The villains are cunning and skillful while using their mastery of manipulation to attempt to gain power. Shakespeare presents the tragedies Macbeth and Othello as plays filled with intrigue driven by manipulation. Shakespeare uses the power of language in the characters Iago and Lady Macbeth by using influential rhetoric to influence those around them and also lead to the fatal downfall of Othello and Macbeth. In both cases, Shakespeare reveals the power of power, for when things do not go as planned, their own downfall is also inevitable. In Macbeth, Lady Macbeth's actions show that women can also have the ambitions of men and perhaps be just as devious and evil. It is this ambition and ease of cruelty that fuels his manipulation. She is considered masculine in her character as she plays an assertive role while supporting and persuading a weak and fearful husband. Shakespeare allows Lady Macbeth to reject her femininity, thus allowing her to continue her murderous actions. Her influence on her husband reveals her weaknesses and those of men. Iago, for his part, is consumed by envy and seeks revenge on Othello. His constant deception and ease of manipulation allows us to see his amoral nature. Shakespeare allows the audience to establish a connection with Iago, we find ourselves intrigued by his evil actions. By highlighting the evil that we all carry within us, Shakespeare allows his audience to live through Iago. Both Lady Macbeth and Iago have the advantage of knowing their counterparts very well and are therefore able to plot and manipulate using their weaknesses against them. Lady Macbeth's ambition exceeds that of her husband and once she hears of the witches' prophecy, she feels that he will Ki...... middle of paper ......ion because that he does not give Othello the answers he seeks. Othello, already poisoned by hatred and anger, kills Iago to avenge the deaths of Desdemona and Emilia. In Macbeth and Othello, Shakespeare uses his characters to exploit their counterparts to get what they desire. They both disrupt the natural order of things in the room and bring downfall for everyone involved. They are both master manipulators who seek the power they believe they deserve and will stop at nothing until their will is done. Shakespeare reveals how jealousy and ambition can be blinding and only cause destruction for everyone involved. Works CitedShakespeare, William and EAJ Honigmann. Othello. London: Arden Shakespeare, 2001. Print.Shakespeare, William and Kenneth Muir. Macbeth. London: Methuen, 1972. Print.Garber, Marjorie B. Shakespeare After All. New York: Pantheon, 2004. Print.