In Shakespeare's Othello, Othello is a noble general based on his performance in battle. The play's villain Iago, however, is able to take advantage of Othello's vulnerabilities to make him behave in ignoble ways. Because Othello is of Moorish descent who now lives in Italy, he feels out of place and others discriminate against him. Brabantio is furious that his daughter Desdemona has fallen in love with Othello, and he uses racially-charged language to voice his feelings. Thus, Iago recognizes Othello's feelings of inferiority and takes advantage of them by making Othello think that Desdemona is really in love with Michael Cassio. Othello's rage causes him to do ignoble things such as plotting against Cassio and eventually killing Desdemona. So, Iago masterminds a plot to use Othello's vulnerabilities against him so that he behaves in an ignoble manner in the play.
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