Throughout Othello by William Shakespeare, Othello makes numerous poor decisions due to his jealousy. Hitting Desdemona, trusting Iago, and killing Desdemona are among a few of the poor decisions that he makes. The word jealous can be defined as feeling or showing suspicion of someone's unfaithfulness in a relationship. Othello feels suspicious of Desdemona’s and Cassio’s relationship because of the lies that Iago tells him. Many people try to tell Othello the truth but he only believes the words of Iago. Even Emilia, Iago’s wife, tells Othello that Desdemona and Cassio are not having an affair and their interaction is business only, however; he does not trust her. Without Othello’s jealousy he would not have made these horrible decisions.
Jealousy brings a sense of shame and humiliation. Othello becomes sexually jealous when Iago tells him that Cassio and Desdemona are having an affair. Jealousy makes Othello crazy and he becomes a beast. Othello fires Cassio, calls Desdemona the devil, and hits Desdemona all because of his jealousy. Iago tells Othello rumors and lies about Desdemona and Cassio even though they are innocent. Jealousy becomes a passion for Othello. The author of “Othello's Distinguishing Characteristics” states “the blow to Desdemona, and the scene where she is treated as the inmate of a brothel, a scene far more painful than the murder scene, is another cause of the special effect of this tragedy” (Bradley). This presents a time in the play when Othello
Othello was a beloved and respected general in the Venetian army, but through a paranoid fit of jealousy he conspires with Iago to kill his wife and her thought to be lover Cassio. While it is clear that the theme of Othello is jealousy, the “green eyed monster”, Othello never has solid proof of the affair. Most of the evidence is circumstantial, but word of mouth through Iago coupled with Othello's extreme jealousy pushes him to desire to murder his wife Desdemona and close friend Cassio. Othello claims to have a profound love for Desdemona but it simply takes one
Othello's Jealousy is mostly a figure of his imagination made from all of iago's lies and being mislead. The ironic part about that is that iago said to othello”beware, my lord, of jealousy! It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock, The meat it feeds on”(III,iii,195-198). Iago is warning Othell that nothing good can come from jealousy.Then Iago starts to question desdemona's loyalty but othello gets mad and says”No, Iago; I'll see before I doubt; when I doubt, prove; And on the proof, there is no more”(III,iii,220-223). Othello wants evidence of his claims before he finally decides if she was cheating on him with Cassio.
Desdemona was also a foil to the person she interacted with the most in the play; her husband, Othello. Othello and his newlywed Desdemona become opposites toward the end of the play. The main couple of the play is very different from each other which is easily seen by the audience because of how they interact with one another. Othello was filled with hate for Desdemona because he believed she had cuckolded him, and Desdemona never stopped loving him even though he accused her of things she did not do. Desdemona asks Emilia “That there be women do abuse their husbands In such gross kind?”(4.3) showing how truly innocent she is and when Emilia asks if she would cheat on Othello she is appalled at the idea. Desdemona would never cheat on the husband she works tirelessly to please. In this instance Desdemona does not only prove her innocence, but she also shows that she is virtually incorruptible making her different from her easily corruptible Othello. Iago only had to show Othello a little evidence for him to become corrupted with jealousy. It was not Othello’s fault that he was corruptible, but he was very quick to build hate for his wife, but slow to believe her pleas of innocence. The reason for this is related to the time in which the story
Shakespeare’s Othello has many different reoccurring themes, particularly love, death and infidelity. One of the most obvious themes that drive a lot of the play is jealousy, stemming from the mischievous ways of Iago. His actions create a chain reaction of speculation, lying and most of all jealousy. Iago who plays a manipulative and dishonest character seems to bring out the worst traits of many of the characters within the play especially Othello. These reoccurring issues of manipulation and hatred begin early on in the play. It has been discovered that Othello and Desdemona have married, for everyone around these two, including friends and family this is a problem. This is especially an issue for Iago and Roderigo. Each of them seem to have there own reasons why these two should not be together, one for love of Desdemona and the other for hatred of Othello. They set up to break the newly weds apart by setting the stage with an accusation that Desdemona has cheated on Othello with Cassio, Othello’s lieutenant. After these accusations are made the lives of all the characters seem to spiral out of control, the relationship that takes the biggest toll in the end seems to be Othello and Desdemona. It is clear to see that this “green-eyed monster” in Shakespeare’s words, has the power to control the psyche of the human, resulting in unthinkable acts from many of the characters involved.
“O, beware, my lord, of jealousy; It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock the meat it feeds on:”(46). Iago warns Othello of jealous intuitions and tries to guard him against them explaining jealousy as a monster that preys upon the souls it attaches to. Othello is truly in love with Desdemona but Iago is trying to tear them apart because he is jealous of Othello for being married to Desdemona. Iago tries to plant these false stories in Othello’s mind to try to get him fired up against Desdemona and thus disowning her. “Why, why is this? Think’st thou I ‘ld make a life of jealousy, … 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” (46). Iago tries to plant false rumors in Othello’s mind so as to provoke a jealous fit in Othello and make him go mad but Othello will not buy Iago’s claims without justified proof. Othello is not giving into Iago’s provocations so easily. Iago has not given up either because he has one more trick in his pocket to prove to Othello what he thinks is true. “And let him find it. Trifles light as air Are to the jealous confirmations strong As proofs of holy writ:” (50). Iago will not give up his scheming until Othello has his proof enough to believe Iago’s thoughts and claims. Iago is so jealous of the other characters especially Cassio that he is trying to turn his jealous tendencies into a plot to provoke a jealous wrath in Othello against Cassio. “As he
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.
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.
Many crimes of passion are the result of jealousy. “Othello” shows readers how the jealousy of one or two people can result in violent actions and even death. In “Othello,” Roderigo was in love with Desdemona, who was already married to Othello. He teamed up with Iago, who possessed envy because Cassio had been promoted to the position Iago desired. Together, Iago and Roderigo plotted to destroy Cassio’s image and reputation as well as Desdemona’s marriage. As Iago began setting Cassio up, he began to develop feelings of his own for Desdemona. Iago and Roderigo’s actions resulted in numerous deaths throughout the play. First Iago stabs and kills Roderigo. Then, Othello’s jealousy leads him to smother Desdemona because she was “false with Cassio” (Shakespeare 767). After Emilia outed Iago, he pierced her with a knife, killing her. Lastly, Othello knifed himself. All of these deaths occurred because two men were desirous of things other people had. These acts exhibit the abominable effects jealousy can have on people’s
The strong emotions of jealousy and misplaced thrust present trouble for most of the main characters in the play, Othello. William shakespeare displays how these emotions are easily brought out in the best of people. Iago, although brilliant in this own mnd still falls vitem to jealousy's for cassio's job. The brave moor othello has doubt sof desdemona's faithfulness and in stand of trusting his wife he allows iago manipulations to could his good judgement. Desdemona is the kind innocent wife othello could ever look for but she constantly battle for trust with the moor while still helping her friend cassio.
In the same scene, romantic jealousy is shown by Othello because he is concerned about what his wife was doing with Cassio and why Cassio ran off in his presence. Iago’s isolation of Othello helps to convince Othello that his wife, Desdemona is being unfaithful. Iago’s romantic jealousy from his belief of Othello being unfaithful with Emilia causes Othello’s mistrust in
The play demonstrates how jealousy is a powerful weapon, often used by Iago to manipulate and destroy whoever he sees as a threat. Othello fails to resist jealousy when Iago convinces him of Desdemona and Cassio’s unfaithfulness. After a long, complicated, and doubtful conversation between Iago and Othello, Othello falls forth to Iago’s story and expresses his feelings towards it. “Oh, that the slave had forty thousand lives! One is too poor, too weak for my revenge.
Jealousy is a strong emotion which everyone has experienced in some point or time in their life. Throughout Othello by William Shakespeare, the character Iago is known as “honest Iago” and deals with the roots of jealously. Iago uses jealousy, lies, and deception to manipulate and hurt other characters for his own personal gain. Iago is consumed with jealousy for Michael Cassio and Othello because he was not chosen as lieutenant, and Cassio was. Because of Iago jealously and hatred for Othello, he strives to destroy Desdemona and Othello’s marriage.
Jealousy is a powerful drug. When someone is jealous, one can only imagine how far someone would go because of it. In the play Othello by William Shakespeare, there were several characters that went through different ways of processing their jealousy. Iago’s jealousy provokes his idea to get back at the people he felt was not deserving enough of the things they had or their happiness. His plans succeeds but by the end, no one wins. Iago’s jealousy forms at the beginning of the play which causes Othello’s jealousy towards the end and because of it, it results in people hurt mentally and physically.
In Shakespeare's Othello, Othello's pride prevents him from finding the truth, eventually leading to his demise. Initially, Othello and Desdemona are deeply in love, despite her father's disapproval of their marriage. However, when Othello promotes Cassio instead of Iago to Lieutenant, Iago has his revenge by convincing Othello that Desdemona cheats on him with Cassio, destroying the marriage between Othello and Desdemona. Othello grows to meet his downfall when his trusted friend Iago causes him to think that his wife Desdemona is unfaithful.
Another area of jealousy in Othello is when there are accusations of Othello having an affair with Iago’s wife, Emilia. Emilia was a woman who thought her husband was unfaithful, but stayed with him anyway. Along with these rumors, there were also rumors that Cassio had slept with Emilia too. I believe that jealousy is a powerful thing, and it’s hard to overcome rumors and accusations when they involve everyone’s husbands and wives. Not every character handled themselves the same while getting through these accusations of affairs and what not.