Machiavellianism In Othello

Niccolò di Bernardo dei Machiavelli, the founder of the belief known as Machiavellianism, once said “Men judge generally more by the eye than by the hand, for everyone can see and few can feel. Everyone sees what you appear to be, few really know who you are.” To put this quote in context, Machiavelli was instructing a prince to appear to be a trustworthy and merciful guy and then to be prepared to act in a manner contrary to the appearance. Iago from the play Othello, employs this exact strategy--appearing to be an honest man only to use this good reputation to get what he wants. Throughout the play, Iago capitalizes on the gullibleness of others and his reputation as a righteous individual. Whether it be a poor lovestruck young man, his fellow …show more content…
Roderigo’s obsessive love for Desdemona causes him to believe anything Iago says in hopes of winning her heart. Initially, we see Iago rob Roderigo of his fortune simply by convincing him that gold and jewels will buy the heart of the fair Desdemona. However, rather than give the fortune to Desdemona, he keeps it for himself and he brags about it to the audience saying “Thus do I ever make fool my purse” (Othello, Act I, Scene III). Not only is he able to con Roderigo out of all his money, but he is able to convince Roderigo that he is still a good guy even after Roderigo starts doubting him. He managed to put the thought into Roderigo’s mind that Cassio is also competition for the heart of Desdemona and put the thought into his head that he needs to kill Cassio. Roderigo states “I have no great devotion to the deed. And yet he hath given me satisfying reasons.” (Othello, Act V, Scene I). In the end, Roderigo lay slain, and all to the benefit of the “honest” Iago. Ruthlessly, Iago takes advantage of the boy’s naivety and then disposes of him once he has served his purpose. This isn’t the end, however, through the manipulation of this character, Iago brings about the destruction of the other main characters.
In addition to manipulating a young man blinded by love, Iago also uses his own wife to serve his dark needs. Using Emilia’s devotion to him against …show more content…
His plan started off by getting Cassio to drink till he was totally intoxicated to the point where he would start a fight. Succeeding in his goal, he manages to get Cassio demoted from his position and his reputation to be damaged. This causes Cassio to become the next victim of Iago’s venom. Iago then plays friend to Cassio by saying “I protest, in the sincerity of love and honesty kindness” (Othello, Act II, Scene III), feigning concern for Cassio and his damaged reputation . Iago sets Cassio on a path that would only serve to generate more distrust between he and Othello. Nearing the climax of the play, Iago manages to bend fortune to his will, using Cassio’s relationship with a prostitute named Bianca to further convince Othello that Cassio had relations with his