Psychological Manipulation in Othello

Psychological Manipulation in Othello

          Psychological manipulation is one of the most important themes in Shakespeare's Othello. It is the main reason for all the tragic events that unfolded in this fascinating tragedy. One of the things that always made Shakespeare's works very special and highly regarded in literature is that his themes are timeless, and the theme of psychological manipulation, represented by Iago, in Othello is no exception. In the following paragraphs, discussion of the theme of psychological manipulation in the play itself, its connection to the real world, and connection to myself will be examined and discussed.

          First of all, Iago's use of psychological manipulation in the play will be discussed. Iago used this weapon very carefully to cause Othello to assume that his wife, Desdemona, is cheating on him with Cassio. He plants the seed of suspicion in Othello indirectly at the right time and place. When Cassio quickly parted from Desdemona after pleading his case to her after seeing Othello coming, he did that because he was ashamed of himself due to him ruining his reputation in front of his general, Othello. Iago, however, indirectly plants in Othello's head that Cassio looked guilty because he has an affair with Desdemona. After asked by Othello if it was Cassio who just parted away, Iago answers by saying " Cassio, my lord? No, sure, I cannot think it. That he would steal away so guilty-like, Seeing you coming." (Shakespeare, Act 3, Scene 3, 38-40). Just like that, Iago planted the seed of jealousy and suspicion in Othello's mind without directly telling him about what he actually had in his mind. Iago knows Othello very well, and his thorough knowledge of Othello's strengths and weaknesses played an important role in Iago's success. The weakness that Iago took advantage of is Othello's jealousy. Andrea Oberheiden, a scholar at Harvard University Extension School, explained Iago's technique by saying " He knows that Othello, who is not easily jealous, can get in rage once he gets suspicious. Thus, Iago plants this suspicion step by step by making ambiguous comments and by supplying "evidence" when it is needed." (Oberheiden). Next, the theme of psychological manipulation's connection to the real world will be examined.

          

          Secondly, psychological manipulation's connection to the real world will be discussed. People who try achieve certain goals may use psychological manipulation to achieve those goals. It is defined as " a type of social influence that aims to change the perception or behaviour of others through underhanded, deceptive, or even abusive tactics." (Geeldon). For example, when TV channels want to build stereotypes in their viewers' minds, they never state that stereotype directly. Instead, they may constantly show you a picture of somebody that represents a specific race, and then show you pictures of horrific event, like a bombing. By doing that repeatedly, the viewers gradually build stereotypes regarding the targeted race on their own. Therefore, this tactic changed people's perception of the targeted race. Finally, psychological manipulation's connection to myself will be discussed.

          Last but not least, Psychological manipulation's connection to myself will be examined. In sixth grade in school, I began to achieve high marks and soon ranked first among all students in my class. The person who was right behind me in terms of marks unsuccessfully used psychological manipulation to try to bring my marks down. He tried to make me start fights, especially with my best friend, in order to distract me from studying. I nearly fell for his tricks and almost started a fight with my best friend. That did not happen fortunately because I regained my composure and started to spot the lies hidden through his words when I applied my logic and personal judgement. The look on his face when the next report card showed that my marks actually increased was very pleasurable and marked my triumph over psychological manipulation.

          After examining the theme of psychological manipulation in Shakespeare's Othello, its connection to the real world, and its connection to myself, the theme of psychological manipulation is most certainly one of the most important themes in Othello. It is a theme that strongly connects with real life and is a vital contributing factor to Othello's success.

Works Cited

Common Manipulation Techniques. 2000-2009. Village Counseling CenterWeb. 17 Dec 2012. <http://www.villagecounseling.net/manipulations.shtml>.

Geeldon, . "Psychological Warfare ( Manipulation)."Psychotronics & Psychological Warfare! Top secret government harassment programs against citizens!!. Geeldon. Web. 17 Dec 2012. <http://geeldon.wordpress.com/2011/09/01/psychological-warfare-manipulation/>.

Oberheiden, Andrea. "Shakespeare’s Othello – Iago’s manipulation skills The particular blend of character traits that enable Iago’s manipulation of Othello." . Andrea Oberheiden. Web. 17 Dec 2012. <http://www.aj-images.com/publications/othello_iagos_skills.pdf>.

Othello. 2012. WikipediaWeb. 17 Dec 2012. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Othello>.

Shakespeare, William, and Coles Notes. Coles Notes Total Study Edition Othello. Mississauga, Ontario, Canada: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., 2012. Print.