Othello is a classic play by William Shakespeare. It displays themes of love, deception and jealousy. The play also digs into racism, sexism and also political issues within ranks. The play centers with four major characters; Othello, the general of the army; Desdemona, his wife; Cassio, his lieutenant; and his most trusted friend Iago. Othello loves his wife blindly and the most unrealistically. However, Othello kills his beloved wife because of jealousy. In the tragedy of King Lear, Shakespeare also shows jealousy among Lear’s three daughters. At the very beginning of the play, Lear divides the kingdom between his daughters who love him the most. Yet the jealousy between his two unfaithful daughters makes them to take each other’s lives.
…show more content…
However, they do not work the same way in all his plays. Jealousy, in King Lear, seems very different than in Othello. If someone closely takes a look at the very beginning of King Lear, jealousy can be found between two brothers, Edmund and Edgar. First of all, Edmund is jealous because he is a bastard son of Gloucester. He thinks that he will be abandoned from all the assets and power that Gloucester has. Shakespeare reveals the social point of view according to this matter. For instance, even though Edmund knows that his father loves him as he loves Edgar, he is still in doubt about losing land and power. Edmund thinks that he won’t get an equal land since he is not Gloucester’s legitimate son. By this reason Shakespeare portrays jealousy in Edmund, and it turns Edmund to destroy his father and brother. Edmund says, “legitimate Edgar, I must have your land” (1.2.17). He is pretty sure that he will not get everything equal as Edgar because he is not a “legitimate” son. The second reason for jealousy, Edgar is older than Edmund. Back in Shakespeare days eldest sons inherit all their fathers’ land, power and wealth etc. Since Edmund knows everything and has an evil mind, he plans to destroy Gloucester and Edgar out of jealous so that he can peruse all the Gloucester’s
However, they do not work the same way in all his plays. Jealousy, in King Lear, seems very different than in Othello. If someone closely takes a look at the very beginning of King Lear, jealousy can be found between two brothers, Edmund and Edgar. First of all, Edmund is jealous because he is a bastard son of Gloucester. He thinks that he will be abandoned from all the assets and power that Gloucester has. Shakespeare reveals the social point of view according to this matter. For instance, even though Edmund knows that his father loves him as he loves Edgar, he is still in doubt about losing land and power. Edmund thinks that he won’t get an equal land since he is not Gloucester’s legitimate son. By this reason Shakespeare portrays jealousy in Edmund, and it turns Edmund to destroy his father and brother. Edmund says, “legitimate Edgar, I must have your land” (1.2.17). He is pretty sure that he will not get everything equal as Edgar because he is not a “legitimate” son. The second reason for jealousy, Edgar is older than Edmund. Back in Shakespeare days eldest sons inherit all their fathers’ land, power and wealth etc. Since Edmund knows everything and has an evil mind, he plans to destroy Gloucester and Edgar out of jealous so that he can peruse all the Gloucester’s