The Manipulation of Perception in OthelloThis article contains 237 words of teacher commentary. What we perceive is influenced by our environment. The setting and comments surrounding the events change our perception of them. Any innocent gesture can be frowned upon if persuaded enough by someone else. Even if someone has complete confidence in another person's innocence, they can be persuaded to doubt them through turns of events. Once a little doubt has been sown, it influences how everything else is perceived. This happens throughout the play Othello. In this play, Iago influences Othello's perception of events through speeches and lies, making him doubt Desdemona's fidelity. Iago uses his talent for manipulating events to take revenge on Othello. Iago's turn of events in Othello's mind leads to Othello's downfall as expected, but since he also fails to distort Emilia's perception, he facilitates his own eventual downfall. When Iago first sets out to deceive Othello, he says to him: “Look at your wife; observe it carefully with Cassio” (3.3.196). He knows that if he can sow enough doubt and jealousy in Othello's mind, Othello only needs to see Desdemona being friendly with Cassio to suspect infidelity. After that, when Desdemona asks for Cassio's reinstatement, it seems like she's trying to get something better for her lover, instead of just helping a friend. Iago speaks of jealousy and deception in this same scene, but never gives any evidence or direct descriptions of Desdemona's betrayal. Yet we know that Othello's perception has been influenced enough to make him angry and ill by the end of this conversation. He tells Desdemona that he has a headache, but he refuses any help from her. When she puts her handkerchief on his head, he pushes it away, saying, “Your towel is too small” (3.3.285). This takes on more importance later in the play when we discover that this handkerchief is the first token of love Othello ever gave to Desdemona. Also in this scene we see how much Othello had trusted, loved and believed in Desdemona. He says, "I don't think Desdemona is honest" and "If she is false, then heaven is laughing at itself!" I won’t believe it” (3.3.223, 275-6). But he suspects her, and it seems that these statements are only there to convince himself that she is really true..