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Jealousy And Jealousy In Othello

Decent Essays

Brian Manning
Professor Schuttemeyer
Eng. 150
October 15, 2017
Othello
In the play, Othello, jealousy and envy are prominent themes from the beginning to the end. As the play starts to unwind, you can see jealousy is the major cause of all the drama in the play. Jealousy or envy is a feeling of discontented or resentful longing by someone else’s possessions , qualities or luck. Iago becomes engulfed by jealousy and it causes him to corrupt Othello. They are two men that cause similar crimes but we sympathize for Othello and hate Iago because they have different attitudes towards their crime.
In the play Othello, Iago describes jealousy as a “green-eyed monster. The “Green” representing the color of envy, and “monster” shows how destructive and vicious it can be. Iago has a manipulative mind causing people to believe him and listen what he has to say about a certain situation. When Iago is telling Othello to be aware of jealousy it causes Othello to become weary of his wife Desdemona. Although, Othello believes his wife is loyal to him. He starts to listen to Iago and becomes jealous of Roderigo who he believes is all for Desdemona. Rodrigo also goes through a stage of jealousy caused by Iago. In the beginning of the play, Rodrigo and Iago go to Desdemona’s fathers house to tell him that his daughter has betrayed him. Rodrigo refers to Othello as “thick-lips” as he is black. This was a racial slur towards Othello and shows the envy Rodrigo has towards Othello being with Desdemona. As the play goes on, Rodrigo moves on from wanting Desdemona. Although, Rodrigo showed envy towards Othello he never tried anything to get ruin their relationship. Iago stirs the pot causing everyone to become jealous. Iago claims he hates Othello because he promoted Michael Cassio the job as his military lieutenant instead of himself. You can see this in the quote:

One Michael Cassio, a Florentine,
A fellow almost damned in a fair wife,
That never set a squadron in the field,
Nor the division of a battle knows
More than a spinster—unless the bookish theoric,
Wherein the togèd consuls can propose
As masterly as he: mere prattle, without practice
Is all his soldiership. But he, sir, had the election;
And I, of whom his eyes had

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