Jealousy, whatever it may be driven by, can produce many different actions in a person depending on their desires. Othello craftly examines a few examples of these with highly contrasting characters driven by vastly different things. The different manifestations of jealousy in said characters can be analysed through the characters of Roderigo, Othello, and Iago.
Rodrigo’s character serves as an example of true jealousy over love, rather as a facade to cover-up another motivation, as seen with Othello and Iago. He displays a decline in power once wrought with jealousy, rather than the upshot seen in the other two. Iago and Othello take matters into their own hands, meanwhile rodrigo turns to Iago asking for help with his love for Desdemona …show more content…
Through the first part of the play Othello remains the calm voice of reason, believing himself to possess a “perfect soul” (1.2.36). This is significant because when he grants himself the role of an exempt man from a rigid moral code because his wife is supposedly cheating on him, it shows his true nature. Therefore allowing a caveat for the murder of his supposed love, which he is proudly open about, proclaiming to Emilia, “She’s like a liar gone burning to Hell! ‘Twas I that killed her.” (5.2.159-160). Othello is desperate for people to know that he has swiftly dealt with his allegedly cheating wife to defend his honor and reputation. Rather than maintaining his reasonable disposition he possesses for a large duration of the play he gets blinded by jealousy, turning to lunacy. An example of this is when he begins to spew gibberish in the presence of Iago, upset with his wife's alleged infidelity, saying, “Pish! Noses, ears, and lips--is’t possible? Confess--handkerchief--O, devil!” (4.1.50-52). In the earlier moments of the play Othello’s words are meticulously chosen as to come off as intelligent and a man of high stature, however in this moment he breaks the trend of powerful, well thought out words. It is proof that jealousy can attenuate the better judgement of those who become consumed by it, causing them to act
Rodrigo’s character serves as an example of true jealousy over love, rather as a facade to cover-up another motivation, as seen with Othello and Iago. He displays a decline in power once wrought with jealousy, rather than the upshot seen in the other two. Iago and Othello take matters into their own hands, meanwhile rodrigo turns to Iago asking for help with his love for Desdemona …show more content…
Through the first part of the play Othello remains the calm voice of reason, believing himself to possess a “perfect soul” (1.2.36). This is significant because when he grants himself the role of an exempt man from a rigid moral code because his wife is supposedly cheating on him, it shows his true nature. Therefore allowing a caveat for the murder of his supposed love, which he is proudly open about, proclaiming to Emilia, “She’s like a liar gone burning to Hell! ‘Twas I that killed her.” (5.2.159-160). Othello is desperate for people to know that he has swiftly dealt with his allegedly cheating wife to defend his honor and reputation. Rather than maintaining his reasonable disposition he possesses for a large duration of the play he gets blinded by jealousy, turning to lunacy. An example of this is when he begins to spew gibberish in the presence of Iago, upset with his wife's alleged infidelity, saying, “Pish! Noses, ears, and lips--is’t possible? Confess--handkerchief--O, devil!” (4.1.50-52). In the earlier moments of the play Othello’s words are meticulously chosen as to come off as intelligent and a man of high stature, however in this moment he breaks the trend of powerful, well thought out words. It is proof that jealousy can attenuate the better judgement of those who become consumed by it, causing them to act