Jealousy In William Shakespeare's Othello

Jealousy had been described as “a kind of civil war in the soul, where judgment and imagination are at perpetual jars.” In many of Shakespeare’s tragedies, he showcases fundamental human emotions as the main themes that ruin his character’s lives. One of the most prominent themes in all of his plays, and more specifically Othello, is how jealousy can ultimately cause a character’s downfall. This play tells the story of how a jealous officer named Iago feels wronged after his commanding officer Othello, does not give him a promotion. This then causes him to set out to destroy Othello’s life and marriage by using Othello’s fatal flaw, jealousy, against him. Both of these men end up falling victim to what is known as the “green-eyed monster” and
In the first scene, Iago, one of the ancients in Venice, believes he was slighted when his commander, Othello, did not choose him to be promoted to lieutenant. Instead, another man named Cassio took the job that should have belonged to him. In this scene, Iago speaks to Roderigo and he jealously belittles Cassio when he says, “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 toged consuls can propose/ As masterly as he. Mere prattle without practice Is all his soldiership.” (9). Iago is convinced he was the more experienced of the two men, but Othello foolishly picked the one who was less competent in their position. Unbeknownst to Othello, this is where Iago’s first plan fueled by jealousy over not getting promoted takes its root. His jealousy consumes him and causes him to think of nothing else but getting revenge on Othello. Later on in the same scene, Iago separately speaks to the audience and says, “ The Moor is of a free and open nature/ That thinks men honest that but seem to be so,/ And will as tenderly be led by th' nose/ As asses are...It is engendered.” Iago’s true manipulative persona appeared with this new bout of jealousy and as seen above, Iago will stop at nothing to get retribution, instead of coming to terms that he
From the beginning, Iago had wanted to use one of human’s most fatal flaws, jealousy, against Othello. After Iago fed Othello with lies about his wife’s infidelity with Cassio, Othello was quick to believe the worst. However, he first demands that Iago is to “be sure thou prove my love a whore/ Be sure of it/ Give me the ocular proof” (143). Iago then tells him about how he saw Cassio holding Desdemona's handkerchief. Although this proof is not visible, Othello takes this to be enough. His quickness to distrust his wife stems from his insecurity that comes from the conspicuous racial issues in Venice. Although he is a respected general, no one treats him the same because of his different colored skin. Furthermore, it is evident that Othello’s jealousy has already began to take over him because he then impedes on “Honest Iago” to let him hear “thee say/ That Cassio’s not alive. With only what seemed to be circumstantial evidence, Othello begins plotting the removal of his source of jealousy. Moreover, Othello never stops to ask Desdemona if the rumors are true because the jealousy he has impedes his ability to distinguish between reality and Iago’s lies. The jealousy he has caused his worst fear to appear, which was that Desdemona would deem him unworthy of her love because he was black. This causes his disposition to change drastically