Othello Themes

Jealousy

Jealousy, exemplified by Iago and Othello, is perhaps the play’s most central theme. Iago is not just an embodiment of jealousy but also of evil. His jealousy is established in the play’s first scene. He is seen raging in jealousy over Cassio’s promotion, which he believes should have been his. He even says, “I am worth no worse a place.” Iago’s resentment toward Othello also stems from jealousy. He believes that Othello has had sexual relations with Emilia, his wife. It is worth mentioning here that the audience does not find out if Othello and Emilia had indeed had sexual relations; this could well be a figment of Iago’s imagination. Iago, notably, is infuriated by the mere thought of having been cheated upon: “I know not if’t be true / But I for mere suspicion in that kind / Will do as if for surety.” This could suggest that the affair was just a figment of his imagination, a lie manufactured to fuel his hatred of Othello. Throughout the play, Iago is mainly driven by hatred.

Othello, on the other hand, is jealous of Desdemona because of his own insecurities. He is aware that he is a Moor, an outsider, in the city of Venice. Being older to Desdemona by many years also fuels his insecurity. Iago capitalizes on his insecurities and makes him jealous of Desdemona’s closeness to Cassio, which eventually metamorphosizes into the belief that Desdemona and Cassio are having an affair. We witness jealousy in other minor characters as well: Roderigo, who wanted to marry Desdemona, is jealous of Othello. Bianca, who suspects Cassio of having an affair, is jealous of Cassio’s illicit partner, who, in reality, doesn’t even exist.

Love

Compared with other Shakespearean tragedies, the theme of love in Othello is given a more complex treatment. The force of love helps the newlywed couple, Desdemona and Othello, to overcome sociocultural and political obstacles, but they fail to overcome interpersonal conflicts. Their failure can be attributed to, firstly, lack of communication and, secondly, Othello’s manipulation at the hands of the wily Iago. Love is both physical and spiritual in the play; it is depicted, on the one hand, as a selfless, generous force; on the other hand, it is presented as a force that entails selfishness, irrationality, and the bestial.

Their love seems eternal, yet it does not pass the test of faith. Love fills Othello with intense emotions, but he lacks direction. On the other hand, although Desdemona won over Othello’s heart, she could not understand the workings of his mind. The couple had little time to build trust. Iago is opportunistic and wastes no time before sowing seeds of suspicion in Othello’s mind.

Love is also exemplified through friendships in the play. The true friendship between Desdemona and Emilia is an apt example. Emilia even confronts Iago when she realizes he might have played a hand in Desdemona’s murder. Iago eventually kills Emilia, too.

Good and Evil

The play does not treat good and evil as straightforward, black-and-white categories. Accordingly, the characters aren’t entirely good or evil, except perhaps Desdemona, whose goodness is not accompanied by streaks of evil.

Othello falls for Iago’s manipulations, thereby giving up his goodness and nobility. Cassio seems to be a balanced character, but his attitude toward Bianca exposes his fallacy. Iago, although humorous at times, is the incarnation of evil. Emilia, when asked about the handkerchief by Othello, blatantly lies. Although she means no harm, her lie leads to much tragedy. Evil and goodness, therefore, are not mutually exclusive in the play. It is not until Othello realizes that he has been manipulated by Iago does he recognize the duality of good and evil within himself.