Othello is a man of extreme contrasts. He is either a master of his own fortune or a paranoid man full of insecurity. The early acts show Othello to be self- aware with a strong sense of control over any situation. As Iago begins to plant the seeds of doubt in Othello's mind about his wife's fidelity, Othello's structure of the world disintegrates. The Othello that murders Desdemona is a tortured man with a fragile sense of self-worth.