othello essays on jealousy

William Shakespeare

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Iago refers to jealousy as the "green-eyed monster." As this metaphor suggests, jealousy is closely associated with the theme of appearance and reality. For instance, at one point Othello demands that Iago provide "ocular proof" of Desdemona's infidelity—he demands to see reality. But Iago instead provides the circumstantial evidence of the handkerchief, which Othello, consumed by his jealousy, accepts as a substitute for "ocular proof." Othello's jealousy impedes his ability to distinguish between reality and appearance. While the prejudiced characters in the play denigrate Othello as an animal or a beast based on his race, Othello's obvious honor and intelligence makes these attacks obviously ridiculous. Yet when Othello is overcome by jealousy, he does become beast-like, falling into epileptic fits that rob him of the ability to speak intelligibly.

Othello is also not the only character in Othello to feel jealousy. Both Iago and Roderigo act to destroy Othello out of jealousy, with disastrous consequences.

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Introduction

Jealousy in othello, works cited.

The play Othello is among the most famous tragic plays written by Shakespeare. The story concentrates on four main characters namely Othello, Desdemona, Cassio and Lago. Due to its varied nature and the fact that it addresses important themes such as betrayal, love, death and jealousy, it is still performed in many theatres today.

It stands out as a unique play with a personal setting describing the aspirations and private lives of the main characters. The jealousy displayed by Othello and the villainous nature of Lago are some of the qualities that impress the readers of the play.

In addition, the relationship among the characters makes the play unique (Sparknotes 1).Othello and Lago show close associations which make it difficult to figure out who has the greatest responsibility in the play. Most importantly, the role played by Lago who is the villain distinguishes the play from others. Shakespeare addresses different themes in the play and this essay will discuss jealousy as one of the themes addressed in Othello by Shakespeare.

Shakespeare was one of the most prominent writers who ever lived. He was known for addressing various themes such as betrayal, death and love in his works as evidenced in his play Othello. However, theme of jealousy stands out from the start till the end of the play. As the play begins, Roderigo is presented as he tries to be close to Desdemona.

The theme runs throughout the play until the end, leaving Othello very angry and envious because he believes that Cassio and Desdemona have been entangled in an affair. The jealousy of some characters in the play is influenced by other characters. Lago is the greatest victim of this and creates lies and presents situations aimed at misleading the other characters. He exhibits jealousy towards Cassio and Othello because he was not appointed as a lieutenant.

Lago can be described as a jealous character since he wishes every other person could share in his feelings so he goes ahead to plant the seed of jealousy in other characters. He is driven by anger and envy and aims at instilling jealousy in all the other characters, an aim he achieves through manipulating and betraying them, particularly Othello.

The play begins with Roderigo’s desperate love for Desmodena after which he decides to pay Lago to take her from Othello. This is an important scene in the play since it depicts Lago as a villainous character.

The deeds of Lago and his words portray him as a manipulative character. He designs a plan to ruin Othello by calling him a thief since he has stolen the heart of Desmodena through witchcraft. He goes on to implore Roderigo to confront Desmodena’s father by telling him, ‘call up her father, rouse him…poison his delights…do, with like timorous accent and dire yell’ (Shakespeare 64).

In actual sense, Lago is not concerned about the heart of Roderigo. This implies that Roderigo’s love for Desdemona and the fact that he wants to be with her means nothing to Lago. His intentions are not geared towards helping Roderigo look for Desdemona but encourage Brabantio to pursue Othello because this would disturb him.

Lago perfects the art of speaking things that people would want to hear hence misleading them and making them react according to his plans. He is so witty in his diction to keep off any possible argument and confrontation.

He treats Othello in a manipulative manner when he convinces Roderigo to confront Desdemona’s father regarding the conduct of the daughter. Brabantio finds it difficult to believe the accusations leveled against her daughter by the two and dismisses them as absurd. He is angered by the two after they disturb him at night when he is asleep.

After this incident, Roderigo tries to justify his accusations but his actions only serve to further anger Brabantio. He refers to Roderigo as a villain while Roderigo calls him a senator. Brabantio is baffled by the remark made by Roderigo and sits back to reexamine the situation once more. After carefully re-examining the situation, his anger subsides and starts considering the stories told by the two especially when he discovers that Desdemona is not in her bed chamber (Sparknotes 3).

Lago chooses his words judiciously and expresses his views carefully. He knows what to say and the most appropriate time to say it in order to convince his listeners. He practices this especially when talking to Roderigo and Othello. He begins his talks with imperatives then follows them with self answered questions and concludes by making daring assertions.

The timing nature of Lago is evident when he speaks to Roderigo about the suspicions of Desdemona being in love with Othello. Lago brings out Othello as a deceitful person whose lies are believed by Desdemona. He then uses these lies to manipulate Roderigo by telling him that he is capable of distinguishing the relationship between Othello and Desdemona. However, what drives Lago to manipulate Othello is the jealousy he harbors towards him.

The actions of Lago and Othello are based on what they say and do. Both have hidden intentions of dominating over each other. Othello is seeking answers while Lago intends to manipulate those he considers to have hurt him. As a result, Lago manipulates the conversations to cause Othello create conclusions that suit him.

By using this strategy, Lago waits for Othello’s answer for him to craft a response that will increase his jealousy. For example, when Desdemona is seen with Cassio in a private place, Othello asks Lago about it. Lago answers Othello by telling him that he believes it was Cassio. Clearly, Lago evades the question asked by Othello but instead frames his own answer hence manipulating Othello to answer his own question (Shakespeare 65).

Lago employs suspicion, forestalled criticism, hints and twists reality. He frames the relationship between Cassio and Desdemona for the sake of convenience. He is so determined to ensure that Othello develops unending jealousy for Desdemona by insinuating that Desmodena is unfaithful.

The chance presents itself when Cassio and Desmodena are spotted together. Lago slyly comments about the behavior of the two, a comment that elicits serious thoughts in Othello and wonders what their intentions were. When Othello tries to get more information from Lago, he declines to give any information and this makes Othello more suspicious.

As a result, his jealousy towards Desdemona continues to grow. Lago uses implied communications to make sure that he achieves his goals. He manages to change the perceptions that Othello has towards Cassio and leaves him asking for more information. Othello tries to understand whether the accusations of unfaithfulness made by Lago against Desmodena are right.

Lago tells Othello that he should not continue thinking about the adulteries committed but instead Othello thinks about them deeply. He is persuaded by Lago and he develops jealousy towards Desmodena but never questions the two about the affair. Othello adheres to what he is told by Lago and relies on available predetermined evidence. For instance, when a handkerchief that belongs to Desdemona is found on the bed chamber of Cassio, he is convinced that Desdemona is unfaithful.

Othello’s jealousy towards Desdemona continues to increase and to him the only person who can be trusted is Lago because he seems concerned about his life. Lago is engaged in many secret strategies and manipulates him to move in the direction he wants by pretending to be an innocent person. This is a scheme that portrays Lago as a person who sympathizes with Othello but the case is different.

The deceitful nature of Lago is exhibited when he tells Othello that Desdemona lied to his father about marrying Othello. When Lago points out the past deeds of Desdemona, Othello continues developing jealousy towards her because she lied to her father regarding the marriage (Sparknotes 5).

Desdemona is represented as a mere pawn to Lago. In the first episodes of the play, Lago is not so much interested in her. He only mentions her when talking to Othello about her unfaithfulness.

Later in the development of the play, Lago feels threatened after Desdemona asks about his perception of women and how he depicts them. This compels Lago to express love that is not genuine simply because he has been forced to do so. However, this makes him angered and expresses his jealousy towards Desdemona till the end of the play.

The motivation of the evil acts that are perpetrated by Lago in the play is not brought out clearly in the play. He is angered and harbors intense jealousy towards other characters just because Cassio was appointed a lieutenant despite the fact that Lago was more experienced.

He too becomes jealous of Othello although his manipulative character is not justified by this jealousy towards Othello. The truth of the matter is that Lago is very jealous and strives towards developing the jealousy he has in other characters. He believes that he is the person undergoing a lot of suffering and wants other characters to develop anger and jealousy.

Lago comes out as one of the villainous characters in the works of William Shakespeare. What brings out this character is the fact that he secretly creates the trouble happening in the play but he pretends to be innocent and blameless such that nobody suspects him. He achieves this by applying manipulative strategies that end up betraying other characters.

He always tells lies that cause serious consequences but he expresses sympathy and is ever ready to share his secrets with somebody. It is not clear why Lago acts the way he acts and this makes him even more frightening. He is full of jealousy and wants every other person to feel as jealous as he is. The jealousy of Lago and his efforts to develop the same jealousy in others eventually leads into the deaths of many people and his own downfall.

Shakespeare, William. Othello. New York: Plain Label Books, 1968. Print.

SparkNotes. Themes, Motifs & Symbols . 2011. Web.

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The Jealousy in Othello: Literary Analysis

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Published: Aug 23, 2018

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Hook Examples for “Othello” Essay

• Jealousy’s Toxic Grip: Delve into the dark and destructive power of jealousy as it consumes the minds and hearts of the characters in Shakespeare’s masterpiece, Othello.
• Manipulation and Deceit: Uncover the intricate web of manipulation and deceit woven by Iago, one of literature’s most notorious villains, as he orchestrates the tragic downfall of Othello and those around him.
• The Tragedy of Miscommunication: Explore the theme of miscommunication and its devastating consequences in Othello, where characters’ inability to express their true thoughts leads to tragic misunderstandings.
• Othello and the Other: Analyze the theme of otherness and its role in Othello’s tragedy, where a Moor in Venetian society grapples with prejudice, identity, and the consequences of being an outsider.
• The Handkerchief’s Symbolism: Examine the significance of the handkerchief as a symbol of love, fidelity, and betrayal in Othello, unraveling the threads of destiny woven into this treasured object.

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• Graffiti Kings. (2020). Banksy: The World’s Most Famous Graffiti Artist. Graffiti Kings.
• The Guardian. (2021). Banksy’s street art: 10 of his most iconic works. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2021/mar/01/banksy-street-art-10-iconic-works
• The Art Assignment. (2019). Stencils, graffiti, and murals: Exploring Banksy’s art. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lI8LQVc5Jk
• BBC News. (2016). Banksy: Art or vandalism? BBC News.
• Amnesty International UK. (2019). Banksy: The art of protest. Amnesty International UK. https://www.amnesty.org.uk/banksy-art-protest
• National Geographic. (2021). Graffiti and street art: A brief history. National Geographic.

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Othello Essay: Jealousy.

Othello Essay:

        William Shakespeare has written many prominent plays that were centered on a specific emotion that propelled the play forward and moved the story along. From Romeo and Juliet ’s love, to Hamlet ’s bitter anger and hate, Shakespeare and proven to be one of the greatest story writers of his time, and many times using his ability to play with emotions. Shakespeare’s 1603-04 play Othello  drove on the passion of jealousy; this emotion was the essence of the entire story, and is largely based on it. It initially placed the readers into a specific atmosphere, built character, unveiling the true side to various people in the script, and created the conflict of the entire play.

        Firstly, the atmosphere of the play is created due to this emotion of jealousy. This aspect of stories is important because it places the readers (or viewers of the play) in a direct relationship with the events unfolding. Since atmosphere is in a parallel with the emotions felt by the characters, it is only natural that the centre emotion felt by most of the people in the story, jealousy, is a main contributor to this atmosphere. Readers and viewers of Othello  feel a mood of suspicion, bitterness, and forced to feel surrounded by cloud of hate. “I hate the Moor / And it is thought abroad that twixt my sheets” . The character, Iago, is quoted here claiming his hatred for Othello because he suspects that he had been sleeping with his wife, in the first act. The atmosphere fails to ever change throughout the entire play. It begins with Iago going through a jealous rage that General Othello did not give him the position of lieutenant, where in fact, he believes he deserved the spot. It sets the tone for the entire play, causing the viewers and readers to feel at an uncomfortable state, and this atmosphere never lets down. This atmosphere, however, is quite fitting for the plot of the play. A man engulfed in such rage that he cannot tame, forces him to irrationally and eventually hurts those he loves. The purpose of Othello  is to portray a tragedy, and the atmosphere parallels this purpose, driven by the emotion of jealousy introduced in this story.

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Secondly, the jealousy truly built characterization in this script and unveiled the true personalities of each individual character undergoing this emotion. In certain cases such as Iago and Roderigo, jealousy was a part of who they were and this was evident from the beginning of the play. However, jealousy also unveiled the type of person a specific character was, when the audience believed they had the character all figured out. Othello was initially viewed as a generous, often mistaken Moor, who only truly had love for his wife, despite the disbelief others had in judgment of him. Iago’s plan was to entertain thoughts of doubt against Othello towards his wife and causing him to believe that she was having an affair with his lieutenant, Michael Cassio. Othello, being naïve and trusting in Iago, faces an uncontrollable jealousy rage that leads him to lose all common sense and judgment. Othello eventually kills his wife, unable to control this “Green-eyed monster” in jealousy, and ultimately regrets his actions. What it evident throughout his entire jealous rage, however, is that Othello was not the calm, gentle, loving person he appeared to be. But rather that he had always lived with this “beast” inside of him, only calmed down due to his status in Venice. This is clear because when he goes on to kill Desdemona, he once again appears to be the sweet, gentle, loving man, not engulfed in jealousy, but still murders his wife. Iago was able to unleash this beast within Othello to go ahead with his evil deeds. This jealousy shows that Othello was only a wild, destructive man, living in a world where he was forced to tame himself.

        Lastly, jealousy was what really opened up the different areas of conflict within the play. Every stories need conflict; it creates action and draws the audience into the story, rather than repel them away. In the case of Othello , jealousy brought about conflict, it created the situation and also presented the action that this story required. Jealousy brought conflict upon even minor characters such as Roderigo. His jealousy of Othello, that this Moor had been married to the beautiful Desdemona, whom he loved, caused him to act foolishly and without correct judgment. He gave his up control of his own life and threw it into the hands of Iago, one who was only plotting evil. Throughout the entire first act, it is evident that Roderigo has placed his trust in Iago to make sure that Desdemona would surely fall in love with him. But it is also clear that Iago has other plans for Roderigo, and decides to manipulate him into doing his own selfish deeds. In the final act, the first scene, due to Iago’s twisted plans, Roderigo goes ahead and fights Cassio. As both of them fall, Iago takes advantage of this situation and kills Roderigo to make it appear as if he was murdered for the purpose to silence him. His plan fell through perfectly, in which the purpose was to act on his hatred for Michael Cassio. It is evident that jealousy even brought about conflict to minor characters, such as Roderigo, whom the audience does not learn too much about. Other than this, jealousy creates other conflicts such as Othello fighting with himself and trying to contain his jealousy, Othello with Desdemona, and Iago against Othello.

        Overall, it is evident that in the play of Othello , jealousy is a vital element that William Shakespeare uses to propel the play and move it along forward. Single-handedly, it creates the atmosphere, characterization, conflict, and therefore, action and different situations. To a large extent, this play depends on this emotion to move the story along and create the situations that this story plays off of to make a widely successful tragedy.

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Othello, written by William Shakespeare is the story of sexualized jealousy. Jealousy and envy take a toll on the story from beginning to end. Jealousy is the “green-eyed monster” that is inherently unreasonable. Othello, as well as, the other characters feature jealousy as the dominant motive for their actions. Shakespeare portrays sexual and romantic jealousy, as well as professional jealousy as the evident cause of self-destruction. Othello’s insecurities drive him to be jealous of Cassio. Iago’s jealousy of Othello urges him to shatter Othello’s relationship with Desdemona. Throughout Othello, Shakespeare idolizes that love becomes hate, and hate becomes love. For the characters, the distinction of these feelings is being blurred. Jealousy amongst the characters is the causation for their consequential actions. “In the early modern period, to be envious of something was to want something you did not have, and to be jealous was to fear losing something that you did’ (Olson 8). William Shakespeare proves through his literary work Othello, that if jealousy becomes part of ones’ personality, it can control us and once it does, one loses the ability to ration.

Roderigo is a minor character, who carries out the thematic desire of jealousy. However, Roderigo’s jealousy does not change the way he acts and behaves. His purpose in Othello is carried out through the manipulations of Iago. Iago realizes that Roderigo is in love with Desdemona, so he convinces Roderigo that he can make Desdemona fall in love with him. Roderigo is jealous of Othello for having Desdemona, the girl he thinks he cannot have. Roderigo sees Othello as an opponent, which he has to compete with in order to win Desdemona’s heart. “What a full fortune does the thick-lips owe, / If he can carry it thus,” Roderigo says expressing his emotions of Othello having Desdemona out of luck (Othello 1.1.67-68). It is because of this Roderigo continues to seek Iago’s advice. Iago uses Roderigo’s jealousy to his advantage. Iago persuades Roderigo to confront Desdemona’s father, Brabantio. He tells Roderigo “Call up her father, Rouse him…poison his delights…do, with like timorous accent and dire yell,” (1.1.64-65). Iago is not concerned with how Roderigo truly feels. “His intentions are not to help Roderigo seek Desdemona but to have Brabantio after Othello because it will cause him, Othello, distress” (Putnam 43). Roderigo’s love for Desdemona has clouded his judgment which leads him susceptible to Iago’s manipulation. Roderigo falling into Iago’s plan, is betrayed and killed by Iago, leading to his downfall.

“Iago is a man blinded by envy and anger, with a goal in mind for everyone to become equally jealous, which aim he completes through his betrayal and manipulation of characters” (43). Iago can identify the weaknesses of the other characters and uses their weakness to harvest jealousy within them. Iago provides a distinction of envy and jealousy. He is envious, rather than jealous, of Cassio, who earned the position of lieutenant rather than himself. Iago believes he should have earned the position rather than Cassio because he is more experienced. Iago plans to disrupt and destroy the life of Cassio. While in Cyprus, Iago urges Cassio to drink a lot of alcohol to disprove his position in front of Othello. Iago conceives a plan for Roderigo to attack Cassio. Roderigo falling into Iago’s plan, attacks Cassio, leading to the demotion of Cassio. Iago reveals his evil capabilities after he successfully gets Cassio fired. Iago is however, sexually jealous of his wife Emilia. Emilia is rumored to have been sleeping with Othello. Iago is an inherently jealous character, yet he does not seem convinced: “I know not if’t be true, / But I, for mere suspicion of that kind, / Will do as if for surety” (Othello 1.3.369-72). His jealousy develops which grows into greater hatred for Othello. Iago’s rejection for the position of lieutenant is not the reason for his manipulation. However, it is that Iago wants everyone to feel the jealousy and anger that consumes him. In Iago’s soliloquies, Shakespeare conveys Iago is not driven by reason but by passion. According to Marcia Macaulay, Iago “is consumed by a desire to best those whom he feels rightly or wrongly have wronged him” (4). Iago’s jealous rampage has affected his relationships with Othello, Roderigo, and Cassio. Iago is not affected by jealousy personally, however, his jealousy has affected the other characters. It has destroyed lives and relationships. Iago’s jealousy of Othello and Cassio have made him responsible for the deaths of Emilia, Desdemona, Othello, and Roderigo. William Shakespeare portrays Iago as one of the evilest villains.

Othello is not an inherently jealous character; however, Iago drags out the jealousy within him. Othello is a confident and dignified character; however, the audience sees a transformation in his personality as he begins to use bestial language and make accusations. “Iago so desperately wants Othello to become insane with jealousy, and he initiates this envy and rage by creating lies of Desdemona’s unfaithfulness” (Putnam 45). He conceives a plan and delivers a story of betrayal to Othello in which destroys the matrimony between Othello and Desdemona. Iago does so by deceit and trickery fueling a jealous rage within Othello. Iago learns that Cassio has been appointed lieutenant instead of himself and seeks revenge on Othello. Iago convinces Othello that Desdemona is having an affair with Cassio. Iago chooses Cassio to be the victim because he is consumed with so much jealousy of not being appointed lieutenant. “When initially confronted with Iago’s suspicions, [Othello] boldly rejects the imputation that he possesses a jealous disposition” (Olson 12). However, when Desdemona becomes relentless at dinner about reinstating Cassio Othello’s jealousy grows. “Give me a living reason she’s disloyal,” Othello demands, threatening Iago that he must prove of Desdemona’s affair (Othello 3.3.61). As Othello’s jealousy rages, Iago offers many ‘proofs’ in which is the beginning of his plan to enrage Othello. Desdemona drops a handkerchief which Othello gave her, and Iago uses it for his own deceit. Iago plants the handkerchief in Cassio’s room and proclaims to Othello he has seen Cassio with such a handkerchief. “Othello turns the appraising gaze at himself and begins to doubt Desdemona’s attraction to him” (Olson 14). Othello’s jealousy develops as the audience learns his mind is being controlled by Iago. Iago’s words of Cassio talking in his sleep confessing his love for Desdemona burned into Othello’s brain. Othello’s perception of Cassio has completely changed because of Iago. Othello has ordered Iago to murder Cassio. Pretending to have doubts of Othello’s wish, Iago has asked him to reconsider. In response Othello says:

Never, Iago… Even so my bloody thoughts, with violent pace, Shall ne’er look back, ne’er ebb to humble love, Till that a capable and wide revenge Swallow them up (Othello 3.3.454, 458-461).

Othello has turned his love and respect for Cassio into hatred. Othello has become jealous and begins to suspect Desdemona’s intentions. Iago has power over Othello because of trust, loyalty, and evidence of infidelity. Othello does not need to be jealous but is because he allows Iago to manipulate him. Othello only takes into consideration what Iago has said and presented to him. He had the choice to ask Desdemona of the affair but chooses to trust Iago. Othello’s jealousy has worked him into trance leading him to smothering Desdemona to death. His feelings of love for Desdemona has turned into murderous hatred. As Othello is being consumed by jealousy, he speaks such words, “Yet she must die, else she’ll betray more men” (5.2.7-8). Othello believes he cannot have Desdemona anymore and commits an act of murder so no one can have her. Only after murdering Desdemona, Othello discovers the truth of Iago’s intentions allowing Othello to return to the man he once was. Othello, a tragic hero, takes his own life and asks to be remembered as “not easily jealous.” William Shakespeare has conveyed that personal weakness and insecurities can drive oneself to be incapable of rational thoughts. Shakespeare has portrayed through Othello that jealousy is a personal flaw.

William Shakespeare has explored the theme of jealousy in the play Othello. With Iago, Othello, and Roderigo, Shakespeare conveys the effects of jealousy. Shakespeare portrays how human emotions can be manipulated leading to self-destruction. Jealousy is what drives the character’s lives from beginning to end of Othello. Othello and Roderigo’s jealousy are not self-inherited, rather fashioned by Iago. Othello, written by William Shakespeare conveys a story of sexualized and professional jealousy. Self-inflicted insecurities and self-inherited jealousy are the prominent causes of self-destruction throughout the play. With the characters Othello, Iago, and Roderigo, Shakespeare idolizes love becoming hate, and hate becoming love. To be envious was to want something one did not believe they could have, and to be jealous was to lose something you had. William Shakespeare conveys in Othello, jealousy can consume a person through manipulation, and once it does, a person loses ability to think clearly and reason.

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Jealousy In Othello Essay

Type of paper: Essay

Topic: Social Issues , Women , Relationships , Shakespeare , Family , Love , Jealousy , Othello

Published: 02/04/2020

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Jealousy is a theme that has prominently appeared in the novel. This is spurred by the need of the characters to be protective of what they posses as well as obtaining what they believe rightfully belong to them. This eventually spurs hatred among some characters who act without finding out the truth. The two main characters, Othello and Iago are in contention of what Iago felt that Othello stole Desdemona by witchcraft and made her his wife. The plans to frustrate their marriage were defeated when Desdemona stated clearly before his father Brabanzio that she loved Othello and was now committed to him. This hence spurred up jealousy towards his relationships as he planned for their downfall . In this paper, the focus shall be analysing of how jealousy has been displayed in the book and the consequences it has on the characters. Iago is a bitter man and his bitterness is spurred by the successful life that Othello is having. He looks at Othello as a man who stole his wife through witchcraft and plots to destroy him. He is jealousy at the fact that he could not win a case in which he claimed Othello stole Desdemona through witchcraft. He is also mad at the fact that Othello gave Cassio a position in the Army, which he thought he rightly deserved. He is also bitter that Desdemona who was once his lover is Othello’s wife and they seem to enjoying their marriage. With the assurance that Desdemona would only love him and most probably become his wife after separating them, he starts his mission to separate the two. Iago touches on the most treasured item of Othello’s marriage and subsequently uses it to destroy their marriage. Even though Iago is married, he does not pay much attention to her marriage and instead uses his wife to fulfil his selfish ambitions (1.1.57–6). Jealousy drove Iago to involve other characters who subsequently faced the fate of a man that had no respect for life and marriage. Knowing that the handkerchief played a vital role in symbolising the union between Iago and Desdemona, he advises his wife to steal it and bring it to him. It is rather unfortunate that Iago reacts selfishly towards his wife and mainly uses her to commit an offence. Emillia does not understand why Iago desperately needs the handkerchief but for the sake of her piece of mind, she manages to steal it and take it to Iago. With the handkerchief, Iago is now a happy man, as this will help him blackmail Desdemona and Othello and subsequently break their family. Othello has been displayed to be a possessive man who would not stand anything against his family and more especially his wife. Desdemona is like a property to him and is hence required to act and behave as Othello demands. After Iago came to him with the allegations that his wife was having an affair with Cassio, he does not take his time to confirm the allegations considering the happy and fulfilling marriage they have enjoyed over the years. He feels jealousy that his wife is having an affair with Cassio yet seems to act innocent before him. With the evidence of the handkerchief that Iago shared with him, he accuses Desdemona for cheating on him when he failed to produce the handkerchief that was subsequently found in Cassio’s room (3.3.294–303). He subsequently acted with rage and killed his wife and the man he believed was making his wife cheat on him. After the killing his wife, the sad truth about the handkerchief and the man he had trusted to be a friend was revealed. Emillia, not able to handle the guild anymore reveals to Othello that she was the one who stole the handkerchief at the command of Iago, which was subsequently used to blackmail him. With such sadness of heart and the jealousy of not believing his wife, Othello kills Iago. Filled with rage of revealing the secret, Iago turns against his wife Emillia and strangles her to death. He feels betrayed by Emillio whom he also trusted to with the secret. As if this was not the enough, Othello is angry at how much Iago had deceived him and made him not only to lose trust for his wife but also to kill him. He was angry at the fact that he could not trust his wife even after many years of a good marriage. With this rage, he looks for Iago and strangles him to death. Othello is found all alone burning with a lot of sorrow and jealousy. The pain and grief of killing his innocent wife is more than he can bear. He decides ultimately to kill himself with the hope that he will be rejoined to his wife 3.3.267–279. Othello is a story that displays how much jealousy can cost a family and relationship. It simply began with the desire for Iago to take the position of Othello. He not only wanted his position but his wife. However, the repercussions were contrary to what he expected. All he wanted was for Othello to divorce his wife and subsequently get the opportunity to make her his wife. The outcome was however, the death of the two women that were dear to him, his death and the death of the other characters. The biggest lesson learnt from the story is to appreciate that which is owned and learn to trust those closest friends and relatives. Making hasty decisions and not verifying the allegations is likely to cause trouble.

Works cited

Shakespeare, William. Othello. London: Saddleback Educational Publ, 2003.

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