Allena Frazier

Section 1
November 18, 2014
Mr. Janosch

Political scientist and journalist, Vadimir Iliych Lenin once said, One man with a gun
can control 100 without one,this is simply due to manipulation. Manipulation is a type of social
influence that aims to change the perception or behavior of others by doing commonly
unrighteous things. Manipulation can cause major social upheavals. Many common occurrences
or conflicts consist of manipulation. Manipulation can destroy a person emotionally and socially;
consequently, creating many personal conflicts within that person.
Manipulation can bring about different types of conflict. In act 4 scene 1 of Othello,
Iagos plan is in full effect and Othello is convinced that Desdemona is cheating on him.
Unaware of the underlying cause of his anger, Desdemona tries to soothe her husband, and he
strikes her. The 5th scenario in the domestic violence article discusses a woman who didnt
care if she went home for the holidays. If she were to go home for the holidays, she would have
to make up a lie about what happened to her ; a blanket of lies to cover the bruises, a method of
concealing her humiliation and embarrassment, because she was simply too ashamed to reveal
the truth to her friends and family about what she was really going through. The example of
manipulation related conflict from Othello represents an external conflict, in which there was an
exhibition of physical abuse, because Othellos perception of Desdemona had changed due to the
manipulation of Iago. In the 5th scenario from the domestic violence article, the woman
experiences an internal conflict, in which the humiliation of domestic violence has forced her to
keep quiet about what was happening to her.

Manipulation can change people in significant ways. In act 1 scene 3 of Othello, Othello
is being blamed of using witchcraft to make Desdemona love him. While defending himself he
says, If you do find me foul in her report, The trust, the office, I do hold of you Not only take
away, but let your sentence Even fall upon my life. Referring to act 4 scene 1 again, Othello hit
Desdemona when she tries to soothe his anger. In the beginning of the play Othello loved
Desdemona so much that he would have died for her, however throughout the play manipulation
has made it hard for him to find the love that he once had for her.
People manipulate others by using sympathy and guilt, lying, making themselves seem
indifferent, using criticism to gain control, and/or using intimidation. An excerpt from Lamb to
the Slaughter by Roald Dahl states, She returned with tearful eyes Please, she begged.
Personally, I couldnt eat a thing, but itd be a favor to me if you ate it up. Then you can go on
with your work. Lying is a common form of manipulation in Othello, and is shown throughout
the story with dramatic irony (when the reader knows something that a character doesnt). In act
2 scene 1, Iago and Roderigo worked together to trick Othello into thinking Desdemona was
cheating on him with Cassio however, in scene 1 of act 5, Iago kills Roderigo making it seem as
though Cassio did it. In the quote from Lamb to the Slaughter, the wife acts as if she is distraught
by the death of her husband so that the officers wouldnt nearly think of her as a suspect for his
murder. In Othello, Iago lies in order to have everyone end up killing each other in order for him
to become lieutenant without anyone interfering.
Although avoiding manipulation sounds efficient, it is indeed a difficult task to
accomplish. In act 5 scene 2 of Othello, Othello tells everyone in the room that one way he
knows that Desdemona cheated is because of the handkerchief that Iago told him he found in
Cassios home. When Emilia hears him say this she freaks out because she comes to the

realization that she has unknowingly helped Iago by giving him the handkerchief, manipulated
into being an accessory unwillingly.
One way to try to avoid manipulation is by telling people no sometimes. Standing up for
oneself is a huge factor in the avoidance of being manipulated. Taking pride in who you are,
knowing your value and place in society is a great way to stay afloat when a manipulating claw
tries to drag you down.When we recognize our own importance it is easier to remain true to
ourselves, creating an armor of confidence that manipulation can never break through.

Work Cited