Jealousy is an important theme in Shakespear’s Othello, especially in act three. Jealousy can be related to two persons in this act. The jealousy of one person starts in the beginning of the play and the jealousy of the other person starts in this act. The former person is Iago. He envies Cassio, because Cassio is Othello’s lieutenant and Iago wants to be that. The latter person is Othello. At the beginning of the play, Othello is a happy man who just married the beautiful Desdemona. Unfortunately, he starts to think that Desdemona and Cassio has a secret relationship in act three.
Owing to the fact that Cassio had become Othello’s lieutenant, Iago envies Cassio extremely. Iago believes that he has to be Othello’s lieutenant and not Cassio, because Iago used to be Othello’s partner during battles and Cassio does not know anything about fighting. Although, Cassio got the job and Iago has to be the ancient.
Therefore, Iago starts a plan to make sure that Othello hates Cassio and he devises that plan through the whole play. Firstly, Iago has to make sure that Othello thinks that Desdemona and Cassio have a secret relationship. As a result, Othello will envy Cassio. Secondly, Othello will fire Cassio and this means that Iago will become lieutenant. Iago’s plan starts to succeed during act three. Othello sees Desdemona and Cassio together and starts to arguing. This happens exactly in the way Iago wants it to and he makes the relationship between Desdemona and Cassio a little bit exaggerated that it actually is. When Emilia, Iago’s wife, finds Desdemona’s handkerchief, she gives it to Iago. Consequently, that handkerchief will help Iago a lot by making sure that Othello believes that Desdemona and Cassio do really have a secret relationship.
Othello’s jealousy starts, when he sees his wife Desdemona and his lieutenant Cassio in a secret conversation. He does not know what he has to think about this, but Iago helps him a