Othello- Jealousy

You have told me she hath received them, and returned me expectations and comfort of sudden respect and acquaintance; but I find none” (IV, ii, 186-190). Roderigo started to see that Iago is cheating on him, but Iago is smart enough, and Roderigo is dumb enough for Iago to confuse him. In the second act during the party after the defeat over the Turks, Cassio becomes very drunk and easily taken advantage of. He then runs into the room where everyone is and attacks Roderigo. Montano intervenes and is then wounded by Cassio; Othello is forced to demote Cassio from his position of Lieutenant. With Cassio devastated he asks for advice from Iago, he then informs Cassio the only way to gain his position back is to talk to Desdemona. Cassio then leaves “good night, Honest Iago” (II, iii, 306). Shakespeare put in those two extra words on purpose; he is trying to show how Iago is already able to play with people’s minds and how manipulative he can be. Us, the audience knowing what Iago really wants to do, but Cassio puts trust into Iago with his position and future. The last person to believe Iago is honest and to trust him is Othello. Iago started to tell Othello of how Desdemona might be sleeping with Cassio, and how she is cheating on him. Othello does not believe him as there is no proof, “I’ll see before I doubt; when I doubt, prove; and on the proof there is no more but this” (III, iii, 190-191). Othello knows

Iago is angered at being passed over in the nomination of first lieutenant by Cassio; along with Roderigo both are resolved to overthrow Othello.  Emilia eventually is privy to the most intimate details of their plans.  "I am glad I have found this napkin; This was her first remembrance from the Moor; My wayward husband hath a hundred times Woo'd me to steal it…."

There are many different emotions like sadness, happiness, and joyfulness just to name a few that people can experience. One of the most powerful and sometimes dangerous emotions is Jealousy. Jealousy is a powerful emotion that most people experience at some point in their life. However, not everyone is affected in the same way. Some people are filled with insecurity. While others are filled with fear. Most people experience anger. In William Shakespeare’s Othello the audience learns through the characterization of Othello and Iago, the symbolism of the handkerchief, and through Othello denying that he is jealous we learn that jealousy can make people behave irrationally in certain circumstances.

Even though he genuinely respects her, he can be perceived as provocative. Moving on, Iago tries to get Cassio drunk. Since Cassio is very kind, he eventually gives in and takes some alcohol, which leads to him getting into a brawl with Montano and Roderigo, staged by Iago. Othello becomes aware of the irrational fight and strips Cassio of his lieutenancy, for his foolish behaviour. (II.iii.264-265)

In your view how does Shakespeare’s portrayal of the complex nature of jealousy contribute to the enduring value of Othello?

Later on in the play, Iago lies to Roderigo when he tells him that Othello will be taking Desdemona with him to Mauritania. He suggests that if Roderigo ever wants to see Desdemona again he has to make sure that Othello extends his stay in Cyprus. To do so, he suggests that Cassio must be killed, “Why, by making him uncapable of Othello’s place—/ knocking out his brains.”(4.2.226-227). If Othello goes to Mauritania, Cassio will be assigned Othello’s place. By killing Cassio, Iago gets his revenge and Roderigo would have a chance to win over Desdemona. Roderigo’s character is used to portray the theme of manipulation. He is persuaded into doing Iago’s ill deeds. Iago is only after one thing, to be appointed lieutenant, and he will do whatever is necessary to reach his goal.

Throughout the play jealousy is shown within almost every character, ago mostly causes everyone in the play to be jealous of someone by doing what he does best, manipulating everyone and getting them to do his dirty work. Jealousy plays a big role within the play, and influences almost every decision made by each character at some point in the play. Sadly, the decisions made due to the characters being jealous are mostly bad, the play mainly shows how jealousy affects Iago, Othello, and Roderigo. Iago at some point gets each character to believe everything he has to say and talks them into doing anything he wishes them to do all for the sole purpose of revenge and jealousy

Iago’s manipulation of Othello is the most significant in the play Othello. Although, Iago’s elaborate plan would never have worked without careful manipulation of Othello’s honorable lieutenant, Cassio. In the third scene of act two, Iago uses his established credibility and pathos to manipulate Cassio’s emotions. The scene starts with Othello telling Cassio to assist Iago in standing guard through the night. When Iago arrives, he begins his manipulation by shifting the conversation to Othello’s wife Desdemona, which leads Cassio to say, “She is indeed perfection” (Shakespeare, 2.3.22). Iago uses this conversation to direct Cassio’s emotions. Immediately after Cassio confesses his feeling for Desdemona, Iago tells Cassio he has a “stoup of wine,” and wants to have a toast to Othello’s health (2.3.23). With persuasion from Iago, Cassio takes part in the toast and gets drunk. Shortly after Cassio leaves, Iago sends Roderigo, a former suitor to Desdemona, to start a fight with him. Not long after, Roderigo runs back pursued by Cassio. Iago, knowing

Evidence of jealousy in Iago is more prominent and very evident in the beginning of the play when he explains to Roderigo that Othello has moved Cassio to lieutenant (the position Iago desires) although three of Venice’s most noble nobleman have informed Othello and Iago has fought in front of Othello in Rhodes and Cyprus (Shakespeare 1.1. 10 - 30). Iago’s sly behavior and ability to use other character’s roles and trust such as Othello’s love for Desdemona, Cassio’s pride in serving as Othello’s trustful lieutenant, and Rodrigo's over commitment to win over Desdemona from Othello allows his plan to fall through. His motive throughout the play is to get Cassio demoted from the

In the opening scene, while Iago is expressing his hatred for the general Othello for his having chosen Michael Cassio for the lieutenancy, he contrives a plan to partially avenge himself (“I follow him to serve my turn upon him”), with Roderigo’s assistance, by alerting Desdemona’s father, Brabantio, to the fact of his daughter’s elopement with Othello: “Call up her father, / Rouse him: make after him, poison his delight [. . .] .” Implied in

Roderigo taunts Michael Cassio into a drunken brawl. Montano and other men try to hold Cassio back; knowing Michael has no clue what he is doing due to be intoxicated. The fight quickly turns dangerous when Michael Cassio turns against Montano and stabs him! Othello get word of the brawl outbreak and arrives with armed men to assess the situation. Iago is pleased with the brawl; he knows that the arrival of Othello will bring punishment to Michael Cassio. Othello demands to know what has happened to bring him away from his wife. Montano is in excruciating pain and unable to tell the whole story; Iago speaks for him. Telling Othello that he does not know how the fight had broken out. Michael Cassio, thinking Iago is being a friend and covering for him, goes along with Iago’s story. Othello immediately demotes Michael Cassio from his position as lieutenant. This is another achievement for Iago; he has gained trust from Michael Cassio and has the victory of Michael Cassio not being Othello’s lieutenant.

He gloats about the easy in which he can manipulate Roderigo (the fool) into giving him money. Directly after this, you hear of Iago’s feelings towards Othello (the Moor). You learn of Iago’s suspicion about his wife having an affair with Othello. This gains pity from the audience, because you feel that Iago is a man deeply distraught over the idea of his wife cheating on him. Iago then begins to contemplate how he would seek vengeance on Othello and gain his title. Iago plans to use Othello’s trust and opinion of him to his advantage. He speaks about how he will use Cassio as his pawn to lure Othello into believing his wife, Desdemona is being unloyal to him. Iago discloses that Othello’s character is naive and will be easy to manipulate. As his closing statement he states that, with a little help from the devil, his monstrous plan will be a success.

Shakespeare uses a combination of recurring themes and motifs such as betrayal, love, conflict, and jealousy throughout his plays and sonnets. In Shakespeare’s Othello, jealousy is the prominent theme, which causes the destruction and tragic downfall of the play’s main characters. Jealousy is masked through lies, misleading situations and manipulation and interpreted in varied ways by the main characters. From beginning to end, jealousy is rooted in every scene, eventually leading to the death and demise of the main character, Othello.

Lily B. Campbell in Shakespeare’s Tragic Heroes definitively categorizes Othello as a “study in jealousy”:

The play Othello by William Shakespeare was published during the 16th century, it is one of Shakespeare’s popular and controversial plays. Shakespeare depicts Othello’s race as placing him apart in some respects from the predominantly white European society in which he lives. Jealousy is another of the main themes in Othello. Iago is the first character to start the sparks of jealousy in Othello, and in the end, causes the downfall of Othello and Desdemona. In the end, racism and jealousy are the causes of the tragedy in Othello.