Doctor Iago's treatment of Othello.
The article presents Shakespeare's Iago as Hell's master therapist. Illustrated with excerpts from the play, the reader is shown how with consummate psychological skills, Iago bends his victims to his will. Step by step he awakens Othello's jealousy, and makes use of the hero's basic insecurity on account of his blackness. Once Othello has determined to take revenge, Iago makes sure to prevent a "relapse", by slyly administering small doses of doubt and pity. Predictably, Othello violently rejects these suggestions, thus becoming even more rigidly bent on his plan.
Omer
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Department of Psychology, Tel-Aviv University, Israel.
Da Verona
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D004324:Drama; D006801:Humans; D008093:Literature, Modern; D008513:Medicine in Literature; D011613:Psychotherapy; D013404:Suggestion