Manipulation in Othello: The Hunt for Power Through Language

ArgumentThose searching for power choose to advance their way up the ladder of society with manipulation through discourse.

A Venomous Cycle

The Vampire Within:Sucking the Lives out of One’s

PeersP: People use Ethos, a form of manipulation, to build up the sense of loyalty that their peers witness in them.

E: “Well my good lord, I’ll do’t”(III.ii.117)-Iago is willing to do things for Othello all the time and defines himself as his ‘right-

hand man’ for whatever he needs“Good my lord, pardon me…”(III.iii.133)

P: “Studying speech acts such as complimenting allows discourse analysts to ask what counts as a compliment, who gives compliments to whom, and what other function they can serve.. complimenting can be a way of asking for things”(Tannen1).“Iago cannot start to corrupt Othello's mind until he has got his attention and, at this moment, Othello is distracted by Desdemona's departure. The initiator Iago uses here is formally deferential to Othello's position, whereas Othello refers to Iago as 'thou' and uses his first name” (Frost1).

I: Iago acts as a loyal friend and builds the trust that Othello has in him with the rhetoric device of Ethos. The phrase “keep your friends close, but keep your enemies closer” conveys a sense of manipulation. People tend to use their words wisely to get their peers to believe that they are good friends and those who they can rely on to tell them the truth and never lead them wrong.

All the Right Friends In all the Right Places

P: People use Logos, another form of manipulation, to appeal to the reasoning of those they converse with.

E: “Cassio my lord? No sure, I cannot think it that he would steal away so guilty-like seeing you coming” (III.iii.37-39)

“She did deceive her father, marrying you; And when she seemed to shake and fear your looks, she loved them most”(III.iii.206-208)

P: “But Iago, that malcontent manque, enacts also the second stage of this dialectic: he is a de-centered self re-inscribed into a logic of reified rationality--a replacement for the old centered traditions, but one that proves even more destructive than the repressive systems it has usurped” (Grady1)

I: Using Logos, the person often times attempts to be in their peer’s mind, holding on to each point of reasoning that they have and soliciting their opinions. In Othello, Iago chooses to simply reiterate what was already going on in Othello’s mind. The person is always aware of what they are doing.

Emotion in the Eyes of the Audience

P: People use Pathos, another form of manipulation, to appeal to the emotion of the audience. E: “Ha! I like not that”(III.iii.34)

“Pricked to’t by foolish honesty and love, I will go on”(III.iii.409-410)P: “All rhetorically oriented discourse is composed in light of those who will hear or read that

discourse. Or, in other words, rhetorical analysis always takes into account how an audience shapes the composition of a text or responds to it” (Burton 1)“To insure that disorder and uncertainty come to Othello, Iago treats him like a confused and disordered child, telling the Moor no direct lies but inferring the worst through stealth and innuendo” (Narey 1).

I: Using Pathos, individuals develop relationships with those around them and really appeal to the emotions of onlookers. This sense of connection is seen in the play of Othello when Iago plays upon the sentiment of the audience to get them to make him the one they love to hate.

Synthesis

All discourse is persuasive. Whether it be through rhetorical devices, body language, or simple tones, individuals are lured into different ways of thinking just by communication. Iago uses words to his advantage knowingly in order to seal his place in society.

Bibliography

Burton, Gideon O. "Audience." Silva Rhetoricae: The Forest of Rhetoric. Web. 08 Dec. 2009. <http://rhetoric.byu.edu/Encompassing%20Terms/audience.htm>.

Frost, Robert. "Talk, small talk and silence in Othello: Robert Frost applies techniques adopted from discourse analysis to the way characters speak in Othello." The English Review Sept. 2003: 28+. General OneFile. Web. 7 Dec. 2009. <http://find.galegroup.com.ezproxy.bpl.org/gtx/start.do?prodId=ITOF&userGroupName=mlin_b_bpublic>.

Grady, Hugh. "Iago and the dialectic of enlightenment: reason, will and desire in 'Othello.'." Criticism 37.4 (1995): 537+. General Reference Center Gold. Web. 7 Dec. 2009. <http://find.galegroup.com.ezproxy.bpl.org/gtx/start.do?prodId=GRGM&userGroupName=mlin_b_bpublic>.

Narey, Wayne. "An Essay on Othello." The Center for Learning Technologies at Arkansas State University. Web. 08 Dec. 2009. <http://www.clt.astate.edu/wnarey/Shakespeare%20files/an_essay_on_othello.htm>.

Tannen, Deborah. "LSA: About Linguistics." LSA: Welcome. Web. 07 Dec. 2009. <http://www.lsadc.org/info/ling-fields-discourse.cfm>.