In the Tragedy Othello, by William Shakespeare, writing strategies such as symbolism help portray central ideas such as jealousy. Shakespeare’s use of specific words and actions helps exemplify what the characters are planning to do, think, or feel. For example, in Act 3 scene 3, the jealousy Othello feels towards Cassio and Desdemona's relationship, is shown through the use of symbolic words, which highlight how jealous he really is.
In Act 3 scene 3, Iago tries to manipulate Cassio and Desdemona’s and his choice of words symbolizes his attempt to make Othello question their relationship and become even more jealous. For instance, by Iago stating, “O, beware, my lord, of jealousy!It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock the meat it feeds on,” (3.3.195-197), he states that Othello must be careful when it comes to jealousy, because like a “green-eyed monster” jealousy feeds on the person and hurts them. This is symbolizes Iago’s attempt to make Othello more
…show more content…
For example, when Othello responds to Iago by stating,
“Why, why is this? Think'st thou I'd make a life of jealousy, To follow still the changes of the moon With fresh suspicions? No. To be once in doubt Is once to be resolved.” (3.3.207-210), it symbolizes that he is in denial of the situation by making it seem like he’s in control of it, but wanting and needing proof in order to end his doubts. In addition, Othello also tates, “...will I draw The smallest fear or doubt of her revolt, For she had eyes, and chose me. No, Iago; I'll see before I doubt; when I doubt, prove; And on the proof, there is no more but this: Away at once with love or jealousy.” (3.3.218-223), which symbolizes Othello’s masculinity, since he needs proof of his wife’s infidelity and if there is, he won’t be hurt he’ll just give up on love and jealousy, when in reality it’s not that easy to do
1.) In the play “The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice” written by Williams Shakespeare, he reveals the main themes in Othello’s final speech. The two main themes Othello illustrates in his final speech are reputation and jealousy. In Othello’s speech he says, “When you shall these unlucky deeds relate, speak of me as I am.” (Shakespeare 355), showing the importance of his reputation. He is unable to cope with criticism due to his low-self-esteem and therefore, cares what other individuals have to say about him. Othello’s dark skin is the reason why he does not have high-self-esteem and becomes jealous when Iago tells him about his wife having an affair with Cassio. Othello loves Desdemona but he feels that he is not good enough for her
Othello has many positive traits, including being a great leader and loyal. He also has one negative trait that ultimately leads to his death; jealousy. Iago provokes deep, strong emotions in Othello, jealousy being the strongest. Jealousy is a nasty little emotion. It causes people to do terrible things because once it is on a person’s conscience, it stays for quite some time. Because of these effects, jealousy can impact some of the strongest people such as Othello. The love between Desdemona and Othello was portrayed so elevated and pure and was filled with religious words and phrases that just added to the strength and sanctity of their love. Othello has such a strong mind, but jealousy caused by the manipulation of Iago, negatively impacts him. Iago convinces Othello that Desdemona is cheating on him with his friend Cassio. 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
Othello is tied to Iago by strings of doubt, jealousy, and anger towards this woman who emasculated him by supposedly sleeping with another man. Had Othello refused to immediately believe Iago’s accusations, not only verbally, but mentally and physically as well, he would have figured out that they were lies and it was actually “honest Iago” who was deceitful, not his wife. In this world we must be prepared to question everything and everyone because everybody has some selfishness in them and will be willing to go to great extremes to reach the top, even if it means objectifying others and using them to their advantage. When we blindly believe others, we give them a power over us that only we should have, therefore it is best to keep their “truth” in consideration, but remember never to fail to at least attempt to confirm that truth and create our own. When we do fail to attempt this is when we give up our individuality and become as equally inanimate as a tool that those who do choose to create truth will use and toss away.
There was also another theme in Shakespeare's Othello, the concept of illusion. Through Iago's masterful deceptiveness Othello was tricked. Cassio and Desdomona will be used as the scapegoats to explore this theme of illusion. Iago begins to corrupt Othello in Act 3, asking Iago: “Think’st thou I’d make a life of jealousy, To follow the still changes of the moon with fresh suspicions?” just a few lines later he also says “I saw’t not, thought it not, it harmed not me.”, Othello becomes suspicious of Desdemona....
The fact that Othello is wavering between believing Iago and trusting his wife is reflected in the imagery Shakespeare uses in the soliloquy. The first image that is used is that of a falcon. Lines 301-304 read: “If I do prove her haggard, / Though that her jesses were my dear heartstrings, / I’d whistle her off and let her down the wind to prey at fortune.” This shows that Othello is still unsure about Desdemona, and claims that though he is in love with Desdemona, he would drop her if he found out she was cheating. This is quite a strong willed statement, but it is diminished by lines 319-320, which follow the entrance of Desdemona and Emilia into the chamber. Othello says, “If she be false, heaven mocks itself! / I’ll not believe ‘t.” This is an example of how turbulent Othello’s state of mind is. The steadfast determination expressed using the falcon image sort of “melts” when he sees Desdemona, and he immediately professes denial that she could be untrue to him. Yet, just ten lines earlier (l. 308), Othello says, “She’s gone! I am abused!” and proceeds to lament the very institution of marriage: “O cure of marriage, ? That we can call these delicate creatures ours / And not their appetites!” Shakespeare’s placing of these three different conclusions Othello has drawn in such close proximity is an example of antithesis, and a testament to the changing and chaotic state of mind of Othello.
Iago plots with supreme cleverness, carefully manipulating Othello into believing that Desdemona is an adulteress. His understanding of the human psyche is impressive, as is his ability to orchestrate the deception throughout the play. Iago 's trickery is strong because of his patience; he has the ability to make people manifest ideas in their heads and just wait for his victims to go mad. Iago 's convincing rhetoric clearly reveals what a dominant device language can be, especially when used by an eloquent, but immoral, person. Once can see Iago being deceptive and devious when he pretends to warn Othello on the effects of jealousy by saying “O, beware, my lord, of jealousy!/ It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock/ The meat it feeds on (III. iii.195-197). Here, he pretends to warn Othello not to be a jealous man, by pointing out that jealousy ends up destroying the heart of the man who becomes a victim to it. Iago was the one who told Othello the lie and planted the evil seed in his mind. Iago’s vindictiveness is also revealed when he says “The Moor already changes with my poison;/Dangerous conceits are in their natures poisons,/Which at the first are scarce found to distaste,/But with a little act upon the blood/Burn like the mines of Sulphur.“ (III. Iii. 373-378). Iago realizes the unbelievable power of jealousy and claims that
Although it is false, he has no way of knowing the evidence had been manipulated into bolstering his jealous thoughts. Othello’s honor is also what brings him to the beginning of his
“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.
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
Above all, at the pivotal point in the play, it is Othello, ultimately who determines the outcome of his raged jealousy. But, his anger towards Desdemona and Cassio, leaves him very little of another option, but to continue his plan. Othello demands that he will "make me to see 't” (3.3.364) “or woe upon thy life!" (3.3.366) and this expresses his emotions, such as his love for Desdemona. Furthermore, when Othello says “when I love thee not” (3.3.91) “chaos is come again" (3.3.92) , it can be seen as how Othello feels towards his insecurity due to his race. Iago uses Othello 's position of a "stranger from here and everywhere" (1.1.136-137) to exploit his insecurities; he says that "in Venice they do let God see the pranks” (3.3.202) “they dare not show their husbands" (3.3.203). As Othello is not a Venetian, he cannot defend himself from this accusation of his wife. Therefore, jealousy might be a result of the insecurity that he is feeling, but also caused by Iago who takes advantage of
He tells Iago that he will not blindly fall into jealousy, especially when he never has had reason to suspect Desdemona, "I'll see before I doubt; when I doubt, prove;/And on the proof, there is no more but this--/Away at once with love or jealousy" (3.3.205-07). Othello is at this point a confident man, both in his wife's faithfulness, and in his ability to think rationally. However, Shakespeare shows that this confidence is often not enough. In his Sonnet 129, Shakespeare describes lust as another force that destroys the ability to reason effectively. The poet depicts lust as desire that is Past reason hunted, and no sooner had.
The critic Roland Barthes once said, “Literature is the question minus the answer.” William Shakespeare's tragedy, Othello, can be used to exemplify this quote. One of the themes that Shakespeare discusses in Othello is: the effect jealousy has on people. Several of the characters become jealous over the course of the tragedy. Brabantio became jealous because Desdemona fell in love and married Othello. Roderigo became jealous because Desdemona didn’t fall in love with him. Bianca became jealous because she thought that Cassio was cheating on her with another woman. Othello became jealous because he thought Desdemona was cheating on him with Cassio. Iago became jealous because Othello gave Cassio the position of lieutenant. These characters’
Shakespeare uses Figurative language in many way throughout the play, one way he uses it is to show that how evil and immoral Iago is towards othello especially and other characters. Iago is driven by jealousy and in this quote he proves it by saying “Oh, beware, my lord, of jealousy It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock The meat it feeds on. (3.3.166-168) “.He uses types of figurative language to get his point across that Othello is getting cheated on by his wife
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...
Shakespeare's tragedy Othello explores how an individual's blind trust in another can lead to their insecurities exploited and in sight their impulsive behaviour. Act 3 Scene 3, is the pivotal point and climax of the play, where Othello’s irrationality leads him to trust in Iago's absolute, yet false loyalty in his disclosure of Desdemona's betrayal. The audience sees the destructive power of blind trust and desire for control, through Iago’s manipulation of the tragic hero’s insecurities. The complexity of the human condition is revealed through emotions that do not simply exist exclusively but are formed through the character's interactions in the play. Othello’s internal conflict occurs between his intense jealousy over his wife’s affair and his need to maintain control.