Iago as a master manipulator in Othello In Othello, by William Shakespeare, the character of Iago cleverly and cleverly alters the appearance of reality in the minds of some characters which are clouded from emotions. Although Iago deceives both Cassio and Roderigo, the character most vulnerable to Iago's betrayal appears to be Othello. Being a good director and manipulator of emotions and intentions, Iago carries out his plan to exploit Othello's mental weakness almost flawlessly. Iago's ability to bend and sometimes replace the truth with his own lies drives the overall action of the play. The characters most vulnerable to Iago's manipulation seem to be those who appear most emotionally confused. Iago finds a way to alter these characters' perception of reality and pushes them to believe in a false reality created by Iago's twisted mind. The emotions Iago plays on are those of love and jealousy, which Iago calls "the green-eyed monster that mocks / The flesh he feeds on" (3.3.179-180). Roderigo and Cassio fall into Iago's betrayal through one if not both of these emotions. However, Othello turns out to be the character most vulnerable to Iago's wickedness. Iago himself says that "I will pour this plague into his ea...... middle of paper....... Othello. Directed by Oliver Parker with Laurence Fishburne and Kenneth Branagh. Columbia Pictures/ Castlerock Entertainment, 1995 .Pitt, Angela. "Evil in Shakespeare's Tragedies." , Poetry and Theater, Sixth Edition. Othello Eds New York: Washington Square Press, 1993.