Consequences of Passion in Othello
Being too passionate about something or someone, can sometimes over ride one's good judgement. Too much passion can bring about ever-lasting consequences and regrets. When put into a tense, specific situation, you usually wont make wise choices. You wont stop and think, "what is going on" or "what is the right thing to do" but instead, we let our emotions take over. For instance, in the play Othello, Othello is passionately in love with his wife and when he hears a disturbing rumor about her, instead of thinking over what he heard or if it is true, he let his jealousy take over his actions.
In Othello, Iago, Othello's dear truthful friend, wants to ruin Othello's life by "plaguing" his mind of depressing thoughts. He plans to tell Othello that his wife, Desdemona, is cheating on him with his ex-lieutenant, Cassio. "At least jealousy so strong that judgment cannot cure." (p. 79, Iago) Othello being passionately in love with Desdemona begins to believe the rumors he is told, and it breaks his heart. He is not only envious that his beloved wife would cheat on him with Cassio but that idea of her not loving him, troubled him the most. "By heaven, thou echo'st me/ As if there were some monster in thy thought/ too hideous to be shown." ( W.S, 3.3; 121) Othello's emotions begin to grow from jealously to anger. He has never been heart broken before and now all his emotions of melancholy is running through his mind. "How shall I murder him, Iago?" (p. 171, 4.1) Already Othello had sunken in everything Iago had said. Not thinking straight and letting his emotions run untamed, he can only think of death as a way to resolve everything. He soon pays for his jealousy rage by taking both his wife and his own life.
In addition, from the play, Iago seems to let his infatuation over seek his reasoning as well. Iago is one of Othello's respectable friends. When Othello, the General, had to pick a lieutenant, he chose Cassio. Iago was furious at Othello's decision. He wanted to be lieutenant with his dear Othello, but when hearing that he chose Cassio, Iago breaks out like a beast expressing all his fury and resentment.
The Othello of the Fourth Act is Othello in his fall. His fall is never complete, but he is much changed. Towards the close of the Temptation-scene he becomes at times most terrible, but his grandeur remains almost undiminished. Even in the following scene (III iv), where he goes to test Desdemona in the matter of the handkerchief, and receives a fatal confirmation of her guilt, our sympathy with him is hardly touched by any feeling of humiliation. But in the Fourth Act "Chaos has come". A slight interval of time may be admitted here. It is but slight; for it was necessary for Iago to hurry on, and terribly dangerous to leave a chance for a meeting of Cassio with Othello; and his insight into Othello's nature taught him that his plan was to deliver blow on blow, and never to allow his victim to recover from the confusion of the first shock. Still there is a slight interval; and when Othello reappears we see at a glance that he is a changed man. He is physically exhausted, and his mind is dazed. He sees everything blurred through a mist of blood and tears. He has actually forgotten the incident of the handkerchief, and has to be reminded of it. When Iago, perceiving that he can now risk almost any lie, tells him that Cassio has confessed his guilt, Othello, the hero who has seemed to us only second to Coriolanus in physical power, trembles all over; he mutters disjointed words; a blackness suddenly intervenes between his eyes and the world; he takes it for the shuddering testimony of nature to the horror he has just heard, [Endnote 6] and he falls senseless to the ground. When he recovers it is to watch Cassio, as he imagines, laughing over his shame. It is an imposition so gross, and should have been one so perilous, that Iago would never have ventured it before. But he is safe now. The sight only adds to the confusion of intellect the madness of rage; and a ravenous thirst for revenge, contending with motions of infinite longing and regret, conquers them. The delay till night-fall is torture to him. His self-control has wholly deserted him, and he strikes his wife in the presence of the Venetian envoy. He is so lost to all sense of reality that he never asks himself what will follow the deaths of Cassio and his wife.
Othello, Iago’s superior in the military, is one man who seems to hold Iago in the highest regard, though he does not give him the promotion that is available, he continues to praise Iago and his many decent qualities throughout the play. Othello and Iago are rather close, having been in the military together for what can be assumed to be the majority of their adult lives, consequently, Othello likely knows Iago better than anyone else, even Iago’s own wife. If Iago had always been the cur that he comes to be in the play, Othello would have known, but nonetheless, Othello continues to think of him as nothing but “honest
Iago manipulates Othello by telling him false lies about his wife and Cassio having an affair which ruins the relationship between Othello and his spouse. To Othello, Iago is a loyal, trustworthy, and honest friend. Othello is always asking Iago for advice because he is closer to him and puts his full trust on his faithful friend. However, Iago abhors Othello through jealousy because Othello appointed Cassio as his lieutenant. “I’ a...
Characters in the play fail to comprehend Iago’s true nature until it is too late. Those interacting with Iago fall into the belief that Iago is loyal to his superiors, when Iago is actually focused on bringing them (Cassio and Othello) down. Iago constructs a false impression of his loyalty to Othello through ...
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In William Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Othello, Iago demonstrates a mastery of manipulation over people who had previously trusted and confided in him. His sudden turn from Othello’s loyal ensign to rage-filled villain seems indicative of a man who can no longer accept his position in life. Iago’s plotting of Othello’s demise starts as idle talk of a disgruntled 28 year-old career military man passed over for promotion. Iago believes that such a promotion may never come after Othello rejects his candidacy and makes it clear that he did not believe him suitable. He sees Othello is only concerned with personal and political gain with his choice of Cassio as lieutenant. When Iago teams with love-scorned and desperate Roderigo, he begins to construct Othello’s downfall. Iago is declaring an all-out covert war on Othello, Cassio, and anyone else who gets in his way. In Iago’s first speech in Act I Scene II, he proclaims hatred for Othello and lays out his plan for seeking vengeance. “After some time, to abuse Othello’s ears that he is too familiar with his wife (Shakespeare 1473).”
Iago is a very strategic and clever person, and he despises Othello because Othello appointed Cassio as a lieutenant over Iago. He plans to ruin Othello’s life by ruining his relationship with Desdemona. He starts off by telling Desdemona’s father, Brabantio, of Othello and Desdemona’s secret marriage. Iago goes to
Shakespeare develops the character Iago into an instigator and evil man. Iago attempts and succeeds to convince Othello that his wife has had an affair with his friend Cassio. We see Iago beginning his plans at the very start of the play. “But I will wear my heart upon my sleeve for daws to peck at, I am not what I am.”(Oth 1:1:64-65) He immediately tries to start trouble with Brabantio and Othello over the marriage to Desdemona. Iago want to get in Othello’s way because he was passed over for general and Cassio was chosen instead. We see from the start how he plots against Othello and he involves several characters in his plans. “And what’s he then that says I play the villain? When this advice is free. I give and honest, probal to thinking, and indeed the course to win the Moor again? For tis easy Th’ inclining Desdemona to subdue in any honest suit; she’s framed as fruitful…”(2:3:295-300).
Before anything, we must address that Iago was disappointed that he was passed over for the position of lieutenant. This argument was presented within the first few lines of Iago very bluntly. From the play, we find that Iago was obviously more capable than a drunken Vinetian, Cassio, for the position. Yet, in spite of everything, the promotion was given to him and Iago took it as a personal insult from Othello. His hate erupted quickly and a plan erupted to take proper revenge. As we see since the first lines of the play from Iago, he hates Othello.
That’s Othello’s weakness that Iago deems as useful. Othello’s love turns to jealousy. The question is how sympatric is Othello to the reader. Othello feels betrayed. But Othello loses his look of a gullible, good guy when he decides he wants Cassio and Desdemona dead. The rage of his jealousy turns the character of Othello the readers know on its head and creates a different look. Only during and after the death of Desdemona can the reader see the good that was once in him. Othello shows regret and kind of a sense of torment. Clearly parts of him doesn’t want this to happen. And after the death of Desdemona he sees the misplaced change and rage he had. When Othello hears of Iago’s disseat he changes back to the good Othello that was present in the start of the play. He might be filled with regret and a new rage for Iago, but is morals seem solid
This character is so noble, Othello's feelings and actions follow so inevitably from it and from the forces brought to bear on it, and his sufferings are so heart-rending, that he stirs a passion of mingled love and pity which readers feel for no other hero in Shakespeare, and to which not even Mr Swinburne can do more than justice. Yet there are some critics and not a few readers who cherish a grudge against him. They do not merely think that in the later stages of his temptation he showed a certain obtuseness, and that, to speak pedantically, he acted with unjustifiable precipitance and violence; no one, I suppose, denies that. But, even when they admit that he was not of a jealous temper, they consider that he was "easily jealous"; they seem to think that it was inexcusable in him to feel any suspicion of his wife at all; and they blame him for never suspecting Iago or asking him for evidence. I refer to this attitude of mind chiefly in order to draw attention to certain points in the story. It comes partly from inattention (for Othello did suspect Iago and did ask him for evidence); partly from a misconstruction of the text which makes Othello appear jealous long before he really is so; [Endnote 2] and partly from failure to realise certain essential facts. I will begin with these.
Shakespeare's Othello is a novel that depicts on the intense relationship between Othello, Cassio, and Iago. One charter may see the other as a dear friend and a comrade, but the second one may see the first as an inferior person that he/she is envious of due to something they have. Othello is a tragedy of trust, if you learn to trust then you live in happiness, but the power of distrust is enough to make a man attempt evil and corrupt actions. During the course of the book some of the characters relations become strong, but then at the last possible moment most of those relations revert and a few increase. It is a difficult thing to explain, but I'll break it down for you. Each character had his own relation towards another, Othello had a strong friendship towards Iago, as if he were his brother. Othello sees Cassio as a fine young soldier, but as the story goes on he begins to despise Cassio because he was fed false information about Cassio that upset the war hero greatly. Iago hates Othello, because he gave what he thought was an underqualified soldier a promotion, so he is out for revenge. Iago is also jealous of Cassio for the reason just given, he thinks he deserves the promotion and is very envious that Cassio beat him to it. Why did these people's relation change? What role does trust play in the entire play? When do we know when to trust and when not to trust? These are all questions that wonder in your heads because in some cases it is bad to trust, but in others trust is what keeps relationships and friendships alive, don't be confused its just a matter of knowing when to trust and when not to trust.
Iago is one of the most complex characters in William Shakespeare’s Othello. To most of the characters, he is “Honest Iago” (Shakespeare, 5.2.73). however, the audience knows that Iago is the furthest thing from honest. Iago is a devil bent on destroying the lives of everyone around him. At the beginning of the play, the audience learns that Iago is determined to ruin Othello’s marriage to Desdemona. He has appointed a new lieutenant, Michael Cassio. This angers Iago because he feels that he has much more military experience and should be the lieutenant. Iago has also heard rumours that both Othello and Cassio have slept with his wife Emilia. He concocts a malicious plan to ruin the lives of all who have wronged him, and consequently establishing
In society there are always people who are easily manipulated and possess poor judgment. This leads them to make wrong decisions and negatively affect their lives and the lives of the people around them. The reason for Othello’s tragic downfall was because of his poor judgement, his easily manipulated conscience and his jealousy and obsession with. These traits displayed why Othello was responsible for the play’s tragic outcome.
Othello doesn’t realize Iago doesn’t care towards him and never did after Iago wasn’t promoted to lieutenant. Iago plays the as the main director of what happens in Othello’s life. Othello doesn’t realize it thought. Iago is able to hide his emotions towards others. Which allows Othello not to notice he is faking every emotion of helping Othello. Iago is always at ease when in the eyes of his peers. “He moves jovially and at ease among the gentlemen of Cyprus, even as he sets up Cassio for a drunken fall” (Barnes 15). This shows how committed Iago was to strike revenge against his foes. Only a psychopath could hide their feelings in front of the people you want to hurt. “Iago refuses to show the "outward action" which would "demonstrate / The native act and figure of [his] heart / In complement extern" (“Where Iago Lies” 19). Because of Iago, Othello creates his own anxiety. He has anxiety because he now worries that Desdemona may be cheating on him with Cassio. Iago creates Othello’s fear by twisting his words to have different meanings. “Iago: O, beware, my lord, of jealousy/ It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock/ The meat it feeds on” (Shakespeare 1816-1818). Iago is manipulating Othello into believing that Othello shouldn’t be jealous, which tricks Othello into being jealous. The green-eyed monster is another term for jealousy. It is Othello though that allows him to get trapped in anxiety. Iago exploits him to bring Othello to a tragic