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Othello Jealousy Essay
Othello Jealousy Essay
Othello Jealousy Essay
Drama 1: Othello
Othello is the most famous literary work that focuses on the dangers of jealousy. The
play is a study of how jealousy can be fueled by mere circumstantial evidence and can
destroy lives. (In Othello, the hero succumbs to jealousy when Iago convinces him that
Desdemona has been an unfaithful wife – in the end, Othello murders his wife and then
kills himself.) It is interesting that Iago uses jealousy against Othello, yet jealousy is likely
the source of Iago's hatred in the first place. In Othello, jealousy takes many forms, from
When jealousy is inserted in an individual’s heart; it begins to grow into evil and results
in the ultimate destruction of the victim and the culprit. Consequently, the emotion of
jealousy causes destruction of one’s self, leading to the manipulation, revenge, betrayal
and even the death of others. An illustration of jealousy is a seed. When a seed is
implanted, it turns into a plant; afterward the plant turns into a fruit, then humans as
part of their nutritional needs consume it. The same thing occurs with jealousy, however
this phase is within an individual’s emotions. First, jealousy starts as an emotion, but
once an individual starts to become more and more jealous, the more it will reflect on
his actions. Iago is the one responsible to plant the seeds of jealousy in Othello.Othello's
The play’s main villain, Iago, is perhaps the most dangerous strategic person in the play.
Throughout the play, Iago plans with sophistication, to manipulate Othello into making
him believe that Desdemona has cheated on him by being unfaithful. “Get me some
poison, Iago; this night! I’ll not expostulate with her, lest her body and beauty unproved
Othello to kill the love of his wife Desdemona. The brutality of Iago is distinguished that
the only way to create the situation even worse is to make Othello murder Desdemona
with his bare hands. Iago’s craving throughout the play is to become a greater rank than
Cassio. To do so, Iago uses his intelligent skills of manipulation on Othello and Cassio to
try to make his dreams become reality. If it were not for Iago manipulating the dark side
of Othello, the outcome of the play would have been significantly different.Another
demonstration of Iago displaying his unpleasant jealousy towards Othello is when Iago
attempts to convince himself that Othello has had an affair with his companion, Emelia.
“For that I do suspect the lusty Moor hath leap’d into my seat; the though shereof doth,
like a poisonous mineral, gnaw my inwards; and nothing can or shall content my soul till
I am even’d with him, wife for wife” (2.1.284-288). This quote show that he must
needsto blind himselfwith jealousy so he does not see the truth. It is this type of
develops as evidence throughout the play that Othello is giving into the seeds of
jealousy planted by Iago.Betrayal in this play is somewhat like a married couple; they
both eventually lead to misery and regret. In this play, the act of betrayal has
tremendous actions to the plot of the play. This contributes to the fact that reality is not
always something that someone sees, however it is more often of what an individual
does not see. Iago’s character is a suitable example of how the acts of betrayal can
change individuals negatively. “I follow him to serve my turn upon him” (I,I,44). Iago
pretending to be a friend and turn on him when the time is right. Iago’s plan of betrayal
is in place so that he can eventually succeed in his ultimate plan of bringing Othello to
his demise.
As a consequence of the built of jealousy that exists within the character of Iago, death
is the product. As the play develops, it is evident that Iago’s lies are seen as truth and
that Desdemona’s innocence and true love are seen as lies. This misunderstanding of
characters leads to a severely tragic ending. “The lord have mercy on me And have you
mercy too! I never did Offend you in my life; never lov’d Cassio“(IIIII,II,57-
58).Desdemona maintains her virtues into her death and does not betray her true love,
Othello. Upon realizing what he has done, Othello chooses to kill himself finally realizing
what he has lost and how he has been deceived. “ I kissed thee ere I killed thee. No
way but this, Killing myself, to die upon a kiss.” (IIII,III 420-421) This quotation reveals a
fallen Othello. He comes to understand that the jealousy that Iago so carefully built
within him led him to commit unclear judgments and actions towards the one individual
that showed him true love and commitment. It is clear to see that Shakespeare uses the
feelings of jealousy during this play to demonstrate the motives of each character. The
mindsets of jealousy could really contribute to destroying one’s life and having an
immense impact on several parts of their lives such as betrayal, manipulation, revenge,
and the death of others. This play “Othello” proves that most human beings experience
periods of jealousy in their lifespan. Once a human goes through the emotion of