Othello's Jealousy

From an analytical view, Othello teaches us many things about the nature of human life. Further, Shakespeare’s usage of literary techniques and the strategies he employs are crucial to understanding not only the play, but the characters themselves. It becomes clear from Othello and its cast of characters, that human nature will always perplex human minds until the time we actually experience and understand what exactly happens between the point of believing and realizing the truth. From the play, one grasps an understanding of the crucial need to think and look at

William Shakespeare’s play Othello is based on the theme of jealousy. Jealousy is an emotion that consists of feelings of anger, resentment, and insecurities due to the fear of losing something or someone that is considered of great value (). In Othello he introduces three couples which all play a major role in the theme of jealousy and how it develops throughout the play. The three couples are Othello and Desdemona, Iago and Emilia, and Cassio and Bianca. Each couple allows jealousy to ruin their relationship but some only to a certain extent.

Othello is set during the Elizabethan era, where men were considered to be the leaders and women their inferiors. Women were often regarded as the ‘weaker sex’. This patriarchal society and theme of male superiority is portrayed throughout the play. These themes are depicted through the relationships between the characters. Brabantio and Desdemona’s relationship shows how he believed the traditional Elizabethan view, that men were to control and dominate their wife’s or daughters. He is furious at Othello for stealing his daughter from him. Also, Othello’s masculinity is destroyed through the poisoning of his mind against Desdemona, his wife. Iago also treats his wife

Brabantio encountered Othello for running away secretly with Desdemona without his approval, he accuses Othello of being a “foul their” as if Desdemona was his piece of property. Brabantio repeatedly insisted Othello had stolen his daughter as if she were a valuable object as he states “O, thou foul thief, where hast thou stowed my daughter?” (1.2.80-81). As Iago speaks to Brabantio and plants the idea of loss of power into Brabantio’s mind. Iago cautions him saying, “Your heart is burst, you have lost half your soul” (1.1 88-90). This quote highlights the fact that in Elizabethan society, Brabantio, like other fathers, considered Desdemona’s body to be his possession. Brabantio attempts to separate the couple as he believes he has control over her whether he wants to give away his daughter or not. Desdemona even points out that her mother chose Brabantio over her father. Despite her ability to argue for her marriage, Desdemona is still seen as owing to either Brabantio or Othello. Both Brabantio and Othello were worried about the loss of control and authority over the female desires when both individuals want to keep the possession to themselves. Desdemona is treated more as if she was a piece of property that is being exchanged between two men.

In Othello, Shakespeare presents the three main female characters that are treated as property, but remain just and loyal to their husbands. For example, Emilia, Iago’s wife, is the first women heavily mistreated by Iago. The unequal balance of love and loyalty between the two is evident as Emilia strives to please Iago. Emilia selflessly admits, “And give ’t Iago:/ What he will do with it heaven knows, not I;/ I nothing but to please his fantasy” (Shakespeare 3.3.336-338). Iago simply employs Emilia as a tool to better himself.

   The Shakespearean tragedy Othello contains a number of themes; their relative importance and priority is debated by literary critics. In this essay let us examine the various themes and determine which are dominant and which subordinate.

Jealousy, the “green-eyed monster” (Othello line 168 Act 3 Scene 3) the monster that constructed relentless hate between the star crossed lovers. Jealousy can assemble a hatred that could never be forgiven, even to your most loved ones. Jealousy can develop vacuous thoughts that could destroy another’s reputation and life. Jealousy has driven many people to do things they do not want to but chooses to. Assumptions led to false accusations and false accusations led to tragedy. As easy as one person destroying relationship leading to many deaths, the theme jealousy plays an important role. Jealousy is the motive that affected peoples’ lives in this book “Othello”. Jealousy in many cases could be easily forgiven, but when it comes to your most loved ones, people have a tendency to do terrifying things. In the tragedy “Othello”, jealousy comes in many different ways. Starting from Iago being jealous of Cassio for being the lieutenant, Othello being jealous of Cassio for thinking that Desdemona has been cheating on Othello with Cassio and Bianca being jealous of Cassio because of the handkerchief that she found in the bed.

Othello by William Shakespeare is an early sixteenth century English play that reveals a chaotic conflict which took place in the city of Venice and ended in the city of Cyprus. This conflict is between several people including Othello, who is a moor, the general of the Venetian army and Desdemona who is the Venetian wife of Othello. In addition, this conflict is fueled through rumors, jealousy, deception, easy trust, and most importantly assumptions. Furthermore, Shakespeare depicts the importance of communication in a relationship and what can happen if it is not achieved. In Shakespeare’s play, the conflict is formed through Othello’s descriptive assumption that women cheat on their husbands and Desdemona’s descriptive assumption that

‘Othello’ is another of William Shakespeare’s tragedies, embracing the complex ideas and the intrinsic nature of the human condition. The 1603 text encompasses around Othello, a tragic hero who allowed his fatal flaws, honour and reputation, to inevitably lead to his demise. The textual integrity of this Elizabethan tragedy has been preserved, allowing a critical analysis of various issues addressed within the play which still resonates in today’s society. Shakespeare accentuates the vulnerability of humanity, and confronts universal concerns such as discrimination and the effects of jealousy in the form of pride and deceptions. Consequently, Shakespeare’s Othello in conjunction with its relevance in our society allows the audience to gain

Prejudices have always existed. Some have fallen into the past and some are just surfacing. There are also some that have stayed with us through time; race religion and gender. In Shakespeare’s Othello, one man’s manipulation of those around him brings all three of these topics to light and introduces another transcendent human struggle; jealousy. Both Iago and Othello manifest their jealousy in different ways, adding depth to the play’s concept. Othello’s brand of jealousy is like the rest of his character; proud, malleable and confrontational. It is these three qualities above all that we are searching for in our rendition of Othello.

William Shakespeare’s “Othello”, a tragedy most admired and illustrious, is presented to us as, yet another society based on the inferiority of women. Desdemona, Emilia and Bianca are depicted to have three completely different attitudinal characteristics, towards their possessive, self-centred male counterparts. Set in a late 16th Venice, the play tells of a deceived, newly wed Venetian general on his wife’s infidelity and his road to revenge and calamity. When his right hand, Iago, induces Othello into thinking that his wife is having a sexual affair, he transforms from the loving husband, to the covetous murderer. Throughout the entirety of the play however, all three leading women remain unselfish and obedient in their love for their partners,

During Shakespearian time, women were rarely seen as equal. They were often seen as inferior people who needed to be taken care by men. “Othello” shows how women are owned by men. They can also be “stolen”. Men can play with them. Women are seen as prizes men can get. Desdemona, Othello’s wife, can be defined as a human being with no free will. She cannot make her free choices. She cannot love. She can only be owned. Even her father

Othello, in the beginning of the play, was a strong and powerful man that was in love with the daughter of Brabantio, Desdemona. However, according to Nordlund, the love was “flawed.” Although she loved him for his victories and adventures in battle, critics such as Noll and Godfrey felt he loved her because he was loved by someone. Nevertheless, this idea did not prevent them from marriage; the start of the downfall. The marriage between Othello and Desdemona caused pandemonium within the community, especially within Brabantio and Roderigo. Brabantio initially felt that the marriage was the effect of Othello’s witchcraft, as said in Act 1 Scene 3, but once Desdemona had informed him otherwise, that did not prevent his feeling of her betrayal. Brabantio was jealous that he no longer had control over his daughter and he warned Othello to watch over her for she can betray him as well; “She has deceived her father, and may thee” (I.III.334).

Shakespeare’s play Othello reveals how lives and relationships are ruined by jealousy and betrayal. The story takes place during a time that is referred to as an Elizabethan society in the 15th century. It is referred to as Elizabethan because that was the time of Queen Elizabeth’s reign. It is also sometimes called the Golden Age in history. During this time the arts were extremely popular. In this era woman were not considered the equivalent of men. They were expected to become wives, take care of home and have babies. They were treated as inferior to men and were supposed to obey them and to be quiet and not voice their own opinions. Two of the female characters are Desdemona and Emilia. Desdemona and Emilia are both strikingly beautiful women with distinct personalities. Desdemona is naïve and innocent while Emilia is more abrasive because she is older and has experienced things that Desdemona has not. These two women live extremely different lifestyles because of their social status. They eventually became friends and shared stories about their troubled relationships with their husbands. Even though they are friends she betrays Desdamona by giving Iago her handkerchief. By displacing the handkerchief Iago was able to brainwask Othello and manipulate him into believing that his wife was cheating on him.

The endurance of a text can be evaluated through timeless universal human values it examines. William Shakespeare’s Othello centralises on a transformation of a man from innocent and honourable to someone who is blinded by rage. This is done through the utilisation of literary techniques that ultimately emphasise universal human characteristics such as jealousy and deception, both of which are still present in the 21st century. Shakespeare has juxtaposed the different interpretations to each of these ideas of jealousy and deception through the use of numerous techniques.