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Othello Jealousy Research Paper

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Haley Johnson
Professor Smith
Dual Enrollment Composition 2
20 April 2015

Jealousy Destroys
Relationships revolve around love and trust, and when the trust is broken the act of jealousy can take and destroy. In William Shakespeare's "Othello" the act of jealousy is the prominent theme throughout. In the beginning Othello was not jealous until another character, Iago, convinces him the Desdemona, Othello's wife, has been unfaithful. This destructive trait leads to the horrific death of his loving wife, Desdemona, and eventually to Othello's suicide. It is ironic that Iago uses the act of jealousy against Othello, yet jealousy is the probable reason that Iago convinced Othello about Desdemona. In "Othello" there are different types of jealousy that happen, but it does not …show more content…

Othello did not wake up one day and say that he was going to be jealous; he was corrupted and persuaded into it. Iago is the one main character of many characters that persuades Othello into the nasty trait of jealousy. Othello represents how jealousy is one of the most corrupting and destructive of emotions (“Theme”). This destructive emotion eventually leads Othello to do things he does not want to do. Iago is the main character that makes Othello do these things and one of the main characters that lies to Othello to make him jealous of everyone. Iago is always persuading Othello that Desdemona has been an unfaithful wife throughout their marriage (Act 3. Scene 3). Othello never believes Iago in the beginning but near the end he starts to go over his thoughts and does start to believe Iago (3.3). The reason Iago convinces Othello that Desdemona is unfaithful is because Iago thinks that Othello is sleeping with Iago's wife, Emilia. Iago makes up the lie that Desdemona is unfaithful to make Othello jealous. It is another of Iago's successes that he reveals that underlying the idealism of Othello's spiritual love there is an unacknowledged sexuality (Newton).

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