In Othello, Iago uses his good reputation as an "honest man" and Othello's insecurities to manipulate him and carry out his master plan to destroy Cassio, Othello and Desdemona . Iago's understanding of other characters' weaknesses allows him to let them know exactly what they want to hear, which helps him gain their trust. He plays on the insecurities of others to push them to take the actions he needs to fulfill his own desires. As we observe Othello, we will consider Othello's blind acceptance of the "truth" as it is presented to him and we will discover that when we blindly take another's "truth" and accept it as our own, we simply become tools used by the person who gave us that presumed truth and we give up the power to be ourselves: we are unable to affirm a self. Iago is angry that Othello chose Cassio to fill a position he thinks he deserves, so he seeks revenge by playing on Othello's main flaw: his lack of confidence and putting Cassio in a position that would turn Othello against him. At the beginning of the play, as Cassio and Desdemona wait for Othello's ship to land, he takes her aside to talk about Othello's arrival. He innocently takes her hand as he speaks to her and Iago notices. Iago then says, “With so small a web I will catch a fly as great as Cassio” (2.1.166-167). Iago presents us viewers with his plan of revenge. He uses the word “network” because a network is a great representation of how his plan begins and develops. A web begins as a single line of rope and is then manipulated and tangled to form a more complex structure that cannot be undone without being destroyed. Iago does the same thing when he makes this blameless gesture and turns a...... middle of paper ...... and I realized they were lies and it was actually "honest Iago" who was lying, not his wife. In this world we must be ready to question everything and everyone because many of us have a certain selfishness in us and will be willing to go to extremes to reach the top, even if it means objectifying others and using them to our own advantage. When we blindly believe others, we give them a power over us that only we should have, so it is best to take their “truth” into consideration, but remember to never fail to at least attempt to confirm that truth and create our own. When we fail to do this, we give up our individuality and become just as inanimate as a tool that those who choose to create a truth will use and throw away. Works Cited: Shakespeare, William. Othello. Ed. Alvin Kernan. New York, NY: Penguin Group, 1963.