The power of persuasion is a dominant and influential tool that can easily be misused for personal gain. Lies and deception are becoming increasingly common in society, with individuals masking their true intentions. In William Shakespeare's Othello, the character Iago is no different from those cunning humans. He preys on and triggers the doubts and insecurities of other characters by wearing a facade that makes him appear reliable, trustworthy, and righteous. Iago's drive to manipulate comes from his hatred and jealousy, which ultimately fuels his desire to create a plan to destroy the lives of those who have harmed him. He is an eloquent speaker with the ability to transform some meaningless words into a sentence containing subtle and profound meaning upon further analysis. Iago manipulates the characters throughout the play using Aristotle's methods of persuasion. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay To begin, Iago manipulates Roderigo by imposing pathos to establish Othello as an adversary to be eliminated. Iago explains how Othello gives a promotion to Cassio, a man who "never fielded a squadron", seeing himself as more qualified in the meantime. During their conversation, Iago makes comments such as, "I follow Othello to serve him my turn" and "Following him, I follow only myself." Iago says he intends to take revenge on Othello and encourages Roderigo to help him. By expressing his hatred towards Othello, Iago becomes more relatable to Roderigo. Furthermore, Iago's constant repetition of the pronoun "I" shows that his hatred for the Moor parallels Roderigo's personal resentment towards Othello. As a matter of fact, appealing to Roderigo's emotions gives him more reasons to dislike Othello, as not only has he married the woman Roderigo loves, but he doesn't even promote Iago, his close friend, even though he has more experience than Cassio. Furthermore, Iago continues to use Roderigo's emotions towards Desdemona to take advantage of him for personal gain. He goes on to reassure Roderigo that his chances of winning Desdemona's affection will increase if he "puts some money in your purse." Roderigo is blinded by love to the point that Iago effortlessly convinces him that money can buy Desdemona's heart. Ultimately, Iago uses Roderigo's immense desire for Desdemona against him by encouraging Roderigo to entrust him with his money, which Iago ultimately keeps for himself. Therefore, Iago is able to manipulate Roderigo by portraying Othello as a common rival and exploiting Roderigo's desire for wealth for Desdemona by appealing to her emotions – in other words, through pathos. Furthermore, Iago makes full use of Cassio through pathos combined with reasoning. He does this to use the victorious night as a justifiable exception for Cassius to drink another glass of wine. Iago notes Cassio's utmost loyalty and appreciation for Othello, as he is the general, and uses it to his advantage by considering Cassio's position and suggesting that he "take a measure for black Othello's health." Iago encourages Cassio to join in a toast in Othello's honor, in front of their companions, which makes it harder for Cassio to object. If Cassius refused the toast, he would be considered professionally and personally rude and discourteous. Furthermore, it would represent Cassio as a man who does not respect Othello if he refused to celebrate his general's great victory. Furthermore, Iago uses an extension of pathos to convince Cassio to drink by appealing to his humor when he breaks into song: “And leave me the cannikin clink, clink.” Iago uses his newfoundknowledge of Cassio's low tolerance for alcohol and causes Cassio to drink, which results in Cassio's lack of self-control. The humorous song about drinking makes Cassio more comfortable, which leads to a lack of self-awareness; therefore, making it more likely to drink too much. The playful song is more appealing to Cassius as it is a reason to let loose and enjoy the night, rather than watch over the unchanging landscape. The repetition of the words “clink, clink” also plays a vital role as it echoes the sound of a glass toasting, relating to victory, and emphasizes the joyous occasion. He also appeals to Cassio's humorous side which makes it much easier for Iago to convince him to drink compared to when he is more serious and focused on his work. As Cassio relaxes and joins Iago in the song, he begins to forget his responsibilities and is more open to the idea of ​​having another drink. Of course, this ultimately leads to a series of poor decisions and makes it easier for Iago to exploit Cassio's drunken state. Iago brilliantly exploits Cassio's emotions and appeals to his humor to the point where Cassio is intoxicated, allowing Iago to manipulate him effortlessly. Furthermore, Iago uses logos to make Othello question Desdemona's loyalty and relationship with him. Iago points out that Desdemona has lied before when she “deceived her father by marrying Othello.” By stating this fact, Iago instills the idea that Desdemona may repeat her actions. Iago believes that if Desdemona can betray her father, the one she loves and has respected her entire life, she could definitely do it with a man she was married to for a short period of time. It also makes Othello doubt Desdemona's integrity; society views women as the property of men whose marriage must be approved, if not arranged, by their fathers. As a result of Desdemona's secret marriage, she now has a reputation as someone who is capable of doing things deviously behind people's backs, which makes Othello believe that this type of behavior may extend to their marriage as well. Furthermore, Iago also uses repetition when he repeats Othello's words by saying, “Honest, my lord” and “Think, my lord.” This, of course, entertains and fuels Othello's suspicions of Cassio as Iago creates the impression that he is still unsure of Cassio's honesty. The repetition of Othello's words forces Othello to think further about the matter and explain his thoughts and emotions. After his further explanation, Othello reveals his raw self and emotions, which gives Iago the perfect chance to manipulate Othello in his most vulnerable state. With Iago's excellent use of logos and repetition, Iago creates a web of emotions surrounding Othello, letting him act on his emotions, giving Iago strong control over Othello. Iago also proceeds to manipulate Brabantio, a Venetian senator, a well-known citizen. and Desdemona's father. Like many Venetian men of the time, Brabantio's reputation supports his honor. In a conversation with Brabantio, Iago states that “even now, now, even now, an old black ram/ Is thronging your white sheep.” Iago uses this metaphor to emphasize the sexual and visual images of Brabantio's daughter. By comparing Othello to a black ram and Desdemona to a white sheep, Iago highlights the difference in their skin color and links it to purity. Othello, being a man with colored skin, is depicted as a beast above the pure and innocent Desdemona. By referring to Othello as a “black ram,” Iago degrades his position from human to animal, indicating that he is less than human. Furthermore, Iago uses logos not to refer to his credibility, but rather to.