The Manipulation Of Jealousy In William Shakespeare's Othello

In the beginning of the play Othello has it all, a beautiful wife, he's a general so he has power and respect but by the end of the play Othello is destroyed by jealousy. Iago hates Othello as he says in his soliloquy (Act 1 Scene 3). He suspects that Othello has slept with his wife and makes a plot to destroy him. Iago is also jealous of Othello because Othello just promoted Cassio who Iago thinks is a "pretty boy". He tells this to the audience as Shakespeare is using dramatic irony to engage the audience, as Iago is jealous himself, and he is trying to make Othello jealous. The thought that Othello has slept with his wife eats him "Like a poisonous mineral that gnaws my innards". Shakespeare is using dramatic irony predicting the tragedy
"Rude am I", when clearly he is not and he says he has no skill in the "soft phrase of peace", but his words tell a different story. This is false modesty. He could be mocking their attitude to his past. Iago starts suggesting that Desdemona has been having as affair with Cassio. Othello starts to think this might be true and asks himself "Why did I marry?" this is the first crack in Othello's confident armour which the audience sees. We continue to see his increasing insecurity reflected in his speech as it begins to show the breakdown of his mind, "I think my wife be honest, and think she is not". To fuel Othello's suspicion, Iago manages to get the handkerchief that Othello gave Desdemona into Cassio's possession, Othello is so angered by this that he, "Falls into a trance". Othello's mental decline is nearly complete as he blurts out, "Goats and monkeys" in front of the Senator of Venice, Lodovico who struggles to recognise his as he asks, "Is this the noble Moor?" Othello's breakdown is complete as he strangles Desdemona. His anguish and confusion punctuate his speech:"My wife, my wife, what wife? I have no