In
Othello, Iago manipulates multiple
characters for his own self-benefit. In
the beginning, Iago starts by deceiving Roderigo by telling him that he will
help him get the love of his life for money.
In no way was Iago trying to help Roderigo; he was just taking the money
(II, iii.328-332). He then moves on to
beguiling Othello into believing that his wife was cheating on him in order to
get on his good side (III.iii.198-201). As
the play advances, Iago continues to weave a web of lies until he eventually he
is caught. The progression of deceit
which begins with minor flaws and moves toward greater involvement is not only
seen in Othello but in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe as well. Edmund deliberates which side is the good
side and which is the evil. He ends up
convincing himself that the witch is right and cannot turn back. It all started with a little piece of Turkish
delight with which the witch tempted him but snowballed into corruption of his
self-identity. This succession of
corruption is not unique to literature but found in historical events as well
as demonstrated in the life of Adolf Hitler.
He started off with a weak self image and paranoia and evolved into the epitome
of large scale misuse of power. Some
considered Hilter to be opportunistic in his early rise to power; however, with
more power came more inflexibility and unfounded hatred. Clearly, this led to countless
well-documented events of destruction and madness particularly toward the Jewish
people (Wistrich).
It
is difficult to distinguish corruption without considering the influence that
it has in leadership. Abuse of power was
present in Othello when Iago tries to make Cassio fight Roderigo in an attempt
to kick Cassio out of office. When he is
explaining his reasoning, Iago says, “For even out of that will I cause these
of Cyprus to mutiny, whose qualification shall come into no true taste again but
by the displanting of Cassio” (II.i.255-257). His main motive was to get Cassio out of
office so that would be the person to take his spot. In The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, Edmund
believes and resents that he is powerless and makes him susceptible the White
Witch’s offer to make him the prince. He
was all about the fame and glory of a leadership role that he missed what he
truly valued in life. Convinced that he
was destined to control the world, Hitler had a sole motive of ultimate
power. In all three of these examples it
was the quest for authority, position in power, and control that fueled the
demolition of their personal character.
In order for progression in a society to continue, it is critical for
those put in power to have integrity, competence, concerned for society as a
whole.
This video illustrates Hitler plotting to gain power and control through deception.
This video shows how the White Witch has control over Edmund, and his desire to gain control is what fuels his corruption.
Iago telling Othello that his wife is cheating on him.
Works Cited
Heath, Ian.
"Corruption of Power." Discover Your Mind. 2003. Web. 12 Feb. 2012.
<http://discover-your-mind.co.uk/3-corruption.htm>.
Perrine,
Lawrence, "Othello." Perrine's Literature: Structure, Sound, and
Sense. Fort Worth.
Harcourt
College. 2002. 1361-462. Print
The Lion, The
Witch, and The Wardrobe. Dir. Andrew Adamson. Perf. Tilda Swinton, Georgie
Henley
and William Moseley. Walt Disney Pictures, 2005. Film.
"The Lion,
the Witch and the Wardrobe." Thriving Family. Focus in the Family, 2011.
Web. 13
Feb.
2012. <http://www.thrivingfamily.com/Family/Media/book-reviews/l/lion-the-
witch-and-the-wardrobe.aspx>.
Wistrich, Robert
S. "Adolf Hitler: Biography." Jewish Virtual Library - Homepage.
Who's Who
in
Nazi Germany, 1997. Web. 12 Feb. 2012.
<http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Holocaust/hitler.html>.
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