The use of manipulation and misleading for personal gain has proved to be successful for many people throughout history. Famous poet, Geoffrey Chaucer, and famous play writer, WilliamShakespeare, illustrate characters who possess these manipulatingqualities in their personalities. Geoffrey Chaucers Pardoner,from The Canterbury Tales, and William Shakespeares Iago, fromOthello, are good examples deceiving characters. These literaryfigures manipulating techniques are very effective on the othercharacters in Chaucers and Shakespeares works.Iagos main motivation for his manipulation is his hatred ofthe main character, Othello. Iago's reasons for his hatred ofOthello begin with the fact that in choosing a lieutenant,Othello passed over Iago in favor of Cassio, but Iago may havehated Othello even before that. Roderigo opens the play byexclaiming to Iago, Tush! never tell me? I take it much unkindlythat thou, Iago, who hast had my purse as if the strings werethine, shouldst know of this (1.1.1-3). The "this" is theelopement of Othello and Desdemona. Roderigo has been giving Iagomoney to help him into Desdemona's favor, and he assumes thatIago knew about the elopement. Iago didn't know, which must havebeen embarrassing. He says about Desdemona, Now I do love hertoo; Not out of absolute lust, though peradventure I standaccountant for as great a sin, but partly led to diet my revenge(2.1.291-294). He wants revenge for his own suspicion thatOthello has gone to bed with Emilia. It's eating at him and hewon't be satisfied Till I am evened with him, wife for wife. Orfailing so, yet that I put the Moor At least into a jealousy sostrong that judgment cannot cure (2.1.299-302). The phrase"evened with him, wife for wife," seems to mean that he has somenotion that he might have sex with Desdemona, but it's not thesex that's important. Othello must feel that same horriblejealousy that Iago feels. Iago has a very effective way with words. When Desdemona,I...
