Othello

The Forces That Both Bind and Sever Susan Snyder wrote in “Othello’s Alien Status”: Shakespeare had deprived [Othello] of any common ground with Desdemona on which he can stand to fight back- not only to facilitate Iago’s deception, but to heighten the tragic paradox of human love, individuals dependent on each other but unalterably separate and mysterious to one another in their separateness… Iago is an envious, insecure human being who functions as …

…these differences in order to socially shame Othello and Desdemona. By planting the seed of social distrust, Iago is able to take advantage of Othello’s vulnerability. Without any common ground, Othello and Desdemona were unable to fight Iago’s manipulations and remain in love. It is through Iago’s manipulation of the differences that one drew Othello and Desdemona together that he eventually creates jealous rage within Othello, provoking the death of the couple.