Perfect people do not exist in this world of temptations, failures, and suffering. In fact, every person has weaknesses, and there is always a possibility that someone will use those feeble points against that man. Shakespearean play Othello shows an example of how one can control others exploiting their weaknesses and the consequences of such actions. The character of Ago, the antagonist in the tragedy Othello, instigates chaos, deception, and gross manipulation. He is the center of all the evil events in the play. He manages to completely deceive everyone by displaying an honest facade.
Thus he is able to Instill trust In all those around him. Since no one sees him for the evil and deceiving man that he really Is, he manages to manipulate everyone. He exerts control and power over others in order to fulfill his goals of destroying Cassia and completely demeaning Othello and ruining his reputation. Rodeo’s passion to Desman, his foolishness, and trusting nature help Ago to succeed In his evil plan. Another object of manipulation Is Cassia whose love for women and wine as well as his concerns of reputation makes him a victim of Sago’s brutal intentions.
The Moor, the cause of Sago’s revenge, is described as someone ho heavily relies on the advice of others which becomes used against him by his friend. Also he becomes caught In Sago’s web because of his disability to cope with jealousy put in his ear. Othello jumps quickly into conclusions and finally kills Desman and himself that satisfies Sago’s desire of revenge. Therefore, Ago is able to manipulate Ordering, Cassia, and Othello by exploding their weaknesses. Being a blind fool and maintaining hopeless love for Desman, a woman of his dream, Ordering is hurt by Ago who uses his weak spots to fulfill the revenge.
Ago knows of Rodeo’s weakness of being totally devoted to Desman and of his obsession of winning her back, so he exploits It well. With promises of reunification with Desman, Ago twists Rodeo’s weakness to his advantage since he needs money and wants his hands to be clean. Ago is the one who manipulates his feelings toward Desman and motivates his actions. First Ago, in the moment of Rodeo’s despair, convinces him that Adhesion’s infatuation will end as soon as she’ll get bored sexually with Othello, so there will be a new way to get closer to her.
Later he makes Ordering believe that she has an affair with Cassia that provides Ordering with incentive to bring down and then kill Michael. Ago also puts in his head that Othello and Desman are going to Mauritania and he will not be able to win her back, but If Cassia dies then they will have to stay In Cyprus. Ordering, being a naive trusting fool, believes every Sago’s word. In his turn Ago despises Ordering, referring to him as to a faithful to his master dog by saying that he is “poor trash of Venice, whom I leash for his quick hunting”.
Rodeo’s disability to use his brain is showed in his foolishness of not understanding that Ago uses whims a source of money. However, even when he gets to suspect Ago In cheating on him, the master of evil finds the ay out and Ordering is left in fools again. Rodeo’s trusting nature and self-pitying 1 OFF who manipulates him playing on his weaknesses in order to fulfill his desire of revenge. Cassia with his good reputation, love for women and wine being his real weakness is another character that is exploited by Ago.
Ago hates Michael since he was chosen over Ago to become a lieutenant even though Cassia is, according to Ago, an inferior soldier. Since Ago is aware of Michaels “very poor and unhappy brains for drinking”. On the first step of destroying him Ago gets Classical to drink too much of wine, one of is main weaknesses, while on duty, challenging his loyalty to Othello and causes him to brawl with Ordering. When Othello discovers the drunken Cassia, he dismisses him. This is exactly what Ago had envisioned. The humiliation of Michael due to his dismissal and loss of rank is the fulfillment of one of Sago’s major goals.
On the next step “honest man”, as he is called by Cassia, maintains the facade of fake sincerity and loyalty to Michael while at the same time deceiving and plotting his destruction. Ironically, Cassia seeks Sago’s advice on how to regain Othello trust and favor while Ago is actually the source of his problem with Othello, Ago gives Michael advice for his own evil purposes. He advises Cassia to talk to Desman about influencing Othello. Unfortunately, this advice is a form of manipulating, since Ago perfectly knows that Michael is “a fellow almost damned in a fair wife”.
Also by begging, or bowing down to a woman, which was not to be done in those times, Cassia shows more of a weakness. Although Michael is seeing Desman to talk about his position and reputation, Ago hints his suspicious of Cassia and Adhesion’s affair to Othello creating an interest in him. Also Ago becomes a great friend of Michael who even doesn’t allow to himself to get to know more about the handkerchief given by Ago to him. His trusting nature is completely under the power of Ago who provides a support for him.
Therefore, Ago takes control over Cassia and his weaknesses, but Michael, blinded by Sago’s outside friendly nature, does not realize that. Sago’s poison pours on to Othello mind and makes him to be manipulated by the enemy. Ago, when makes his plan says: The Moor is of a free and open-nature, That thinks men honest that but seem to be so, And will as tenderly be led by tone’s As asses are (act 1, scene 3) Othello heavily relies on the opinions of others, as he did when choosing the lieutenant to be Cassia, not Ago. Also the Moor puts all his trust in Ago during times of war and during Othello marriage to Desman.
This wasn’t very bright of Othello. His trusting nature makes him vulnerable. His involvement with Desman translates into a deeper trust with heart. Being older than she is, Othello has fears open to Sago’s plan. As a result when Ago creates rumors of Adhesion’s involvement with Cassia, Othello’, being already insecure with himself falls deep into Sago’s trap. Besides the fact that he is older than his wife, Othello also has insecurities about his race. He is a black man living among white men who are sometimes make Judgments about his race and how it affects his work.
In addition, to his fears, Othello has passionate nature does not allow him to think over what he hears or if it is true, but let his Jealousy take over his actions. Othello emotions begin to grow from Jealously to anger. He has never been heart broken before and now all his emotions of melancholy are running through his mind. “How shall I murder him, Ago? ” Already Othello had sunken in everything Ago had said. Not hinging straight and letting his emotions run untamed, he can only think of death as a way to resolve everything. He Jumps very fast into conclusions that lead to a downfall.
Ago poisons Othello mind with lies about love, Desman, and his trusted lieutenant, Cassia and causes him to destroy them both. Ago realizes that by causing Othello to destroy both Desman and Cassia Othello will at the same time destroy himself and his reputation. Being under pressure of Ago who controls him exploiting his weaknesses Othello ruins himself and people around him. Exploiting the major weaknesses of Ordering, Cassia, and Othello, Ago is able to intro and hurt them. He moves his friends as if they were chessmen.
He uses their individual aspirations and passions to motivate them to whatever devious plan he desires. However, in each case Ago doesn’t have to push very hard because his suggested actions either seem harmless resolutions to each character’s woes or take advantage of character flaws. Because he does not have to push very hard, he is able to maintain an air of apathy while promoting his ultimate malevolent goals: “l am not what I am”. In Rodeo’s case Ago successfully manipulates him using his weak resonantly and passionate love to Desman for his own purposes.
Cassia’s love for women and his weakness to wine is what helps Ago in controlling him. Othello also is caught by Ago in his web of lie since his trusting and passionate nature, insecurity in him makes him vulnerable to Ago. Shakespeare shows the consequences of being trustful and naive. A person should think of what is right and wrong, but not rely on the advices of others as Ordering, Cassia, and Othello did. One must have his own head on the shoulders, and should live using his mind and consciousness in order to avoid the situation of being under somebody’s control.
