The Winter's Tale and Othello, both by William Shakespeare, contain fantasies of female betrayal. In both works these fantasies are aggregated by something, be it Iago in Othello or Hermione's pregnancy in The Winter's Tale. Iago confronts Othello in act 3.3, escaping his wife's betrayal. Both Othello and Leontes have a seemingly sudden onset of jealousy. However, Othello's jealousy forms later in the play than Leontes'. This is important when comparing the two because there are acts in the play that show Othello's nature and character that do not point to jealousy or concern over his wife's conduct. Othello's lack of jealousy, at first, can be seen in act 3.3, line 188. , “The smallest fear or doubt of her revolt, / For she had eyes and chose me. No, Iago:/ I will see before I doubt; when in doubt, test;/ And on the test there is nothing but this -/ Away with love or jealousy at once! These lines, spoken by Othello, demonstrate his trust towards his wife. This shows that there was no doubt about his wife's faithfulness until Iago planted that doubt in her mind. Although Iago did not have the proof Othello requested, he tells Othello to “Look at your wife; observe it carefully with Cassio. Othello will find whatever he is looking for, both innocence and guilt, but Iago manipulates him to seek the latter. Othello's concerns here are his heart, his pride, and his power. Othello's main concerns when confronted with his wife's actions are his heart. Othello is self-aware, often presenting himself as an outsider. He is in a position of power that you wouldn't expect from someone of his nationality. For this reason many people hate him and respect him less. Othello reflects the view others have of himself in... middle of paper... his need for an heir and in Othello it is the lack of respect he receives from his peers. These weaknesses in their power are exploited to bring about their downfall. Hermione and Iago's pregnancy provide doubts to Leontes and Othello respectively and for this reason it is fair to say that "Iago's place is filled by Hermione's pregnancy". This doubt manifests itself in Leontes and Othello, encouraging further reflection, investigation, and action. Everything you see afterward is manipulated by doubt until eventually only the less than honorable actions are seen. Iago manipulates more people than just Othello, encouraging actions of others that would increase Othello's doubts. Hermione's pregnancy in a sense manipulated the people around her and Leontes' subjects to sympathize with Hermione, persuading them against Leontes when his actions seemingly led to his death..