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Blind Jealousy In Shakespeare's Othello

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Jealousy is a fundamental theme in Shakespeare’s tragedy Othello. Both the title character and his conniving ensign Iago prove to be very jealous, but one stands out as the embodiment of the “green-eyed monster”. Othello is more jealous than Iago because his actions are a straightforward response to his jealousy, he becomes jealous with less reason than Iago, and his jealousy causes him to go ballistic, while Iago stays cold and calculating throughout the play.

Throughout the play, Iago provides hints as to why he hates Othello, while Othello demonstrates blind jealousy. In the first scene, Iago explains that he was passed over for a promotion to Lieutenant by Othello, who gave the job to "Michael Cassio, a Florentine...that never set squadron …show more content…

Othello is held in high esteem by members of the Venetian government; he is called a “noble moor” (IV.i.215) by the Senator Lodovico and is trusted enough that he is given full command of Cyprus after winning the land for Venice. Othello is a well-respected and well-tempered member of Venetian society before being consumed by jealousy. Once in a jealous rage, though, Othello completely changes. When Othello, believing Desdemona to be unfaithful, tells her he is going to kill her, she pleads with him for mercy, but Othello says that it is “too late” (V.ii.352). The fact that Othello only becomes vengeful Iago makes him jealous signifies that his jealousy is more powerful than Iago’s, and that his murder was simply a response to this jealousy. In addition, Iago’s motivation for his actions against Othello is unclear. Though he states from the onset that he is angry at being passed over for the promotion to Lieutenant, Iago later says that he hates Othello because “It is thought abroad that ’twixt my sheets / He has done my office” (I.iii.369–370)--he has heard that Othello was sleeping with his wife, Emilia. The contrasting reasons Iago gives for hating Othello, as well as his willingness to double-cross anybody, indicate that he enjoys manipulating people just for the thrill of it, not necessarily holding any lasting

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