself. He thinks he is not enough for her and that is why he is not being humanness and humble about their relationship. By Othello murdering her wife, he does a selfish act that is not humanness because he did not listen or wanted to listen to Desdemona. If he had a conversation with her, he may have solved the problem, but he did not because his excessive pride went across his humanness and humbleness. Furthermore, Othello has now transformed from a loving husband and noble general to a murderer and jealous person. Othello learns the truth about her wife and that there was no good reason to murder her, so he decides to end his own life. Othello cannot acknowledge all the actions he did with Iago, so he worries what people will think of him after his death as he says,

“...When you shall these unlucky deeds relate,

Speak of me as I am. Nothing extenuate,

Nor set down aught in malice. Then must you speak

Of one that loved not wisely, but too well…” (5.2.340-344).

Othello knows that he has done some crucial decisions that impacted him in negative way because of his excessive pride that he had for love and jealousy, but he also knows that he has learned his lessons after crying a lot for what he did. Othello reacted to the situations quickly which lead him to the lack of humanness that he needed to embrace. Being humanness and humble are two powerful tools that would had prevented his downfall at the end. In short, excessive pride emphasizes on that certain characters need to be more humanness.

The play Othello, demonstrates different negative impacts and brings the downfall of certain characters by manipulation, however manipulation can also teach important lessons. The play Othello, is a very good example to understand how manipulation can destroy people’s future, personality, and relationship in a unfavourable way. Several characters go through many different issues which mostly has evil deed that made them realize they are being manipulated. Perfect people do not exist in this world, everyone has weaknesses, and there will always be people who would want to use them against others’. There will always be positive and negative factor that will affect others’ lives, but it is on us to understand and know which one to want.