Due before 11:59 PM
Write a paper explaining HOW Iago succeeded in deceiving Othello. What did Iago's plan have to do with knowing another person? Make sure that your paper is related to ideas brought up by Descartes and includes specific references to the movie.
Remember, this will count as a paper (as opposed to a blog post.) Make sure that the amount and quality of your work reflects this fact.
19 comments:
In the play, Othello, Iago succeeded in deceiving him that he couldn’t know his wife, Desdamona, the way he wanted to. Othello was the general and Iago was one of his followers and his so-called “friend.” Iago was overall an evil person and was envious of Othello, which is why he wanted to split up Othello and Desdamona by deceiving Othello. In the beginning of the play Desdemona’s father tells Othello, “Look to her more, she has deceived her father and may thee.” This already makes Othello slightly suspicious of Desdemona’s faithfulness to him. Iago pushes Othello to a breaking point to where he believes Desdamona is being unfaithful with Cassio, the lieutenant. Iago does this by showing Othello “proof,” which is represented by Othello’s handkerchief that he gave to Desdamona. Iago secretly leaves Othello’s handkerchief with Cassio, taking it from Desdamona. Thus, brings us to the climax when Othello finally believes it is certain that Desdamona is unfaithful with him. When Othello asks for “proof” that Cassio has slept with Desdamona, Iago takes him to the armory. There Othello hides while Iago talks with Cassio about Desdamona. When Cassio shows the handkerchief, Othello immediately comes to the conclusion that Desdamona gave it to him when they slept together. However, Iago planned this all along successfully deceiving Othello in believing that Desdamona is unfaithful and that Othello cannot “know” her.
Iago’s plan had to do with knowing another person because to deceive Othello he had to make Othello believe that he couldn’t know another person (Desdamona). This relates to Descartes idea that “You can’t know anything” and “You can’t know another person.” Othello believed that he could know Desdamona, however he couldn’t know her for certain. Othello proves that he believes someone could know another person when he says “The Egyptian could almost read the thoughts of people.” This statement completely opposes Descartes’ statements. In addition, other examples of Descartes ideas corresponding with the play is when Iago states “I can only tell you how I think, you can’t know my thoughts” to Othello. This also proves that Iago’s plan had to do with knowing another person. Finally, the last Descartes idea involved in the play is when Iago states “We have reason!” This statement is related to Descartes idea that “judgment” is involved when a person attempts to know something. Judgment is the interaction of things in our mind allowing us to try to know something. Thus, Iago’s plan had to do with knowing another person and was closely related to Descartes ideas.
Iago was a smart fellow who tricked Othello into killing Desdemona because he thinks Othello had sex with his wife. Now Iago says “know not if it be true but I have suspicion in that kind”. This refers to Descartes idea of acting on something that you don't even know if it is true or not but if it is the only information you have, then you assume it true.
Knowing this, or at least assuming this, makes Iago act on Othello. Iago's plan is to make Othello realize that he can never know Desdemona the way he wants to, sort of like the Evil Genius mentioned in Descartes. This way is knowing her thoughts which is impossible for actually anyone. But for some reason this bother Othello much so even when many can't know. It is probably because Desdemona's father said “she has deceived her father and may thee” to him on wedding day. This makes Othello really jealous and then Iago uses Cassio and Rodrigo to employ his plan.
Since Othello doesn't believe Desdemona much anymore, he thinks everything Iago tells him is true. And small “Trifles, to the jealous count as proof” so Othello being jealous of Cassio somewhat thinking he made love to Desdemona made him crazy. Not knowing someone makes one nervous thinking what they don't now as what they know an it makes people “act quickly on rage, holding there life light”.
A life based on assumptions leads to mistakes. Sometimes being wise is better then being honest.
Iago is a deceiving person who hated the "moor" (othello) because he thought that his wife was having an affair with othello. He tries to ruin othello's relationship with his wife desdemona in an attempt to make othello feel miserable. He brings up the fact that he can never really "know" desdemona, which directly relates to descartes idea that you can never really know something for sure.
The movie started with othello already suspicious of desdemona, because Desdemona's father tells Othello to watch out because she deceived him and she could deceive othello as well. Othello is the general, and Iago is a close follower, also a frenemy, making othello susceptible to trusting Iago.
Othello says that since he is suspicious, he will take all his suspicions as being the truth, and act upon them. This sort of relates to a main idea of Descartes, and the idea of not knowing anything, just believing it to be true.
Iago sets up sort of a fake evidence that Desdemona was sleeping with a man called Cassio. He gives Cassio Desdemona's hankercheif, which he stole from her. Othello suspects that she gave it to them when they allegedly slept together. This convinces Othello that desdemona is cheating on him and he murders her. This relates to the beginning when Iago said that Othello cannot know desdemona for sure. Othello just acted clearly on impulse without knowing for sure if anything was true.
The whole trickery with Iago directly related to descartes idea of an evil genius who manipulated everything. This whole plot was fabricated by Iago, and Othello believed all of it. You can set a bigger proportion, and believe that a higher power in the form of an evil genius is fabricating your entire life, just like Othello believed all of it to be true without a doubt. Plus, Othello couldnt "know" desdemona because if there is even a tiny idea or thought of her cheating on him then it theoretically could be true. In this way, you cannot know anything. That is basically Descartes ideas in a movie.
Deceiving an insecure mind into believing that it does not truly know someone isn’t a hard thing to do. Iago makes this quite clear in Othello. It didn’t take much for him to make Othello believe that Desdemona was cheating on him. The second Othello began to doubt Desdemona, there was no going back. The tiniest things would now serve as proof for him, because now that there was room for doubt, there was no more room left for truth.
This movie relates to Descartes’ ideas of deception because in the movie, Iago acts as the evil genius manipulating Othello’s mind. Iago persuaded Othello into thinking he could not truly know a person. In Descartes’ meditations, he describes the evil genius as an entity that controls your thoughts and manipulates your senses into believing something that is not true. For example, it can make you doubt someone that you had once trusted, as Iago did to Othello.
In Othello, there was a handkerchief that Othello bought for Desdemona. Her maid took this handkerchief and brought it to Iago, who then used this as proof of Desdemona’s unfaithful actions. When Iago took Othello down to the chamber, Othello hid and listened to Casio and Iago’s conversation. Casio was talking about a woman named Bianca, but Othello thought he was talking about Desdemona because he takes out the handkerchief that he got for Desdemona. Othello immediately concludes that Desdemona gave this handkerchief to him, and the handkerchief symbolized that they were sleeping together.
This is the moment that Othello dies on the inside and becomes an empty shell. He is controlled by his anger when he kills Desdemona. His anger is brought on by the evil genius, who is still feeding him lies to the very end. He confessed that he would rather have been ignorant than know about what had happened, because then he’d still have a wife and he wouldn’t have been driven to insanity. Iago’s plan had everything to do with not being able to truly know someone, and how this made the mind doubt the person and their honesty and faithfulness.
In William Shakespeare’s play Othello which was done as a movie in 1995 a character Iago deceives and dives another character Othello mad to the pout in which Othello kills his own wife. To do this Iago starts by telling Othello lies in which his friend and second in command Cassio is doing Othello’s office with Othello’s wife Desdemona. Then because to the jealous or the suspicious as in Othello’s case a suspicion which Iago will create is as good as truth, this relates to Descartes by that Descartes talks about how truth is certainty and anything but is to be doubted. Also is Descartes first meditation he talks of a possibility that there is an evil genius. Descartes says that he is all powerful and seeks to device you and that the senses can deceive a person and some subjects are relative to their environment are not true and if a evil genius were to be deceiving us to the extent of not knowing if a triangle has three side or not because of the evil genius putting memories of a triangle not having three side or making the four sided triangle look like it has three sides and we are then deceived. Iago is this figure by that he deceives the input to Othello’s senses by having Cassio talk of loving Bianca and has Othello think that this was of Desdemona and having Cassio possess the handkerchief that Othello gave to Desdemona. This relates to Descartes by that Descartes explains the interaction of the mind and the objects namely the world around the person (if there is one) and if Iago can control the input of the senses to Othello’s mind he can change not the world around Othello (but that might be the affect that will appear) but the way that Othello will “see” the world. Then with Othello “seeing” the world that way altered from which is (commonly held as but still might not be but as it is a fiction for the purpose of the story it will held as if true) reality. From this Iago has but to show that Othello might be deceived by Desdemona and in doing this Iago cuts of the easiest way through which Othello might have known (for the extent of the movie as if the movie would be true) the truth (for the movie only) and Othello s thereby driven to kill his wife for a crime that she did not commit. This in a way proves Descartes point that one can know very few things by that a person thinks so many lies to be true. Also the movie brings the implicates of there being the before said evil genius by that if a person is deceived and if at least Iago was killed for his crimes a entity of such powers would not be and if all people are real just not our surroundings it would show how our actions over trivial (because they are not real) things can lead to such problems that are not worth the effort of the action much less the repair of the action if such a thing was possible (as in murder as was in Othello’s case).
In the play "Othello," Iago succeeds in deceiving Othello by showing him that it is impossible to truly know somebody, and that the closest one can come to completely knowing someone is assuming what they will based on previous actions. This is similar to Descartes's idea that we "know" of objects based on their properties. Iago uses this idea to convince Othello that Desdemona is cheating on him.
In the beginning of the play, just after Othello and Desdemona are married, Othello believes that he knows Desdemona enough to know that she would always be faithful to him. However, Iago manages to stir suspicion in Othello, and causes him to believe that Desdemona might be sleeping with his lieutenant, Cassio. Iago's wife steals Othello's first gift to Desdemona, a handkerchief, for him, who then plants it where Cassio will find it. He does so, and lures Cassio into an armory where Othello is hiding. Othello sees the handkerchief and is convinced that Desdemona gave it to Cassio and is being unfaithful. He believes this because, as Iago planned, he was already jealous, and the smallest pieces of evidence are proof to jealous people. Othello proceeds to kill Desdemona.
The fact that Iago was able to manipulate Othello in such a way shows that Descartes was correct in his thinking. It proved impossible for Othello to know exactly what was happening with Desdemona, showing that, as Descartes says, it's impossible to know somebody completely. Othello just saw things that he believed to be fact, and used them as a judge of Desdemona's character, while they were actually just figments of his own imagination.
Iago succeeded in decieving Othello, but by NOT lying. Though he did portray himself to be his "trustworthy friend," he first told Othello that he might not even know his loved one, Desdemona, which is not a lie because according to descartes, we may never know anyone else as well as we know ourselves.
Othello, misinterpreting his words to be as if Desdemona was decieving him by sleeping with
Cassio, goes mad. Now, Iago's main plan was to take revenge on Othello for "doing his office between his sheets," meaning that Iago believed Othello slept with HIS wife (Desdemona). Iago feeds Othello false information, giving himself the title of the "evil genius" in Descartes' first meditation. Now after Othello falls for Iago's trap, he begins to form hallucinations of Desdemona and Cassio and recalls flashbacks of the word's her father had said. Desdemona's father tells Othello in the beginning of the video that "If she has decieved once, she can decieve again," and once Othello hears Iago's words about being decieved by Desdemona, he instantly becomes mad.
Othello soon does not want to accept the fact that he's being deceived, therefore tells Iago that he wants proof. Now, Iago does not necessarily guarantee him that Desdemona was decieving him, but puts it in a way for Othello to comprehend that Desdemona was decieving him. After Othello nearly drowns Iago and asks for proof. Iago brings forth Cassio and manipulates his answers to make Othello's mind "absolute" and thus soon resorts to killing Desdemona.
Descartes ideas are present in various parts of the movie. Some i have mentioned above, but others such as judgement, which is the accumulation of certain concepts of something to know more about the thing, are also present.
Iago succeeded in deceiving Othello by introducing the concept of whether you could truly know another person. The whole concept of knowing someone is to actually know their thoughts- which Othello cannot do. He can not truly know Desdemona's thoughts as he knows his. Descartes brings this issue up in his meditations by asking himself, what is most definite in this world. When you look at something, such as a dog, you know the dog is there. However is the dog there? There are several possibilities, you might be crazy, you might be simply imagining the dog. However, what undoubtedly exists in this transaction? Your thoughts exist. Your thoughts might be inaccurate, but they are most definitely existent.
Therefore, if thoughts are the only undoubted thing a human could have, a human could be defined as nothing but a mind, with thoughts. Othello wanted to truly know Desdemona, which is impossible because to know Desdemona, is to know her thoughts. When Desdemona's father told Othello that “she has deceived her father, and may thee, Othello had started doubting her faithfulness. Iago did not help much either of course, he encouraged this, and even acquired a handkerchief, as an attempt to prove Desdemona's unfaithfulness to Othello. Iago had put it best when he said “Trifles, to the jealous, count as proof.” This handkerchief is a trifle, however, to a jealous angry man such as Othello, might be just what he has been looking for as an excuse to confirm his doubtfulness in Desdemona. Iago knew that Desdemona would deny all this, but he also knew Othello wouldn’t believe her, because of his inability to know her own thoughts.
In the play Othello, Iago tries to break up Othello and Desdemona by deceiving Othello. He successfully deceived Othello by convincing him that he couldn't know his wife Desdemona. Iago started out with this idea that you can never know anyone, you might see their actions and all these "outside" things through our senses, but since senses are being deceived as Descartes mentioned, it's not reliable for who the person really are. We are not just a body, we also have this thing called a "mind", and that's what we really are. Iago told Othello that all he know is Desdemona's body, he does not know her mind, thus doesn't really know her. Othello gets a little upset about the idea that he can't know Desdemona the way he wanted to.
Iago then proceed to persuade Othello that Desdemona have an affair with Cassio. At first, Othello doesn't care. He said that what he sees is more important than what actually is. As long as he doesn't know, she can have affair with anyone. Then Iago showed him a prove-the handkerchief. It is only a little thing, which doesn't really mean anything. But little things like that is proves to those who're jealous. Othello starts questioning Desdemona's loyalty. Othello collapse when he saw Cassio with the handkerchief. This is the moment where Iago succeeded in deceiving Othello.
At the end, Othello killed Desdemona. But he not only killed Desdemona, also a part of himself. When he choose to believe what Iago said is the prove, something in him disappeared. He is not who he was anymore. This is why Iago is very successful, he breaks the "mind" part of Othello apart.
-Candy Lin.
In the movie, Othello, Iago succeeds in decieving Othello by attacking him in his weakest spot. Othello is deeply in love with Desdemona. Iago says to Othello that he can't truly know just who Desdemona is. Desdemona's father tells Othello that she had decieved him by marrying Othello, and that she may decieve Othello in the future. This is what Othello remembers when Iago tells him that she can decieve him.
After Iago Succeeds in making Othello skeptic of Desdemona, Othello asks for proof. Iago recieves a cloth that Othello had given Desdemona, he gives it to a "ladies man" named Cassio. Othello finds the handkerchief in Cassio's hand and believes that Desdemona is cheating on him with Cassio. Obviously, this isn't any real proof that Desdemona is cheating with Cassio, but "trifles...to the jealous are earnest proof (Iago)". So even though the handkerchief doesn't really mean anything, to Othello it is enough proof that Desdemona is cheating. This sinks Othello into madness. He confronts Desdemona about this issue, but does not believe what she says.
This plan has to do with knowing a person because, you may know who a person is, but you can never know everything about that person. This is what drives Othello mad, because he knows that she can be decietful, so he doesn't know what she has decieved him about. This makes him highly suspicious of her love for him.
Descartes stresses the idea that you can't know anything because we can be decieved, and we can't be sure about what is true in the world. This relates to Iago's plan by allowing Iago to present a certain situation to Othello (in this case, his wife cheating), where Othello can't really know if Desdemona is cheating, because he can not trust what she says since she has decieved before.
In the play Othello, a smart yet evil man named Iago successfully deceives man named Othello and causes a major tragedy. In the play, Iago deceives Othello into the fact that Othello can’t really know his beloved wife Desdemona and convinces Othello that Desdemona is really cheating on him and is having an affair with Cassio, another man in the army. As a result of this “corruption”, Othello becomes mad and kills his wife. However, when he does, he soon finds out that Iago was deceiving him.
Iago carries out his grand plan mainly by convincing Othello that he can’t really know his wife or at least know his wife in a way that he wants. This is important as Othello really wants to know Desdemona in the way that he can read and know her thoughts. He says this is in regret that he cannot, “That we can call these delicate creatures ours And not their appetites!” This whole idea relates to Descartes idea that one cannot know something or be certain of something because an evil genius may be affecting the mind. In the play, Iago can be considered this evil genius and made Othello think that he couldn’t know what Desdemona was thinking and thus, he couldn’t know whether if she really was cheating or not. So, this part is mainly the rising action of the plot.
The climax of the plot is when Iago shows proof to Othello by planting the handkerchief into the possession of Cassio. When he does this, he knows that his plan will succeed. He says this is in the play to back up his claim, “Trifles light as air Are to the jealous confirmations strong As proofs of holy writ.” By saying this, Iago means that even the slightest things can mean something big to the jealous. In this case, it’s the handkerchief being proof to Othello. When Othello becomes fully convinced and deceived, he smothers Desdemona on the bed.
In the movie, Othello, Iago decieves Othello into madness that Othello can't know Desdamona and her thoughts as he knows himself and his own thoughts. The conflict began to take shape in the armory scene, where Othello asks Iago on his thoughts, "By heaven I will know your thoughts". To this Iago responds by saying, "You'll not know my thoughts even if thy has my heart in thy hand", which basically is saying that Othello or anyone else can know the thoughts of anyone else like they do their own. Iago also says that he can only tell Othello what he thinks, but Othello will never know Iago's thoughts. This enrages Othello and leads to Othello trying to drown Iago, which then enrages Iago and Iago decides to use Othello's weakness to his advantage and despicable deeds.
So Iago's wife steals a handkerchief from Desdamona and Iago gives it to Cassio, who is already suspicious in the eyes of Othello. "Trifles. Light as the air are to the jealous as firm as proof" (Iago), this was Iago's intention with the handkercheif and that this "trifle" will make Othello blame Cassio for sleeping with Desdamona.
And all of this ties in with Descartes ideas of decieving, and that the only thing that one knows is his own thoughts (whether they are true/false). Some specific references are made in the beginning of the movie, when Othello put on the mask while riding the boat. The mask symbolizes deception and introduces that theme to the movie. Other examples are:"I am not what I am (I)"; "If virtue no delight in beauty like you son-in-law is far more fair than black (D)"; "She has deceived me so she may deceive thee (S)"; "Tis in ourselves that we are thus we have reason (I)"; "I don't know if it's true so I act as if it's true (I)"; "If you act to quickly on rage than you hold your soul light (O)"; "My reputation is lost, the immortal part of me (C)". All these quotes refer in some way to Descartes meditation. My favorite quote is the last one, where the reputaion symbolizes mind and thus the mind is immortal, unlike the body.
In Othello, Iago uses the same methods as the evil genius described by Descartes by manipulating the information given to Othello. Iago states that he "saw Cassio wipe his beard with said handkerchief" (the one Othello gave to Desdemona). By doing this he deceives Othello sight on the situation, and later confirms this further by manipulating Cassio to act as though the lies were true while Othello was watching. This is the same way that the evil genius deceives a person, he manipulates what the subject by manipulating what the subject sees and hears (or smells, tastes, and feels, but thats irrelevant in this case.)
Iago also deceives Cassio to benefit his plan. He makes Cassio believe that Othello is being wronged for the benefit of Cassio. Once Cassio is concinced at the hand of Iago, the plan comes together. Once this happens, Iago looks towards the audience and states that the smallest thing can be taken as strong proof for someone who is desperate. To Othello, who is desperate to know the truth about Desdemona was willing to take the handkerchief as evidence of her misdeeds when there are many practical reasons for the handkerchief coming into Cassio's possession.
This shows the idea that someone can be convinced of pretty much anything. A person that loves his wife manages to be manipulated to kill her through only deception. Othello had to have amazingly passionate and strong feelings to do this. If these feelings could have been made through false sensual input, what could Othello believe to be true? This is Descartes concept of nothing being truly known about anything.
Of coarse this ends with Othello being overwhelmed when he finds the truth and realizes his mistake in killing Desdemona. He cannot live with the truth that he falsely murdered his wife, and turns to suicide.
A person isn’t capable of knowing another person in the way people knows their own thoughts. Iago used this exact idea to deceive Othello that he can’t know his wife Desdemona the way he wants to. Iago shows Othello that a person’s mind interacts differently with itself than with another mind. A\mind cannot clearly express the desires and thoughts that it has to another mind, so Othello will never be able to know Desdemona. Othello begins to analyze the ideas that Iago presents and concludes that a person can control or own another person’s body but can’t own or control a person‘s desires and thoughts. These ideas escalate to accusations about Desdemona’s devotion and love for Othello. Othello begins to suspect that Desdemona is cheating on him because, he can’t know or control Desdemona’s thoughts so there is a possibility that she could be cheating on him. This uncertainty drives Othello into spiraling depression and delusion.
Descartes states that a person can’t know anything, but we can believe something is definite or true. This is similar to the thoughts that Iago implanted into Othello’s head about Desdemona. That he can’t really be certain that she isn’t cheating on him so he must suspect or believe that she is. Descartes also states that the mind learns through judgments of objects and people, and the mind learns more about itself when it makes these judgments. This idea coincides with the situation when Othello finds his wife’s handkerchief in Cassio’s possession, Othello judges this as information as proof that Desdemona is cheating on Othello. Othello later learns that he was blinded by jealousy, because he found such a minuscule piece of information or evidence sufficient to accuse her.
In conclusion, Othello was deceived by Iago because Iago explained to Othello that since he can’t know or control Desdemona’s desires he should believe that she is cheating on him. Since there could be a small amount of doubt or uncertainty he can only believe that something is true, it’s impossible to be sure. Therefore, Desdemona could be cheating on him because it isn’t fact that she is faithful to Othello. After he had convinced Othello to suspect that she was cheating on him he framed Desdemona with a small and important possession that he acquired. Othello immediately thought that Desdemona was cheating on him when he found the handkerchief, because as Iago states “Trifles, to the jealous count as proof.”
Arman-Toussaint Warner
William shakespere is a masterful writer seeing as how he wrote Othello. He uses the pathetic ways that humans uses thier minds for there own gains and sets it on the theater. In the play Iago is pentrating the thin membrane of sanity within Othello's mind to plant thought of deception and destruction to obsess himself with what might be Desdamona's betrayal when the facts are not even justified.
What hapens in the movie is Othello i happily married to Desdamona and they are enjoying a time of peace and triumph in war. However behind the scenes Iago(which for some reason is always the name of a bad guy) uses the damaged mental state of others to achieve his goals. By the time that all of these evnts unfold a bed turns to a bloodbath and may reputations and lives have been ruined.
The way Iago does this horrid deed is he first speaks to Othello of how he can trust Desdamona and ends up sowing the seeda of distrust. Then by using a little trifle he all of a sudden sets of a series of thoughts in Othello's mind that due to his messed up mind convince him that all this little stuff is proof. Then while he is dead on the inside and no longer has any sensible thought and acts on sheer instinct. He is from that moment on a defeated something but certainly not human. The way this happens is all from Iago's saying "how can you truly know Desdamona when you cannot know what she thinks. This leads to Othello thinking i see desdamona but i dont know her thoughts there fore i cannot know what she might do considering she betrayed her father and might do so to him.
In descartes meditation there ar many referances that relate to this play. For instance the belief of objects in relation to mind. You can know objects exist due to senses even if they can be manipulated. But a mind is ain some outer relam beyond our reach. The same goes for knowing a person. Then there is the belief of the evil genius. The one who can manipulate your thoughts to make you believe all that is false. That is Iago. He plants the lies and has your own ignorance take over from there to destroy you.
William Shakespeare's play "Othello" has a few major themes that relate to Descartes' Meditations. Descartes pondered in depth just how our minds are able to know. He arrived at the conclusion that our minds are better known than any objects can ever be, for when we "know" of an object, we know the object by identifying it's properties. This idea of our mind's judgement offers more knowledge on our minds, than the objects our minds know. From Descartes, we also know that our senses connect our minds to objects in the world, but these senses of ours have decieved us and must be doubted at times. In "Othello", Iago(Descartes' "Evil Genius")clearly illustrates what Descartes concludes. In Othello there is a sense of betrayal, mistrust,dishonesty, deceit and doubt. It's as if Othello allows Iago to be his senses, in the way that he relies on him for knowledge(unknowingliy falsified) of his newlywed Desdemona. As we know, our senses can deceive us, much in the way that Iago fools Othello. Othello trusted Iago, whose intentions were hidden to Othello. Iago, a supposed friend of Othello's, believes Othello, or another moore has had an affair with his own wife. In attempts to get revenge, Iago concocts a series, or web of lies to slowly, but surely, ware down Othello's faith in his wife Desdemona. Iago begins subtly, trying to introduce the idea that one can not know another person as deeply as they hope to. Iago, first supplies the concept that Othello can not know Desdemona as well as he'd like to and plants then, the mere suspicion to Othello that Desdemona has not been faithful. Iago, being a strategist, creates his plan of attack, mapping his plans on a chess board, indicating that a white knight will come between the black king(Othello) and the white queen(Desdemona). This white knight is Cassio. Iago seeks a justification in Desdemona's "affair" to offer as proof to the skeptical Othello. When he plants the hankerchief that Othello gave to Desdemona, in the hands of Cassio, Othello needs no further convincing and begins to go crazy, believing that Desdemona cheated on him. In complete rage, Othello, who earlier said "he who acts on his own rage, takes his soul light", ironically, kills his wife, for what he believes (not knows) to be a betrayal. Iago's wife and Desdemona's caretaker, Amelia, uncovers Iago's twisted scheme, shortly after. Once Amelia and Othello learn of the actual truth, they discover the master mind, who once tried to explain the length of how well one can know someone else, was never known for the evil genius he truly was. Othello, in terrible regret and remorse, commits suicide, to join his wife in the afterlife. Othello teaches us that the definition of insanity is not the ignorance or denial of truth, purposely, but rather the belief or interpretation of fallacies as being the truth. So, in this perspective, Iago would be the "senses" that Othello crucially failed to doubt even once- his biggest mistake, as Othello puts it himself, "I know not if it be true, but I, for mere suspicion in that kind, will do as if for surety".
William Shakespeare takes the skepticism synthesized in Descartes first and second mediation, and applies it into the plot of his play “Othello.” Descartes states that man, or rather “I” cannot know what is true, other than the fact that I exist. Othello a noble high ranking Venetian general sees his downfall due to the cunning, and guile of Iago. Othello goes mad when he realizes he cannot know what his wife truly thinks or desires. In “Othello” Iago had many things going for him in the deception of Othello.
Iago maddened Othello by making him see that he could not own Desdemona’s thoughts. He brings up the fact the Cassio courted Desdemona, at the same time Othello did, bringing up the thought that maybe Desdemona, has love for Cassio. Othello falls into despair because he is unable to know what she knows, or who she loves. He says “we can call these creatures ours, but not their appetites”, restating the nervousness not being able to know Desdemona’s thought brings to him. Iago also takes another step in deceiving Othello, when he begins to take small coincidences for proof. Iago states "Trifles. Light as the air are to the jealous as firm as proof". Meaning that jealous people accept even minute things as proof. In the case of Othello, Iago places Desdemona’s handkerchief in the possession of Cassio, and when it is found that Cassio has that handkerchief, Othello takes this for proof that , Cassio has “done his office, betwixt his sheets”, in other words slept with Desdemona.
Othello’s true Hamartia, or tragic flaw, is the fact that jealousy has brought him to act so rashly. Othello states in the beginning of the play (while he still held his valor), “He that stirs next to carve for his own rage holds his soul light; he dies upon his motion”. This quote means that he who acts on rage, cares not for his well being, but acts rashly. It is also a moment of foreshadowing of what jealousy will cause him to do. Othello takes Iago opinions for fact, and coincidences for proof that Desdemona is sleeping with Cassio, and then makes illogical, emotional actions, which ultimately end in him strangling Desdemona. When he kills Desdemona he kills part of himself. When Lodovico asks, “Where is this rash and most unfortunate man?” Othello answers “That's he that was Othello. Here I am.”, suggesting that he feels that Othello the man, the husband of Desdemona, the valiant general is now dead. This is proved all the more when he finally kills himself.
In conclusion, Descartes asserts that, nothing is certain, except for the fact the “I” exists, as a mind. We can prove that we exists because we have thoughts, better said we are able to think thoughts in our mind. “I” am the only one who is able to know what “I” am thinking. This assertion is the premise for Othello’s fall from glory. Iago, proves this to him, and pinions that Desdemona is having affair. He takes a little false evidence, such as Cassio’s possession of his handkerchief, as proof of an affair. His hamartia in this play is the fact that enraged, and feeling betrayed he strangles Desdemona, he doesn’t ponder sitting down with Cassio or Desdemona and questioning them, but acts rashly.
In William Shakepeare Othello, Iago succeeds in deceiving Othello. Iago plays with the idea that Othello can never truly know his wife Desdemona. Out of jealousy and spite, Iago makes Othello believe that his wife Desdemona is being untruthful and having an affair with Cassio. The basis for Iago’s plan is to simply prove that someone can never truly know another person. This is what eventually drives Othello crazy as he feels himself distanced from his wife and therefore eventually kills her.
Othello’s situation parallels with Rene Descartes’ idea that one can never really know anything. But still, one must believe that something is true. Although Othello can never truly know his wife Desdemona’s thoughts or intentions, he does come to a conclusion that she is having an affair based off of his personal judgments. Othello is presented with what he believes to be evidence. Iago uses Othello’s skepticism to force him into believing that Cassio and his wife have something together. Othello states “we can call these delicate creatures ours, and not their appetites!”
Othello has no real evidence against Desdemona, however because he is unable to know what she thinks, he assumes the worst. He states “I know not if't be true; But I, for mere suspicion in that kind, Will do as if for surety.” He basically says that since he believes that Desdemona is cheating on him, he is going to act as if it is true. Othello does make attempts to better understand his wife, however he still feels separated from her. He proclaims “By heaven, I'll know thy thoughts,” and Iago responds “You cannot, if my heart were in your hand; Nor shall not, whilst 'tis in my custody.” Although speaking to Iago, Othello realizes that this is exactly the case with Desdemona.
The point where Othello loses himself completely is when he sees Cassio holding Desdemona’s handkerchief. This is the part in Iago’s deception in which Othello goes mad. Cassio states “Trifles light as air, to the jealous count as proof” as to say that when jealous, one can be manipulated extremely easily. This deception leads Othello into making terrible decisions such as killing his wife.
As Descartes made clear, the only thing that is definitely true is that “I exist.” This is so because “I think.” However it is impossible to know what others think and believe. Thus, like Othello we can never understand another person’s “I.”
-Santiljan Vukaj
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