preview

The Role Of Jealousy In Shakespeare's Othello

Decent Essays

“O, beware, my lord, of jealousy; It is the green-ey’d monster, which doth mock the meat it feeds on (Iago- 3.3.195).” In Shakespeare’s play Othello, jealousy plays a huge role. A jealous man manipulates everyone around him (see figure 1) into doing insane deeds, including murderous acts. This tragic tale of jealousy, racial prejudice, love, manipulation, and candor captures the tale of the innocent, the evil, and a tragic hero. In Blazing Moon Theatre’s rendition of Othello, our company seeks an Othello with genuine and naïve characteristics.
II. Background Othello takes place in the 16th century war between Italy and Turkey. The entire plot contains three to four days of action, and centered in Cyprus (outpost attacked and conquered by the Turks in 1570). Shakespeare added his own twists to The History of the Turks by Richard Knolles from 1603, or Hecatonimithi (Giraldi Cinthio) from 1565. The plot line includes a Moorish general who is led to believe his wife is false. Shakespeare twisted the original story by Cinthio to make Othello a tragic hero. Shakespeare’s play also touches on the Italians conflict with Spain, …show more content…

Othello and Cassio remain secretly Jewish Aryan soldiers in the German army. Iago also appears Aryan, but prejudice against Jews. Othello and Cassio are “transporting” the rest of the characters in the play into France out of Germany, and this enrages Iago. In his mind, the Jews should suffer and die: this also motivates his cruel acts. He convinces Othello that Desdemona secretly works for Hitler, and that Cassio is doing the same. He convinces Rodrigo that Cassio spilled his families location, getting them dispatched to a concentration camp. Our play is centered more around Iago’s jealousy and deception than Othello’s naivety and tragic flaws. Othello, however, still plays a very important part of spiking Iago’s jealousy and making the play

Get Access