Othello : A Symbiotic Relationship

Iago is an example of a classic narcissistic person who is hungry for power and would do anything to get what he wants. This includes getting Othello to trust him and fall right into his trap. Iago says “One Michael Cassio, a Florentine, a fellow almost damn'd in a fair wife; that never set a squadron in the field, nor the division of a battle knows more than a spinster; unless the bookish theoric, where in the toged consuls can propose as masterly as he: mere prattle, without practise, is all his soldiership” (1.1.20) out of jealousy because Cassio got the lieutenant position instead of Iago, which will lead to Othello’s down fall as soon as Iago begin the lies. Othello has learned to trust Iago and begins to talk with him more and more. Once Cassio is stripped of his lieutenant position after starting a fight Othello give the position to Iago.

Throughout the entirety of Shakespeare’s play Othello, it is apparent that one of the play’s main characters, Iago, has a persistent mental disorder that causes him to make unreasonable actions throughout the course of the play. Showcased by Iago are symptomsareIago exhibits symptoms such as a lack of empathy for others, strong and inappropriate emotional outbursts, strong changes in emotions, and a history of unstable relationships with others. These symptoms can be observed throughin how Iago interacts with the other characters, such as Desdemona, Othello, Cassio, and Roderigo. In addition, Iago’s thoughts have put on display shown his unstable mind, as well as the way in whichand how he sorts out his unethical actions. For these reasons, Iago exhibits symptoms that can be identified as Borderline Personality Disorder.

Shakespeare shows the readers and viewers of the play, The Tragedy of Othello, an impression on what love really is and how it can have different meanings to different people. Love takes many different forms and can change over time. There are many different examples of love that is seen throughout this play, there is Othello and Desdemona, Emilia and Desdemona, Emilia and Iago, and Michael Cassio is in love with Desdemona. Love plays a large role in this play, it is what brings the characters together but it is also what kills them in the end.

When such old time critics as H. N. Hudson, who wrote nearly a hundred years ago, saw that Iago was not acting from revenge, one is more than surprised to find modern critics, who have had the advantage of the progress that has been made in the study of abnormal psychology, accepting Iago for anything but what he is, and what Shakespeare intended him to be – a psychopathic personality. (79)

From this time on, Othello has become the slave of passion. As he cries farewell to the tranquil mind, to content, to war and his occupation, as he demands that Iago prove his love a whore, as he threatens Iago and begs for proof at the same time, he is finally led almost to the verge of madness [. . .] . (165)

In William Shakespeare’s Othello, unspoken fears of being an outsider and concerns about his public image contribute to the downfall of a tragic hero named Othello. Othello, a general in the Venetian army’s, final monologue reflects the importance of reputation and the conformity needed to fit his surroundings. He is seen as an outsider of the Venetian culture; he is frequently referred to as “the Moor” and is called an abundance of racial slurs by the Venice born natives. Although Othello never voices his internal struggle to feel accepted by the people around him, his image and physical appearance are some of major issues he faces. Even in the moments before he stabs himself, Othello is more concerned with the

Early on, Othello is seen as rational and calm nobleman, whose ethnicity does not seem to over shadow the fact that he is still a great solider, but does prove that there is a separation among him and the others, in which Othello is repeatedly referred to as “The Moor”. In the beginning Othello refers to the men around him as good, noble men and compliments them left and right but he is also perceived as a threat to those around him; especially to Iago who infers that Othello’s status and his ability to make important decisions affects him directly. Stating of Othello; “Despise me, If I do not. Three great ones of the city (In personal suit to make me his lieutenant) Off-capped to him, and by the faith of man I know my price; I am worth no worse a place. But he (as loving his own pride and purposes) evades them with a bombast circumstance horribly stuffed with epithets of war, and in conclusion Nonsuits my mediators. For “Certes,” says he, I have already chosen my officer.” Iago is furious with Othello for not choosing him to be lieutenant; a

Othello’s insecurity about his skin color and heritage is a tragic flaw. He is the highly-respected general of the armies of Venice. He is not a native of Venice,Which makes him more likely to harassment from the people of Venice. Othello is easy prey to insecurities because of his self-consciousness about being a racial and cultural outsider. This is a tragic flaw because it leads to death. He is insecure about himself already, and when he finds out that the one person he truly loves and trusts has had an affair he instantly believes it because he believes that he is not good enough for her. He knows that he does not meet Brabantio’s standards, and that Brabantio does not want his daughter married to a black man. His insecurities are so

Shakespeare’s Othello is a play consistently based on jealously and the way it can destroy lives. One is quick to think this jealously is based on Othello’s lack of belief in Desdemona’s faithfulness to him or his suspensions over Desdemona’s affair with Cassio, Othello’s honorable lieutenant. Upon closer inspection of the jealously that exists throughout the play it becomes clear that his jealously is not the sole start and reason for all of the destruction that occurs. Iago, a good friend of Othello, is not who he appears to be. Iago’s own jealously of those around him pushes him over the edge. He begins to deceive all those who believe he is a true, honorable, and faithful man. Throughout Othello, Iago incites his own jealously in

Trust is fundamental to life, but knowing who to trust can be quite difficult. Having faith in the wrong person could lead to unfortunate outcomes. In William Shakespeare’s Othello, many characters are blinded by Iago’s false personality, causing them to put their trust in someone who eventually makes them feel cheated and betrayed. After reviewing the term sociopath, defined as, “a person with a personality disorder manifesting itself in extreme antisocial attitudes and behaviour” (English Oxford), one could say that Iago has antisocial personality disorder. The traits Iago displays throughout the play, such as his use of manipulation, his abusive behavior toward others, his lack of remorse, and his deceitfulness make him a true sociopath.

Once a seed of suspicion or doubt is planted in a person’s mind, the noxious effect of jealousy is soon to ensue. Jealousy and suspicion are Othello’s flaws hubris throughout the play and foreshadow to the audience his imminent downfall. He believes what Iago tells him so strongly that he compromises his close relationship with his best friend and his love for his wife. Iago manipulates Othello through the use of extortion, literary techniques, and his keen judge of character. His syntax and diction are so simple yet so powerful because he uses the correct rhetorical questions and addresses Othello with respectful terms such as “my lord.” He allows Othello do most of the talking

    Tragedy is an intrinsically human concept; tragic heroes are damned by what they themselves do. Othello is not so much felled by the actions of Iago, but by a quality all people possess-- human frailty. Accordingly, Othello is not a victim of consequences, but an active participant in his downfall. He is not merely a vehicle for the machinations of Iago; he had free agency. Othello's deficiencies are: an insecure grasp of Venetian social values; lack of critical intelligence, self-knowledge, and faith in his wife; and finally, insecurity-- these are the qualities that lead to his own downfall.

different point of view. To effectively manipulate one must know the weakness of the targeted person. Therefore, using their emotions to enable the manipulation easily. Othello is a tragedy, written by William Shakespeare in the seventeenth century. The play by William Shakespeare includes the character of Iago. Iago is the antagonist in Othello, who cleverly plans out his tactics. Viewing the character of Iago from an analytical point of view shows Iago exposing himself to be a psychopath. Iago can use the weakness of the characters to set up scenes, and earns himself the title “The Honest Iago.” Consequently, psychopaths act as pleasurable people, but in reality, they are different in private. A psychopath sees themselves as preferable and worthy of the respect of others. The complex character of Iago sees himself as being superior to Cassio and is inclined to seek vengeance on Cassio and Othello. The character of Cassio is similar to Othello since they both appear to be impeccable. In Othello, the complex character of “Honest Iago” creates a psychotropic weapon by using the vulnerability of the character’s emotional state to create the perfect tactics.

Iago plants ideas in Othello’s head, uses the innocent actions of others as his proof; and Othello, who is not practiced in worldly matters, believes his the misnomer of the “honest Iago”, and eventually is consumed by the lie.

Far more advanced for his time period, Shakespeare’s talent went unrecognized in the category of not just literature, but psychology as well. During the Elizabethan time period, it was unaware that a human could have psychological defects, let alone have characters who express these faults in a play. Shakespeare’s Othello was produced with two of the main characters having significant behavioral disorders. With a changing motive, the antagonist Iago expresses the symptoms of a narcissist and a sociopath by manipulating the protagonist Othello with lies about his wife. The infected Othello becomes caught up in Iago’s deception which causes him to show the traits of having low serotonin levels and appears to be going