Jealousy In William Shakespeare's Othello

In the first act Iago states “I hate the moor, and it is thought abroad, that ‘twixt my sheets, has done my office. I know not if’t be the truth, but I for mere suspicion in that kind, will do as if for surety.” Iago has heard that Emilia is having an affair with Othello but doesn’t believe the rumor, but he still acts on it because of his hatred towards Othello for giving Cassio a higher position than himself. Iago was very jealous of Cassio because of the lieutenant position that Cassio was given from Othello.

The Evil Iago Language can hurt. Shakespeare shows a good tragic story of harsh language through a man with the name of Iago in his play, “Othello.” Othello, the main character in this play, is a black general of the Venetian Army. He secretly marries a white woman by the name of Desdemona. Othello trusts his two top soldiers, Cassio and Iago, which knows about the marriage.

Jealousy is a powerful emotion that can blind oneself from identifying the truth. Shakespeare heavily emphasizes this theme throughout the drama Othello, especially through the actions of characters. In the play the heinous antagonist, Iago, uses each character’s jealousy to deceive that person and manipulate the truth. His false promises and deceitfulness bring to the demise of many of the main characters in the play, including the protagonist, Othello. Othello could not have been deceived if it were not for his powerful jealousy. Therefore, Shakespeare is telling us that jealousy is an ugly trait that can hide the truth, which in turn causes many problems between characters in the play.

When Iago makes a point of including Othello’s race in a conversation with a confidant, it proves that he feels that Othello’s race is the reason for his actions. There is an obvious abhorrence for Othello based upon his race. Later in the play, Iago goes on to say “If she had been blessed, she would never have loved the Moor” (Reading and Writing Across the Curriculum “WRAC” ). This statement shows that Iago is jealous of Othello because he won the love of Desdemona and is cause for insecurities on his part. Iago must now question his marriage and whether or not Othello is cause for infidelity. These insecurities act as extra motivation for Iago’s actions.

His true insecurities and jealous tendencies begin to show when Iago brings up age, race, and social status, every thing that I believe were sensitive topics to Othello since the beginning, between Othello and Desdemona. For instance, when Iago mentions the idea that Desdemona marrying Othello was and unnatural occurrence due to Desdemona not marrying someone of her own social status and color even though she had many of suitors with those descriptions.(III.iii.268-278) In which these discussions with Iago slowly but surely brought Othello to allow his emotions take hold of him and make him make horrible and irrational mistakes

Explore How Shakespeare Presents The Theme Of Jealousy In Othello During Elizabethan times, jealousy had a significantly wider meaning than it does in today's society. Then, it was most often used in order to indicate suspicion of someone’s sexual partner. Within the play, Shakespeare has used two of the main characters, Iago and Othello in order to represent the jealousy, specifically focussing on the tragedy it can cause and how jealousy can lead to the downfall of the perceived tragic hero.

You have lost your soul. / Even now, now, very now, an old black ram/ is tupping your white ewe,” (I.i.87-90). Iago’s constant use of derogatory and racist remarks when referring to Othello, hints at him being a narcissistic racist who can’t stand the fact that a black man has more power than him.

Jealousy is an individual showing envy of someone or what they have. In Shakespeare’s tragic play Othello, jealousy plays a major role throughout the tragedy. Iago, Othello 's ancient , acts as the antagonist and is very manipulative. Iago envy of Othello’s position of power causes issues between Othello and Desdemona. His premeditated motives are used in the tragedy to manipulate the other characters. Iago’s wicked actions of revenge causes destruction in the play.

In Iago's soliloquy in Act 1 Scene 3, Iago exclaims 'I hate the Moor'; he repeats this sentence many times during the first act of the play. The reasons for his hatred are vast, they could stem from racism, for Iago uses derogatory terms to describe Othello many times, ‘Barbary horse', ‘devil' and ‘old black ram'. It could also come from Iago's resentment that Cassio was promoted above him by Othello. One of the main

To torment Othello Iago takes some of his jealousy and puts on Othello so he can feel the pain Iago felt. Iago tells Othello to never let Jealousy get to you can it can be a silent killer and destroy his heart. “O, beware, my lord, of jealousy!It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock The meat it feeds on” (3.3.195-197). Othello thinking je would be fine started the denial faze stating he will not let jealousy get the best of him. But jealousy is like a infection it gets in your body and it spreads like a wildfire and does not stop until there is nothing left to burn anymore.

Jealousy is a powerful and potentially dangerous emotion that has the ability to control people, their mind, and their actions. Throughout the play Othello by William Shakespeare, the majority of the plot is driven by the antagonistic character, Iago’s, cruel actions brought upon him by his jealousy. The play opens with Othello, the general of the Venetian army, marrying Desdemona, a woman going against her father’s wishes by marrying Othello. He has appointed the lieutenancy position of the army to Michael Cassio over Iago, who desperately wants said position. This provokes a jealousy deep within him, and he acts upon it, becoming the perfect puppet master of every character in the play.

In Shakespeare’s classic seventeenth-century play, Othello, readers see how jealousy affects the human mind. The antagonist, Iago, is jealous he did not receive a promotion from his boss Othello. Iago then concocts a plan of revenge to make Othello think his wife cheated on him. Throughout Othello, readers see how jealousy drives Othello and Iago to harm others without the fear of consequences. Shakespeare’s Othello explores how our fears and uncertainties can be used to exploit and manipulate others by using the literary elements of character, setting, and plot.

Iago, the primary antagonist, plays an active role in sculpting Othello’s reality. His antagonism towards Othello is amplified when Othello, a black Moor promotes Cassio to general. Othello is under a false impression of Iago’s motives since Iago’s sentiment towards Othello had shifted from friendliness to hostility. Iago’s fury towards Othello only intensifies since Othello is a moor; consequently, Iago feels inadequate compared to Othello because his ethnic identity lies within Venetian culture, so when the black moor is of a higher status, it makes him, the White Venetian, feel inferior. This is emphasized when in Act 1, Scene 3, Iago says, “I hate the Moor: /

Iago is a jealous beast and he knows the true power and control jealousy holds on a man, Iago knows the danger it holds and uses it in his favor against Othello. In Act 3 scene 3 Iago says “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. I did say so:/Look,

Jealousy is described as someone who is feeling or showing envy of someone because of their achievements and advantages. Jealousy plays a major role in Shakespeare’s play Othello. There are many instances throughout the play that show jealousy between the characters. Throughout the play, jealousy is used for destructive purposes only. I believe that Iago longed to get revenge on Othello for previous issues. This only results in a long line of accusations and disputes between the characters in Othello.