Jealousy in Shakespeare´s Othello

Jealousy is a powerful emotion that can blind oneself from identifying the truth. Shakespeare heavily emphasizes this theme throughout the drama Othello, especially through the actions of characters. In the play the heinous antagonist, Iago, uses each character’s jealousy to deceive that person and manipulate the truth. His false promises and deceitfulness bring to the demise of many of the main characters in the play, including the protagonist, Othello. Othello could not have been deceived if it were not for his powerful jealousy. Therefore, Shakespeare is telling us that jealousy is an ugly trait that can hide the truth, which in turn causes many problems between characters in the play. The play opens with Roderigo and Iago standing in a street in Venice, this is where Iago begins his mischievous plan. Roderigo has longed for Desdemona’s hand and has made the request for her hand to her father, Brabantio, but is repeatedly denied. News then comes in that Desdemona has run off with general Othello and was wed. Roderigo is outraged and Iago promises Roderigo that he will get Desdemona to be his wife soon enough, if all goes to plan (Meyers, 1187-1192). Already, in Act I, the reader can see how Iago is playing to Rodrigo’s emotions in order to gain personal revenge on Othello. The reader can see that Iago will use Roderigo as a pawn in his plan; knowing Roderigo will do whatever he says. Iago’s reasons as to why he would offer to break up Othello and Desdemona’s marriage include that he is outraged that Othello promoted Casillo instead of him and that he has suspicions that Othello slept with his wife, Emilia (1203). This is the driving factor to Iago’s deceitful actions in the play. In Act II of Othello the characters all travel ... ... middle of paper ... ...them even knowing. Iago doesn’t have to put forth much effort to manipulate Othello and act upon Othello being consumed by jealousy. Othello is now in this mindset that he thinks what Iago wants him to think, completely disregarding the truth and his own opinions. With very little evidence Othello is filled with jealousy. From this point on, the characters each destroy themselves and each other over Iago’s lies. The reader can predict the disastrous unavoidable ending that is coming. It isn’t until the very end after jealousy is the weapon that kills Desdemona, Othello gives his last speech upon killing himself, and Emilia is murdered by her husband that everyone realizes what fools they all have been. The characters made each other victims of Iago’s plan. Jealousy is the emotion that overcame knowledge and truth leading to the demise of the characters in the play.