"There is more to it than meets the eye.
Lies and deceptions are common in today's world; they often hide the inner appearance of a person's identity. They mask the individual's true motives with a veneer. In Shakespeare's Othello, Iago is no different than a deceptive individual who lives two lives: a trustworthy friend in front of people and a mysterious self-centered manipulative villain who is governed by hate. Shakespeare had observed that there exist perfectly sane people in whom fellow feeling of any kind is extremely weak while egoism is virtually absolute, and this he made Iago (West 34). Throughout the play Iago commands other characters of Othello like chessmen. His unclear motive and shrewd manipulative strategies give him an edge over his preys. Iago uses his victims' weaknesses and emotions to influence his ideas over them: Roderigo's obsessive lust for Desdemona, Othello's doubt and Cassio's trust.
The act of Iago's manipulation begins right from Act I. Roderigo's gullible and naive personality makes him an easy target for Iago. In Act I Iago creates a plot to destroy Othello's reputation by saying that Othello kidnapped Desdemona. Iago persuades Roderigo to confront Barbantio and says:.
Iago: Call up her father. .
Rouse him. Make after him, poison his delight, .
Proclaim him in the streets; incense her kinsmen, .
And though he in a fertile climate dwell, Plague him with flies (I.i.74-77).
Roderigo's obsession over Desdamona causes him to blindly follow Iago's direction in the hopes of getting Desdamona back. Although Iago doesn't particularly care for Roderigo, Iago uses him to get his fortune. He states: "Thus do I ever make fool my purse" (1.iii.426). Beside his speech, Iago is also exceptionally good with the timing of his dialogues, Marcia Macaulay states: "He [Iago] commences with an imperative, follows with a question in which he answers himself, and ends with a bold assertion" (Macaulay 3).
