Analysis Of Jealousy In Shakespeare's Othello

Shakespeare is prominent in his use of recurring themes throughout his works, particularly those of love, death, and betrayal. All these themes are present in Othello. Most para- mount, however, is jealousy. Jealousy runs the characters’ lives in Othello from the beginning of the play, when Roderigo is envi- ous of Othello because he wishes to be with Desdemona, and to the end of the play, when Othello is furious with envy because he believes Cassio and Desdemona have been engaging in an affair. Some characters’ jealousy is fashioned by other charac- ters. Iago is involved in much of this, creating lies and imple- menting misleading situations. He is consumed with jealousy of Cassio and masked with hatred of Othello because he was not chosen as lieutenant, Cassio was. Iago is selfish in that he wants everyone to feel as he does so he engineers the jealousy of other

He knows exactly what to say and when to say it to get a rouse out of whomever he wishes. He exercises this particularly well with Roderigo and Othello. Marcia Macaulay in her article “When Chaos Is Come Again: Narrative and Narrative Analysis in Othello” says that “[Iago] commences with an imper- ative, follows with a question in which he answers himself, and ends with a bold assertion” (3-4). An example of Iago’s timing is when he speaks to Roderigo of the suspicions regarding Desdemona’s love for Othello. “Mark me with what violence she first loved the Moor but for bragging and telling her fantastical lies. To love him still for prating? Let not thy discreet heart think it. Her eye must be fed” (II. i. 230-234). In this excerpt Iago represents Othello as a liar and Desdemona as a believer of those lies, which Iago then uses to manipulate Roderigo into believing that he can distinguish the relationship between Desdemona and Othello. Manipulating Roderigo is actually masked by the animosity that Iago feels for Othello,