Power Of Jealousy In Shakespeare's Othello

Decent Essays
An example of the text is towards the start of the novel when we are met with Othello. We are introduced to him as a loving and rational man, but through the power of jealousy, he is possessed by it and turns into a crazed unreasonable man. Iago warns Othello saying ‘O beware, of jealousy! My lord, it is the green-eyed monster which doth mocks that feed on the meat of it”. Even though Iago is the one using manipulative scheming against Othello what he is explaining is true that jealousy will “Destroy the heart of the man who falls prey to it”. Igao realises just how powerful the emotion of jealousy can be. Shakespeare has used the character, Othello, for us to learn from this action. Othello falls prey to jealousy and us as the audience get

Related Documents

  • Great Essays

    The constant temptation to act on selfish, passionate thoughts is constantly at war with the desire and social expectation to act upon loving and reasonable thoughts. This time-less struggle to be an angel, not a demon, or to act in goodness, and not in evil is very evident in many aspects of one’s life. When one allows their love and emotion to be put at another’s disposal, the other can warp and twist them to turn something heavenly into something devilish. In the proper hands, it is possible for emotions to be controlled and righteous actions are an outcome of that control. These actions cause the person to gain respect, peace and love instead of regret from acting on passions.…

    • 1985 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    He succumbs to jealousy in the novel Othello when the character Iago convinces him that Desdemona his wife has been cheating on him with another man.…

    • 855 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Jealousy In O And Othello

    • 737 Words
    • 3 Pages

    In Shakespeare's play Othello and in Tim Blake Nelson’s film O , there were many similar themes shown but in two completely different settings and time periods. One of the major theme in both works was jealousy. In both works, the concept of jealousy is shown within the characters of Iago/Hugo and Othello/Odin and proved the film to be effective throughout.…

    • 737 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Iago becomes upset when Othello does not get the job he wanted. He becomes so jealous and pent up on getting revenge on Cassio, the man who got the job he wanted, that he loses sight of what harm he is actually causing. Iago is the one who actually put the ideas in Othello’s head about his wife’s cheating. Iago becomes so full of jealousy and rage that he does not think what these actions could cause in the future, like the fact that people could get…

    • 629 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Throughout an individual’s life, they make millions of decisions. Decisions ranging from as simple as whether one should cross the street, to as complex as whether one should commit a felony, can all have major and disruptive effects on one’s life. The play Othello, by William Shakespeare, follows an honoured army general named Othello in 16th century Venice as he deals with his close personal assistant, Iago, and the lies told by Iago concerning his Wife’s loyalty. Throughout the entire play, Othello, Cassio, and Iago commit acts, big and small, which affect their lives in gigantic ways. The play Othello uses the experiences of Cassio, Iago, and Othello to display how jealousy and oversight can ruin one’s life, especially when they make decisions…

    • 1006 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In the long run, Iago took Othello’s love for Desdemona, and crumpled it into heavily-built jealousy, burned by Othello’s vulnerable…

    • 1007 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Othello's Jealousy

    • 275 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Jealousy is represented by various characters throughout the play. Iago’s jealousy is towards Michael Cassio. Michael Cassio was promoted even though Iago is older and has more experience than him. This makes Iago jealous and mad at Othello so he decides to make Othello think that Desdemona is having an affair with Michael Cassio. Othello’s jealousy is towards his wife because Iago made him think that Desdemona was having an affair with Michael Cassio.…

    • 275 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    A Tragedy is a Result of one 's Insecurities A cowardly man will always find spineless reasons behind his actions that may result in a series of disastrous events. In the novel Othello by William Shakespeare, Iago demonstrates the character of an insecure man who encounters insecurities that come in the forms of jealousy, personal/sexuality, and identity. These insecurities have a key role in the development of the play and the creation of Othello’s tragedy.…

    • 1014 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Jealousy In Othello

    • 1124 Words
    • 5 Pages

    William Shakespeare’s “Othello, the Moor of Venice” (reprinted in Greg Johnson and Thomas R. Arp, Perrine’s Literature: Structure, Sound, and Sense, 12th ed.) is one of the most well known tragedies across literature. In the famous play, Othello is the Moor that came into the Venetian city as somewhat of an outsider and acquired a high rank so quickly that it bothered many other men at the time. In addition to this, at the start of the play Othello marries Desdemona without her father’s permission and this action angers a number of people. From the beginning of the play, it appears that while most people view Othello with great respect there are a few who are immensely envious and jealous of him. For the duration of the play, it is apparent…

    • 1124 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Many believe jealousy to be harmless, a common emotion that everyone feels. However, jealousy is a powerful emotion containing the ability to alter the mental state of man. The role of jealousy in William Shakespeare’s tragic play Othello exposes the deceptive nature of the human mind, and in addition characterizes the relationship between trust and jealousy. Cipriani, Gabriele, et al. "…

    • 1157 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    “Oh, beware, my lord, of jealousy!/It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock/ The meat it feeds on.” (3.3.170-172). Such are the wise words of the famous villain, Iago, found in William Shakespeare’s Othello. A tragic play of jealousy and rivalry, many of the characters in Othello are doomed to a catastrophic ending—a misfortune beyond all ordinary worries.…

    • 1652 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Othello Jealousy Analysis

    • 1072 Words
    • 5 Pages

    In the play, Othello, the emotion of jealousy is the driving force of the plot in the story. It single-handedly drives the actions of many of the characters in the play. Iago’s jealousy of Cassio and Othello made Iago want to destroy Othello emotionally and mentally. Iago uses this emotion to get other characters to react in certain ways. After that, using his intellect, Iago is able to exploit Othello’s insecurities, which causes Othello’s emotions to spiral out of control sending him into a state of bitterness and anger.…

    • 1072 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Shakespeare’s 17th century tragedy ‘Othello’ explores universally recognized themes dealing with the self and a social environment such as jealousy, manipulation and how they can accentuate human flaws. These issues are encountered by Iago in his soliloquy and great insight is given through many techniques and developed characteristics; giving insight on Shakespeare’s overall intentions. This soliloquy enhances and shapes the audiences understanding of the play through language techniques, dramatic irony and character insight. Much of Iago’s plots to perform a the plan, which leads Othello to his jealousy inspired demise, are shown in this soliloquy. Throughout ‘Othello’ the main backbone of the play is the concept of jealousy and human flaws which are explored in Iago’s soliloquy; not only…

    • 1115 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Jealousy and Destruction the Terrible Twin Forces Destroying Relationships In Shakespeare’s Othello, jealousy occurs and it leads to destruction. Lagos and Othello are at first very peaceful but chaos start erupting as Lagos becomes overwhelmed by jealousy of Othello’s power and success in having a relationship based on love. Lagos is the right hand man of Othello, who is an army general at the time of the play.…

    • 693 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Othello becomes a tragedy of incomprehension where hate, manipulation and revenge derive from the arrogant and blinded nature of the characters and their interactions with one another. Within the Aristotelian tragedy of ‘Othello’, the attribute of incomprehension creates the ultimate downfall of Othello through Rodrigo’s initial and prevalent manipulation by Iago to further his plans, Iago’s inability to comprehend Othello’s genuine trust for him which fuels his blinded revenge and Othello’s incomprehension of Desdemona’s loyalty towards him which leads to his jealous rage and in turn, his death. Alongside Othello’s gradual buildup of jealousy throughout the play by Iago’s masterful plans, the downfall of Othello ultimately demonstrates the…

    • 1242 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays