William Shakespeare’s illustrious play Othello illustrates that the destructive nature of jealousy inevitably leads to desolation as it obscures reality, consumes the mind, and damages relationships. Jealousy is a prominent theme in this tragedy as it motivates many of the characters’ actions, and suggests a lot about the impacts and essence of jealousy itself. The play’s antagonist, Iago, is the first character to exhibit jealousy, which in turn spawns thoughts of retribution that prompt him to generate a plan to seek revenge on all those that he feels have wronged him. Throughout the play, Iago articulates his jealousy of both Othello and Cassio. He reveals that he is jealous of Cassio for securing the position of lieutenant, which Iago feels he was more deserving of, and jealous of Othello not only for his powerful position, but also because of his suspicion that Othello has slept with his wife, Emilia, “And it is thought abroad that ‘twixt my sheets/ He’s done my office. I know not if’t be true/ Yet I, for mere suspicion in that kind, / Will do as if for surety” (I. iii, 379, 3...
The play, Othello is one of the most famous tragedies composed by William Shakespeare during the Renaissance period. It powerfully portrays a world where the acts of evil ultimately vanquishes fidelity, nobility and integrity. The central themes jealousy and manipulation embodies the foretold tragedies and the downfall tragedies of the characters due to one’s insecurities. Through the use of literary techniques and figurative language, Shakespeare has effectively explored the themes of jealousy and manipulation.
In the play Othello, there are many jealous and selfish characters. Each of the characters at one point or another let their jealousy take over. It seems like they all have these plots and plans on how to hurt another character in the play either physically or emotionally, as an act of selfishness, so that they can feel better about themselves. One main character who seems extremely jealous in this play is Iago. Infact, probably the most jealous. Many bad things happen because of Iago. The first bad thing that Iago did, was tell Barbantio (Desdamona's father) that Desdemona has married Othello, the Moore. Iago was mad at Othello, because Cassio had made Othello a higher position and not Iago. Iago thought that he was the one who qualified for the position as general, not Othello. Iago was jealous because of this, so he decided to tell Barbantio about Desdemona and Othello. This was bad, because Barbantio did not know yet, and something like that should have been said by his own daughter, not someone who was not part of the family. The way Iago went about telling him was also bad. He called to his house in the middle of the night. He yelled it to Barbantio from downstairs into his window in a rude manner. " quote from Othello here." He wanted Barbantio to be upset about what had happened, and most of all, he wanted Barbantio to be mad at Othello and do something bad to him.
The play “Othello” by William Shakespeare was written in 1604 during the Elizabeth era. Othello is one of the most extraordinary characters in all of Shakespeare’s dramas. He enjoyed unheralded success in the combat zone, which gave him the reputation as one of Venice’s most competent generals. Even though he has great success in the battlefield, he has a dramatic flaw that causes a downfall in his life. The dramatic flaw that causes his downfall is jealousy. This was brought on by a simple persuasion of Iago, the evil character in the play. Even though Iago used extreme manipulation to get Othello to be jealous, Iago did not really have to try very hard to get Othello in a jealous state of mind. Othello was blinded by his jealousy which led him down a path of constant questioning of his wife and his friend Cassio. Throughout the play we see his dramatic flaw sink him deeper and deeper into a cloud of doubt which eventually leads him to kill not only his love of his life but also himself.
“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.
The Key to Tragedy: Jealousy and Manipulation William Shakespeare, also known as the English national poet, remains considered as “the greatest dramatist of all time.” He has written many plays that provide readers an outlook towards human conflict and emotion. Othello, one of Shakespeare’s famous plays, has various movie versions. Tim Blake Nelson’s 2001 updated modern version of Othello, “O”, integrates the important symbolism of the handkerchief as well as themes of jealousy and manipulation; yet, it devalues the important features of women discrimination and early modern English language. The handkerchief engages a very important part of both the play and the movie.
Jealousy’s true destructive wrath and the pure evil it brings out in people can be revealed through Iago’s actions throughout the tragedy Othello. Throughout the play, jealousy is a ruler over Iago’s thoughts and actions, influencing the way he feels about himself. Iago’s jealousy is exhibited while speaking with Roderigo “One Michael Cassio, a Florentine/ (A fellow almost damned in a fair wife)/ That never set a squadron in the field, / Nor the division of a battle knows/ More than a spinster—unless the bookish theoric, / Wherein the toged consuls can propose/ As masterly as he.
Humans are unable to recognize that jealousy is an incurable disease that can cause manipulative false realities. In the play Othello, written by William Shakespeare, it is a clear indication of how one's inherent fears and uncertainties can be exploited and manipulated by a corrupted mind to conquer personal motives. To annihilate Iago’s personal jealousy towards certain characters, Iago completely understands his victim’s nature and needs and uses this to completely destroy them. To add to this, Iago does not have any core beliefs or morals, easily allowing him to play with others emotions without regret. Therefore, Iago’s hate for jealousy leads to Iago manipulating others and playing with their feelings to benefit himself.
“Beware of jealousy for verily it destroys good deeds the way fire destroys wood” (Hadith). In the play, Othello, Iago is a soldier that becomes jealous, and rivalries with the Moor, Othello, and the chosen one, Cassio, for his next in command. Iago is upset because he wanted to be Othello’s next in command. In the opening scene Roderigo and Iago are talking, Iago is explaining to Roderigo that he will take down Othello and Cassio will not take the spot that was meant for him. Roderigo on the other hand is jealous for love. He is jealous of the love Desdemona has grown to have for Othello. Roderigo will do as told by Iago, to get Desdemona to love him as Iago promised. Iago has his ways planned to seek revenge on Othello, he will not stop until he brings Othello down. Jealousy is a
Shakespeare’s work “Othello” emphasizes the dangers of jealousy. The play demonstrates how jealousy is powered by affirmations that can easily be proven false. Therefore, resulting in the destruction of many lives, including the tragic hero himself. It is extremely apparent that jealousy is a behavioral propellant on the entire plot. Specifically, the play begins in the midst of Iago’s jealous behavior towards Cassio. Lago’s twisted actions refer to the source of jealousy, indicating that he takes revenge on the people around him and is the least discontent with the lives he damages. As the play progresses, both the tragic hero and Iago’s jealous behavior develops. Othello’s Moorish values make him obscure in comparison to other Venetians suggests that the reason for his jealousy is unreasonable. Notably, Shakespeare exhibits that jealousy is unreasonable throughout the play as a result of the tragic hero’s fatal flaw, an issue that is psychological. The action and behavior Othello performs in enviousness is not a source of a reasonable act of
Have you ever been jealous of someone due to some reason? One can understand how jealousy can affect him or her to do horrible things. Jealousy causes people to perform stupid actions that they would not have done if they were not jealous of something or someone. The protagonist and the antagonist are mostly driven by love and filled with the feeling of jealousy. Due to the feeling of jealousy felt by the antagonist, Iago about not getting the job he wanted, he makes a plan to somehow destroy Othello’s love for Desdemona. As the play progresses, the protagonist, Othello begins to appear more like Iago, as his jealousy destroys his wife and consumes his life. Therefore, jealousy is personified as a “green eyed monster” through the combination of Othello’s credulous nature and Iago’s malicious villainy. It is the reason for the change in Iago’s and Othello’s behavior, impacts the insecurity
A.C. Bradley describes Othello as "by far the most romantic figure among Shakespeare's heroes"(Shakespearean Tragedy, 1). This is an unusual description of a man who murders his own wife. However, Othello's feelings of hate for Desdemona started as an overwhelming love for her when their relationship began. This transformation from love to hate also inflicted the characters Iago and Roderigo and like Othello their hatred resulted in the murder of innocent people. Roderigo's love for Desdemona was transformed into hate towards any man that he thought was loved by her. Iago's love for his job and his wife, Emilia changed into a destructive hatred of Cassio and Othello. As a result of their hatred Cassio, Emilia, and at the end themselves were killed. The connection between love and hate in William Shakespeare's "Othello" is the ugly feeling of jealousy that caused such transformations. Jealousy can be described as a fear of losing something or someone that is valuable (Godfrey 2). As minor as this feeling appears to be by that definition, it can take on varying degrees of damaging behavior. Othello, Roderigo, and Iago became paralyzed by jealousy. Their thoughts, actions, and behaviors were ruled by it. Jealousy caused their inability to the act rationally. They became paranoid and unable to love. This paper will examine the jealousy that caused love to turn into hate for Roderigo, Othello, and Iago.
What is the most disastrous human emotion? William Shakespeare's Othello makes it clear that the answer to this question is jealousy. After all, it is jealousy that drives Iago to concoct the plan, which ruins the lives of several innocent people including Othello, Desdemona, Emilia, and Roderigo. This play poses a distinct character foil between Shakespeare's vilest villain, Iago, and the honest, but easily mislead Othello. This tragedy is mostly based upon Iago's suggestion of an affair between Othello's wife, Desdemona, and the lieutenant Cassio. As a loving, trusting husband, Othello at first does not want to believe the insinuations, but his feelings are distorted by the cunning Iago into believing his base slander. Othello's soliloquy in Act III depicts this transformation of his character from an understanding, straightforward man to an angry, suspicious, and jealous husband.
Jealousy can sometimes be an inevitable feeling to have towards other people in relationships or even in friendships, and that feeling can negatively affect the bonds with these certain people. One of the main themes in Shakespeare’s Othello, was how friendships and marriages can be ruined all because of one person’s jealousy, which can ring true in real life.
Jealousy can make one feel apprehensive about their relationship, questioning their thoughts and decisions. When Iago plants false information in Othello’s mind regarding Cassio and Desdemona using the handkerchief Othello had gifted Desdemona, “If it be that, or any that was hers, It speaks against her with the other proofs.” (3.3.440-441). Iago knowing that the handkerchief is very valuable to Othello, used it against him to make him believe that indeed Desdemona is in love with Cassio and to the extent that she gave him the handkerchief which Othello had gifted to Desdemona with love. At this point it only strikes Othello’s mind that maybe Desdemona is unfaithful towards him but when he sees that what Iago had said about the handkerchief is true, Cassio had it “did you see the handkerchief/by his hand”, (4.1.164, 166) he became certain that Desdemona and Cassio have an affair and starts to feel insecure about his relationship with Desdemona. This shows that jealousy can cause harm to one’s relationship with someone. As Othello feels more insecure with his relationship, he goes through a sudden change in character due to his wife’s unfaithfulness.
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...