The Manipulation Of Jealousy In Shakespeare's Othello

907 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Why is iago to blame for othello downfall

“It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock / The meat if feeds on. That cuckold lives in bliss / Who, certain of his fate, loves not his wronger; But O, what damned minutes tells he o’er / Who dotes, yet doubts; suspects, yet strongly loves!” (Shakespeare, III. III) The play Othello by William Shakespeare is a tragedy that tells the story of a strong general, Othello who finds his marriage to be ruined by Iago, a jealous soldier. Othello is an honorable and experienced commander of the Venetian army. Throughout the play, Othello is manipulated by Iago, who makes him believe that his wife, Desdemona, is having an affair with Cassio, Othello’s lieutenant. Through Iago’s plans, his lies feed Othello’s jealousy and it makes him lose sight …show more content…

As a part of his plan, Iago tricks Cassio into talking about Bianca, a prostitute, and gets him to mimic sexual gestures. While this is happening, Othello sees and hears everything and believes that they are talking about Desdemona. While Othello is hiding, he says to himself, “She was here even now, she haunts me in every place. I was the other day talking on the seabank with certain Venetians; and thither comes the bauble, and, by this hand, she falls me thus about my neck—Crying “O dear Cassio!” as it were: his gesture imports it.” “Now he tells how she plucked him to my chamber. O, I see that nose of yours, but not that dog I shall throw it to.” (IV. I). In reality, what Othello is seeing and hearing is not true. Iago has planned all of this to make it seem like Cassio and Desdemona are really having an …show more content…

Iago changes Othello’s mindset and he changes how other view him. He leads Othello into suspecting that Cassio is having an affair with his wife, Desdemona. Iago comes up with a variety of plans in order to destroy the characters. The main character of the play trusts Iago and he believes that he is a truthful man, he believes that Iago is telling him the truth about everything. In the following quote, Iago says “The Moor is of a free and open nature, that thinks men honest that but seem to be so, and will as tenderly be led by the nose as asses are.” (I. III). Before this scene, Othello trusts Iago with his wife and tells him to escort her to Cyprus. Iago knows that Othello considers him as a sincere friend and he plans on using that in his deceitful plans.

Appearance versus reality is one of the central themes in the play Othello. In the play,

Iago appears to be an honest man but in reality he is master of deceit. He comes up with

several plans to destroy Othello by making him believe that his wife, Desdemona, is

Show More
Related

  • Iago Manipulation In Othello

    1386 Words  | 3 Pages

    When Othello asks Iago for proof of Desdemona’s deceit, Iago describes scenes and events in which Othello has a reason to be jealous. In Act III, Scene I Iago is describing to Othello, Desdemona and Cassio’s imagined relationship, “It is impossible you should see this/ were they as prime as goats, as hot as monkeys, as salt as wolves in pride, and fools as gross as ignorance made drunk.” These images planted themselves inside Othello’s mind and haunted him until he did something about it. These images led to Othello believing Desdemona really did love Cassio.

    Read More

  • Cruel Iago In Shakespeare's Othello

    1286 Words  | 3 Pages

    Othello is strikingly an outcast, he is an exotic in a white man’s society. Othello is referred to as the “The Moor” throughout this whole play, “Moor is a name applied to the Arab and Berber peoples in North Africa who inhabited medieval Spain” (Karen Kay BritainInprint). This already sets him apart from everyone else, making it easy for Iago to make Othello sound like the bad guy. All the more so, his relationship with Desdemona was not thought of highly and very rare at this time. With Othello being an outcast and in a marriage that no one approves of, it sets up Iago to be able to capitalize on Othello’s lack of confidence and to make Othello feel jealous. Iago starts off by, telling Othello that Desdemona is being unfaithful to him and that she prefers people of the same type as her, Iago states, “As – to be bold with you – / Not to affect many proposed matches / Of her own clime, complexion, and degree, / Whereto we see in all things nature tends” (3.3. 244-247). Iago knows that Cassio is the perfect match, he is the same age, same race and class as Desdemona, whereas Othello does not have any other these characteristics. Furthermore, Iago uses Desdemona’s pass against her to convince Othello of her unfaithfulness, “She did deceive her father, marrying you; / And when she seemed to shake and fear your looks, / She loved them the most” (3.3. 220-223), Iago deceives that Desdemona, having already go behind her father’s back, there is a very high chance that she will be unfaithful to Othello. Little by little, Iago wears down Othello’s wall piece by piece and the jealousy and doubt begin to grow wild in Othello. Additionally, Iago clouds Othello’s mind to the point where Othello trust no one but Iago. Iago wraps Othello in nothing but lies, continuing to use Othello’s lack of confidence in himself and Othello’s growing doubt and jealousy until he is turned

    Read More

  • The Manipulation Of Jealousy In Shakespeare's Othello

    963 Words  | 2 Pages

    “O, beware, my lord, of jealousy;It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock.The meat it feeds on; that cuckold lives in bliss. Who, certain of his fate, loves not his wronger; But, O, what damned minutes tells he o'er. Who dotes, yet doubts, suspects, yet strongly loves” (3.3.163-168). In Shakespeare’s Othello, jealousy is the common theme that becomes Othello’s undoing. Through text in the play, the audience can notice Othello slowly begin to become crazed through his speech.

    Read More

  • Pure and Foolish Love in Othello

    1273 Words  | 3 Pages

    Othello, the central character of William Shakespeare's play is an excellent leader but a poor reasoner and foolish lover. The tragedy of `Othello' is largely due to Othello's personality and life experience. Othello believes himself to be loved and respected by everyone around him as most people refer to him as the "noble General Othello". Othello, after realizing his tragic mistake of murdering his innocent wife, Desdemona, claims he "loved not wisely, but too well", this is an honest reflection of himself as his love was true and pure but also foolish. His lack of wisdom is because of his little experience in personal relationship and his role as a noble solider. Othello did love too well and it is shown right through the play as he displays his love for Desdemona but also his ignorant trust and love for Iago, his Ancient.    Only knowing a soldier's life, Othello was unwise in relationships and love.

    Read More

  • Violence in Shakespeare's Othello

    1336 Words  | 3 Pages

    The situation above leaves an opening for Iago to fulfill his vital plan to bring down Othello through Desdemona. Cassio was a mental wreck and told Iago that his reputation was ruined. Iago told him that he can get his rank back through Desdemona and get back on Othello's good side. "Confess yourself freely to her, importune her help to put you in your place again (p. 54)." Once Cassio talks to Desdemona, Iago will speak with Othello and get him to think of his wife's trust. In Act three Scene three Iago is speaking to Othello and warns him to look out for Cassio and Desdemona. Othello asks Iago if it was just Cassio that left from speaking with his wife.

    Read More

  • How Does Iago Manipulate Othello's Character Throughout The Play

    700 Words  | 2 Pages

    Iago first starts this manipulation by lying to Othello about what he heard from Cassio. He tells Othello that Cassio has been having sex with desdemona and that desdemona truly only loves Cassio. By doing this he places a seed of doubt into his head and that seed slowly starts to grow and grow until it blossoms into jealousy and hatred. Othello slowly starts to resent Cassio and Desdemona and also he resents Iago a little because he was the one that pointed it out. Iago later would trick Othello into believing that desdemona has given the handkerchief that Othello originally gave to her to Cassio. Iago later then tells Othello to watch them closely as they interact with each other. Iago would later get Othello so riled up that he goes and murders desdemona. This is far from the honorable man we saw in the beginning of the

    Read More

  • Iago Machiavellian Character Essay

    1027 Words  | 3 Pages

    Othello seems to be a man that knows who and what he believes in, but his flaw outweighs the trust he so strongly puts in the individuals who surround him. Since the beginning of Iago’s career alongside Othello, he has slowly been gaining Othello’s trust and Friendship. Othello blindly trusts him because of the outward appearance of Iago’s nature. Slowly Iago begins causing doubts in the mind of Othello, but he advises him to “beware, my lord, of jealousy! It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock the meat it feeds on” (CITATION). Iago falsely gives faith to Othello that everything might be a lie in order to further gain his trust as honest Iago. In addition, Iago retains his lies in order to make Othello 's think that he is trying to be a good friend to Cassio as well by keeping this a secret from Othello. The way Othello begins to trust Iago so greatly is his fault. Iago uses Othello 's throughout the fourth act heavily through a series of lies he construes, these lies are not only the end of Othello, Desdemona, and other characters, but the end of Iago as

    Read More

  • How Does Iago Change In Othello

    2005 Words  | 5 Pages

    All Iago had to do was hint at Desdemona being unfaithful and Othello’s becomes very bothered it and eventually starts believing it. The author of an essay does an analysis on Iago and says “He slowly poisons people’s thoughts, creating ideas in their heads without implicating himself. Iago even says himself that the advice he gives is free and honest and thus, people rarely stop to consider the possibility that Iago is fooling them.“ (Shakespeare’s Othello – Honest Iago). So Iago would hint at something going between Desdemona and Cassio so that Othello would become bothered and ask him what he means by that, it was like a game that Iago was playing, he would drop a little hint and then expect Othello to pick up on it and start questioning it and become more even suspicious. Brabantio tells Othello “Look to her, Moor, if thou hast eyes to see. She has deceived her father, and may thee” (I.ii.286-287), So In this scene Brabantio warns Othello that Desdemona has already fooled him and she might fool him too, so be careful, and it turns out, Othello believed in him after all and that’s part of the reason of why he thinks that Desdemona is being unfaithful to him. It leads him to start questioning Desdemona in a very suspicious way. At one point he even hits her in front of a nobleman and that was very shocking to the nobleman because he believed him to be a very calm and collected gentleman but obviously he was a changed man. The nobleman even expresses his shock by saying that “My lord, this would not be believed in Venice, though I should swear I saw’t. ‘Tis very much make her amends; she weeps” (IV .i.217-219). This negative thinking and insecurity was one of the main reasons to Othello’s change in a negative way. A lot of this was Iago’s doing but it was also Othello’s fault to fall for Iago’s

    Read More

  • Iago's Tragedy In Othello

    1242 Words  | 3 Pages

    Othello is willing to extend faith and trust to Iago, and Othello mistakenly believes that Iago loves him. Othello’s crime is not trusting his wife, and trusting a dishonest character. When Iago tells Othello “Did you perceive how he laughed at his vice?” (4.1.137). Iago is telling Othello that Cassio laughs when he admits to having slept with Desdemona. Othello thinks this is true because Othello trusts Iago, but it would have been possible for Othello to think Cassio was lying to Iago. Othello talking with Iago decides he will kill Desdemona with poison, but changes his mind and decides to kill her by strangling her in bed at Iago’s suggestion.

    Read More

  • Tragic Hero's Downfall In Othello '

    775 Words  | 2 Pages

    Throughout the drama, Othello let Iago control him as if he was a puppet under his master’s hands. When Iago first brought up the idea that Desdemona and Cassio might be having an affair, Othello did not believe him, he had faith in his wife. After many lies that Iago planted in Othello’s ears, Othello started to believe him and he dropped most of the faith that he had in Desdemona. Iago told Othello that in his sleep, Cassio said “Sweet Desdemona, let us be wary, let us hide our love”. Cursed fate that gave thee the Moor” (III.iii.416-417).

    Read More

  • Iago Is To Blame For Othello's Crime

    479 Words  | 1 Pages

    He tells Othello that his wife, Desdemona, is having an affair with Michael Cassio, Othello’s lieutenant. This is shown when he says “I’ll pour this pestilence into his ear/That she repeals him for her body’s lust”. Othello is naïve and trusts Iago’s word instead of investigating himself. He repeatedly refers to Iago as “Honest Iago” and begins to doubt his wife. This is evident because he says “I think my wife be honest, and think she

    Read More

  • Jealousy In Shakespeare's Othello

    788 Words  | 2 Pages

    Oftentimes people are motivated by the feeling of hate and the desire for hate. In Othello by William Shakespeare, Iago is a sSoldier who is furious due to not being promoted. He has been loyal to Othello and has experience, yet Othello still promotes Cassio a man who is less qualified for the job. There are also rumors that Othello and also slept with his wife. This all motivates Iago to seek revenge and ruin Othello's reputation.

    Read More

  • The Manipulation Of Jealousy In Shakespeare's Othello

    1289 Words  | 3 Pages

    The timeless and complex nature of human frailties that lie at the core of literature allows the subject and their themes to retain relevance throughout time. The story of William Shakespeare's, Othello, written in 1603 before being published in 1622, is a timeless representation of race, love, jealousy and betrayal. The story revolves around Othello, a black soldier, but is in a sense more central to Iago, an enraged, manipulative man fuelled with vengeance after being passed over for lieutenancy; that initiated the destruction of his fellow characters and brought in a twisted, scheming set of events that transcended this play from a tame love-story to one of deep thematic concerns. Through the sowing of doubts trust is eroded and suspicion

    Read More

  • Othello - A Play That Transcends Time

    955 Words  | 2 Pages

    In essence, Othello follows the Aristotelian model of tragedy. Shakespeare’s text documents Othello’s downfall from a position of nobility and self-assuredness to a man ruined by jealousy. Othello’s downfall is made apparent by his degenerating language as the play progresses. His early eloquence, most notably displayed in his speech to the Venetian court declaring his love for Desdemona, is lost and taken over by bestial imagery once attributed to Iago. Iago describes Desdemona and Cassio “as prime as goats, as hot as monkeys” and his earlier plan to “pour this pestilence into [Othello’s] hear” is achieved when Othello mimics him, eventually exclaiming “Goats and monkeys!” Dramatic irony also intensifies the demise of Othello and Desdemona. Responders are aware of the consequences when Desdemona innocently describes Cassio as her “suitor” as they are privy to Othello’s doubts of her infidelity and the effect of the euphemism. Similarly Ia...

    Read More

  • Jealousy, Love and Betrayal in Othello by William Shakespeare

    1748 Words  | 4 Pages

    The role of jealousy, love and betrayal play a major role in The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice. The entire play is based on the human interactions of the characters as related to Othello and Desdemona. The characters’ personalities, their social status, and their relationships to each other control the story line and their fate in the play. Othello is portrayed early in the play as an outsider with animalistic characteristics by Iago and Roderigo because of jealousy. “Your heart is burst; and have lost half of your soul/Even now, now, very now, an old black ram/Is tupping your white ewe”.(531) Desdemona’s father, Brabantio, accuses Othello of using witch craft on his daughter. “If she in chains of magic were not bound/ Whether a maid so tender, fair, and happy/ So opposite to marriage that she shunned…” (535) This point is important because Othello must defend himself not only to Desdemona’s father, Brabantio, but to the entire Venetian Senate. “And till she come, as truly as to heaven,/ I do confess the vices of my blood./ So justly to your grave ears I’ll present/ How I did thrive in this fair lady’s love, / And she in mine.” (539) Othello proves himself to be an intellectual hero early in the play. He has worked hard to gain respectability and power, but because he has a different background, is from another country, is dark-skinned and is older than Desdemona, he becomes jealous very quickly of Cassio. Cassio is from the same social class, is compatible with Desdemona and is a young handsome man. Iago has also convinced Cassio to seek favor with Desdemo...

    Read More

More about The Manipulation Of Jealousy In Shakespeare's Othello

Open Document