Racial barriers are often used as a means to manipulate a member of a minority group. in The tragedy, Othello, was written by William Shakespeare (1564-1616), an English poet and playwright, often considered the greatest writer in the English language. The story begins with Othello, a black general in the Venetian army who secretly marries Desdemona, a white woman. At first, Othello promotes Michael Cassio as his lieutenant over Iago, encouraging mass jealousy. Desperate to get revenge on Othello, Iago creates elaborate plans to ruin his marriage to Desdemona. Iago's effective manipulation skills lead Othello to take his wife's life and then his own. Iago successfully manages to deceive Othello due to their many differences, mainly racial, and Iago's understanding of how manipulation works. Despite Othello's high status, it was still very difficult for him to gain a comprehensive point of view in a predominantly white-dominated society; it is this vulnerability that allowed Iago to thrive. Since Desdemona has deceived her father into marrying him, Iago tries to convince Othello that she is ...