Manipulation

Doesn't it just make you cringe when you (as an audience or a reader) can see the horrors that are going on while the characters are completely oblivious as to how they are being manipulated? If someone was observing my facial expressions while I was reading Othello, I am sure they would have had a good laugh! Each time Iago so smoothly used his words to set up his whole master plan, my hatred grew for his character. Iago created mass amounts of suspicion and havoc to almost everyone he came in contact with. This was not the first time I had similar feeling for a character, and I am sure it will not be my last. Let's take for example the character of Galinda in Wicked, this "sweet, innocent girl" manipulates those around her in an attempt to land the man of her dreams. In my mythology course last semester, I read Medea by Euripides. The character of Medea had similar devious manorisms as Iago. Both took total advantage of those around them in an attempt to attain personal satisfaction. For Medea that personal satisfaction was revenge and Iago longed for revenge but also to move up in the rankings. How can someone be so selfish to literally destroy and end the lives of those they are trying to get "one up on?" Medea ends up fleeing in a chariot with her dead children and no place to call "home," all with a smile and no glimpse of remorse. As Iago is taken away in Act 5 to become a tortured slave, he too shows no sign of remorse... how is this possible? Euripides, Winnie Holzman, and Shakespeare do a wonderful job of evolving characters with a good "reputation" to be villains and manipulators!
Here are the facial expressions of boldface, backstabbing, liars.... would you fall for their games?


Galinda, Iago, Medea