People change. People change but it can't be for no apparent reason. The truth of this statement can tell who is to blame in Shakespeare's famous play, Othello. Throughout the famous play, you see characters one by one turn on one another, over react, and create an even more traumatic story line. Not only doe characterization and personalities change in the story, for characters such as Othello and Iago, but luck plays a huge role in the master mind of Iago through other character's reactions due to personality changes.
Throughout the play you see the lead character, Othello, change in more ways than one. He's lost his gullible self who believed everyone was as pure as he, you see his confidence plumish, his trust in the ones he once kept closest fall, and you begin to see him lose himself. But why? Iago wanted revenge—he wanted his promotion with a little more devilish karma to go along with it.
Iago says that, “One Michael Cassio, a Florentine,/A fellow almost damn'd in a fair wife;/That never set a squadron in the field,/Nor the division of a battle knows/More than a spinster; unless the bookish theoric,/Wherein the toged consuls can propose/As masterly as he: mere prattle, without practise,/Is all his soldiership. But he, sir, had the election:/And I, of whom his eyes had seen the proof/At Rhodes, at Cyprus and on other grounds/Christian and heathen, must be be-lee'd and calm'd/By debitor and creditor: this counter-caster,/He, in good time, must his lieutenant be” (Act 1, Scene 1, Line 2).
If it wasn't for Iago having been upset about a promotion, nothing would have happened. Although Iago's plan was the fire starter for the plays ongoing drama, it wasn't all thanks to Iago—he was lucky time after time again. Iago had planned and wanted so many things to happen that eventually everything started to fall into place; Emily stole the handkerchief, then when Bianca questioned Cassio of the feminine strawberry handkerchief found in his room—which belonged to Desdemona—it stirred the pot even more since Othello was hiding and listening during the two’s bickering. Desdemona didn’t help with the solution either; time after time she egged Othello on in his madness whenever he almost brought up her apparent affairs and is the one who nagged Othello consistently about the promotion problem going on with Cassio. Desdemona talked to Othello about Michael Cassio frequently, like when she says, "What! Michael Cassio, / That came a-wooing with you, and so many a time, / When I have spoke of you dispraisingly, / Hath ta'en your part" (Act, 3 Scene, 3, Line 70). Desdemona’s frequent attention given to Cassio only helps create the image in Othello’s head that Desdemona is cheating on him based on the ideas Iago placed into her head. Emilia was also the crediator because she was the one who stole the handkerchief and says that, "My wayward husband hath a hundred times / Woo'd me to steal it" (3.3.292-293). At this point it is clear that Emilia is just creating an even more complicated time for every character.
Although Iago was the mastermind behind the plan, it was every character who isn't part of the solution—which so happens to be just about everyone. Because of all of the things that made Iago's plan truly work--the luck in his plan--that other characters did, Iago's plan became fool proof, as you can see from how the play ended--deaths, people changing, and relationships left broken.
Throughout the play you see the lead character, Othello, change in more ways than one. He's lost his gullible self who believed everyone was as pure as he, you see his confidence plumish, his trust in the ones he once kept closest fall, and you begin to see him lose himself. But why? Iago wanted revenge—he wanted his promotion with a little more devilish karma to go along with it.
Iago says that, “One Michael Cassio, a Florentine,/A fellow almost damn'd in a fair wife;/That never set a squadron in the field,/Nor the division of a battle knows/More than a spinster; unless the bookish theoric,/Wherein the toged consuls can propose/As masterly as he: mere prattle, without practise,/Is all his soldiership. But he, sir, had the election:/And I, of whom his eyes had seen the proof/At Rhodes, at Cyprus and on other grounds/Christian and heathen, must be be-lee'd and calm'd/By debitor and creditor: this counter-caster,/He, in good time, must his lieutenant be” (Act 1, Scene 1, Line 2).
If it wasn't for Iago having been upset about a promotion, nothing would have happened. Although Iago's plan was the fire starter for the plays ongoing drama, it wasn't all thanks to Iago—he was lucky time after time again. Iago had planned and wanted so many things to happen that eventually everything started to fall into place; Emily stole the handkerchief, then when Bianca questioned Cassio of the feminine strawberry handkerchief found in his room—which belonged to Desdemona—it stirred the pot even more since Othello was hiding and listening during the two’s bickering. Desdemona didn’t help with the solution either; time after time she egged Othello on in his madness whenever he almost brought up her apparent affairs and is the one who nagged Othello consistently about the promotion problem going on with Cassio. Desdemona talked to Othello about Michael Cassio frequently, like when she says, "What! Michael Cassio, / That came a-wooing with you, and so many a time, / When I have spoke of you dispraisingly, / Hath ta'en your part" (Act, 3 Scene, 3, Line 70). Desdemona’s frequent attention given to Cassio only helps create the image in Othello’s head that Desdemona is cheating on him based on the ideas Iago placed into her head. Emilia was also the crediator because she was the one who stole the handkerchief and says that, "My wayward husband hath a hundred times / Woo'd me to steal it" (3.3.292-293). At this point it is clear that Emilia is just creating an even more complicated time for every character.
Although Iago was the mastermind behind the plan, it was every character who isn't part of the solution—which so happens to be just about everyone. Because of all of the things that made Iago's plan truly work--the luck in his plan--that other characters did, Iago's plan became fool proof, as you can see from how the play ended--deaths, people changing, and relationships left broken.