The Destruction Of Jealousy In Shakespeare's Othello

Othello, like any great Greek tragedy shows the rise and fall of a noble hero due to deception and deceit. Othello’s physical health along with his mental health starts to weaken as he becomes more tangled within Iago’s lies. At the start of the play he has everything, the status, the power and the woman, but due to to his ignorance and Iago’s manipulation he starts to lose it all. Othello suffers from seizures, he cannot sleep; he is constantly in a state of agitation and he becomes paranoid, which helps Iago get into his mind and control him; as a result this leads to his breakdown which leads to Cassio's demotion, Desdemona's murder which in turn, leads to Emilia's murder and Othello's own suicide.

Though Othello is looked at in high regards and respected by all those around him. In spite of his high status Othello lets his insecurities of his age, his life as a soldier, and his race control him, which Iago uses to twist his love for his wife into a powerful and destructive jealousy. He is in a combination of greatness and weakness, in his own words "an honourable murderer" (V.2).

Othello sees Cassio as the man most Venetian women in Desdemona's position would like to marry and, therefore, as the man she would turn to if she was no longer in love with Othello. Due to his insecurities it leads his mind to think that in a way, he is waiting for the dream to come to an end and for Desdemona to decide that she no longer loves Othello and has made a mistake in marrying