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Othello by William Shakespeare

Decent Essays

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

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