Discuss the intrigues in Othello. Or Write a note on Shakespeare's use of intrigues in Othello.

Discuss the intrigues in Othello.

Or

Write a note on Shakespeare's use of intrigues in Othello.

The tragedy in Othello issues out of a network of intrigues woven tactfully by lago, the villain of the play. There are three distinct intrigues, all woven by Iago, forwarding the action of the play to a tragic end. These are: (a) Iago's intrigues against Roderigo, (b) his intrigue against Cassio and (c) his intrigue against the married love and happiness of Othello and Desdemona.

Roderigo, one of the fashionable gallants of Venice is a fool and a ridiculous example of a soldier. He loves Desdemona without getting any response and hangs around her house against the wishes of her father. Even after her marriage he persists in following her and gives money and jewelry to his master Iago who promises to hand them over to Desdemona, but Iago actually keeps everything for himself. It is lago who first incites him to provoke Brabantio against Othello and Desdemona in order to spoil their newly married bliss. When Roderigo becomes conscious of Iago's trickery and demands his jewels back, he plots to murder him.

Iago becomes jealous of Cassio, a faithful officer and a servant of Othello, when he is promoted to the post of a lieutenant, which he coveted. So he hatches intrigues against him. He makes him drunk while he is on duty in the guard room and incites Roderigo to pick up a quarrel with him. He thus succeeds in securing his dismissal. He even suspects him to have a secret relation with his wife, Emilia. He is afraid that one day or the other Roderigo would expose him to Othello. So he sets Roderigo to waylay Cassio at night and murder him, for he thinks that he will be gainer in any case—whether Roderigo kills Cassio or Cassio him or each kills the other.

Iago thinks that Othello has done him great injustice by appointing Cassio as his lieutenant. He also suspects Othello to have Illicit relation with-his wife, Emilia. So he plans to destroy the conjugal happiness of Desdemona and Othello. On the one hand, he suggests to Cassio to obtain Desdemona's recommendations to secure his recall in the job, on the other hand, he poisons Othello's ears by suggesting to him that Desdemona is eager for Cassio's recall in order to satisfy her lust. He makes the Moor jealous of Desdemona by clever insinuations and at the same time arranges the meeting between Desdemona and Cassio. The sight of the handkerchief and Cassio's talking lightly to his wife, madden him. He decides to strangle Desdemona and asks Iago to murder Cassio. Accordingly Desdemona is killed by Othello and later. T

hus lago's intrigues form the basis of the plot of the play. It is actually lago's intrigues and not any supernatural power which lead to the tragic ending of the play.