Category: Othello

Introduction

Othello is a tragedy about heavy and terrible trials that the sublime and deep love of two beautiful people underwent. The noble Moor  Othello  who absorbed the culture of the Italian Renaissance, an experienced warrior, wounded by years and suffering, turns out to be powerless before the intrigue of a vile slanderer. According to ONeil and Waugaman (2018), knowledge of the true authors life experiences with the extremes of pathological jealousy will deepen our understanding and appreciation of this unsettling play (115). He loses faith in Desdemona and, tormented by jealousy, kills her; on the contrary, the love of young Desdemona withstands all trials, and Desdemona forgives her husband even after her death. To some critics, Desdemona seems too meek and naive, just a submissive victim. These judgments are not consistent with Shakespeares intent. Two themes dominate the plot of Othello  jealousy, and racism, both of which this paper will explore.

Main body

Othello, as the author develops his character, is pictured as a man who loves and values his freedom above everything. However, the epithet free is especially often used by Othello in relation to Desdemona. They are two free people, as opposed to those around them who are internally connected. Subsequently, Iago, the main antagonist, will entangle Othello; the green-eyed monster  jealousy  will bind a man of a free soul. Still, this future Othello is the exact opposite of what the reader sees at the beginning of the play. It is a wonderful example of the evolution of the image in Shakespeare.

From Brabantio, the reader learns about Desdemonas timid shyness, seeing in his story a maid so tender, fair and happy, So opposite to marriage that she shunned The wealthy curled darlings of our nation (Shakespeare, 2005, p. 9). However, this image is a sharp contrast to that of Desdemona, who declares in the face of the entire Senate that [she] did love the Moor to live with him (Shakespeare, 2005, p. 35). She displays uncanny bravery in her open violation of her fathers will. Desdemona does not want to remain a moth of peace and asks to be taken to war. This does not mean that Desdemona is deprived of that tender and even fragile femininity, which Cassio especially appreciates in her. The versatile image of Desdemona is one of Shakespeares finest female heroines. Black Othello and white Desdemona rose to that high freedom of human feelings and relationships that the great humanists of the Renaissance dreamed of. They are ready to share together the joys of a peaceful life and the severe trials of war. However, the dark forces embodied in the person of Iago are already preparing intrigues for them.

Iago is opposed to Othello in various ways, which makes him a believable antagonist in the story. He often speaks of his jealousy of Othello, whom he suspects in connection with his wife, Emilia. This is the second motive for his jealousy of the general, while the first motive is how Othello chose Cassio for service over Iago. All in all, Othello is not naturally jealous; on the contrary, he is trusting. Iago, on the other hand, is naturally jealous; he appears incredulous and suspicious throughout the story. Iago is jealous not because he loves but because he is afraid of losing what belongs to him  his jealousy is the jealousy of the owner. He decides to catch Othello on his gullibility, stating that he is open and trusting by nature.

Iago slanders Desdemona both in front of Rodrigo, from whom he deceives money, and in front of Cassio, in order to awaken impure desires, speaking of Desdemonas alleged sensuality. Cassio does not support these hints; on the contrary, he admires her modesty, tenderness, and sophistication. Othello reacts reasonably to the first hint thrown, claiming that her good traits are not a cause for distrust. However, later, already convinced of his wifes betrayal, Othello recalls her merits to Iago with a feeling of deep sorrow. The latter, feeling that love can still prevail in Othellos heart, exclaims that these traits only make her betrayal worse and again revives anger and hatred in Othellos soul.

The nature of Othellos jealousy prompted conflicting comments in the various analyses of the play. Özturk and Özdemir (2019) state that Othello has been predominantly a subject of racist and colonial studies as the tragic hero in the play is of Moorish origins (64). Authors who followed racial prejudices distorted Shakespeares plan beyond recognition, arguing that in the very nature of Othello is hidden a barbarian, a savage. They claimed that civilization is only an outer shell that quickly collapses, revealing instincts that cannot be eliminated by upbringing.

Indeed, in the play, Othello is referred to by many different names, including Moor, which refers to black people, African, and Negro. Iago displays the impression that Blacks behave like animals. Moghari (2021) emphasizes how black and white is a binary opposition in which black African are marginalized, humiliated, and othered because of their skin color (25). In one particular scene, Iago explains to Brabantio that Othello, an elderly black man, escaped with his daughter Desdemona. Iago purposefully uses words that contrast  black for Othello, suggesting dark, gloomy, and bad, and for Desdemona, he uses white, suggesting purity and innocence. He also calls Othello the devil, as blackness, from his perspective, seems to be associated with wrongdoing and negative connotations.

During the second act, there is a scene where for the first time in front of the reader, is a flash of Othellos passion. My blood begins my safer guides to rule; And passion, having my best judgment collied, says Othello (Shakespeare, 2005, p. 77). These words misled many scholars who studied the play, as they understood the word blood to mean African blood  the nature of a savage. It is unlikely that Shakespeare put this meaning into the word blood, which is generally very often found in his works as a synonym for passion, the emotional principle, as opposed to reason. Before, the reader is not a mad savage, a child of nature or a fierce tiger, an African with the whites of his eyes sparkling, but simply a very hotheaded and passionate person.

Conclusion

All these racial speculations are refuted by the text of the tragedy. First, the fact that Othello is a Moor is not the most significant factor in the development of events. Shakespeare follows the source, for in the novel by Giraldi Chintio the hero is a Moor, but ennobles the hero, makes him a man of the Renaissance. The Elizabethan era in which the events of the play take place was a long time ago, but the issues of racism, tied closely with the concept of jealousy, was actual even then. In the play, jealousy that stems from racial prejudices causes people to act recklessly, however, their desire for revenge does not work for them, and they all suffer the consequences.

Works Cited

Moghari, Shaghayegh. Racism, Ethnic Discrimination, and Otherness in Shakespeares Othello and the Merchant of Venice. International Journal of English and Comparative Literary Studies, vol. 2, no. 4, 2021, pp. 2541., Web.

ONeil, Mary Kay, and Richard Waugaman. Jealousy: Developmental, Cultural, and Clinical Realms, Routledge, Abingdon, Oxon, UK, 2018, pp. 115128.

Shakespeare, William. Othello: The Moor of Venice. EMC/Paradigm, 2005.

Özturk, Abdul Serdar, and Ömer Özdemir. The Scale of Jealousy in Shakespeares Othello: The Moor of Venice. Eurasian Journal of English Language and Literature, vol. 1, no. 2, 2019, pp. 6469.

It is important to note that identifying rhetorical situations and strategies is critical in order to comprehensively understand the underlying message behind a characters speech. The key elements of such an assessment involve purpose, audience, speaker, and occasion, where the rhetorical strategies can be centered around pathos, logos, or ethos. The given analysis will focus on Othellos speech from the writings Act 1, Scene 3. The general context is based on Brabantio accusing Othello about the latter stealing the formers daughter.

Firstly, the occasion of Othellos speech to the signors and Brabantio is a military meeting about Turks changing their plans about invading Cyprus. Brabantio arrives with other gentlemen to halt the meeting in order to address them about his personal problem with Desdemona. Therefore, the occasion is disruptive in its nature, where the flow of the story is stopped to highlight the importance of announcing Desdemonas and Othellos relationship with each other.

Secondly, the speaker is Othello himself, who addresses the accusations by Brabantio about an alleged kidnapping. Although Othello is speaking to other people in power, he is mostly trying to explain the truth of the relationship. One of the key aspects of the speech is that he openly admits he and Desdemona are together, but due to love and not forced marriage. Thirdly, the speech analysis is addressed to the teacher, but Othellos audience involves officers, the duke, senators, Roderigo, Iago, Cassio, and Brabantio. For example, Othello states, most potent, grave, and reverend signiors, my very noble and approved good masters (Shakespeare). In other words, the main character starts his speech by addressing the audience.

Fourthly, the primary purpose of the speech is to address the accusations and provide clarifications on Brabantios misconception about the nature of Othellos relationship with Desdemona. For example, Othello states, what conjuration, and what mighty magic, I won his daughter (Shakespeare). In other words, the speaker tells others that he did not force the relationship, but rather it was his stories that made it happen.

Fifthly, the rhetorical strategy utilized by Othello is mostly ethos with some elements of logos. He appeals to his authority and reputation of being a poor speaker but a proven battle commander with no ability to be deceptive other than being straightforward and truthfully direct. He states, hath this extent, no more. Rude am I in my speech & more than pertains to feats of broils and battle, and therefore little shall I grace my cause in speaking for myself (Shakespeare). Therefore, it is evident that he uses the fact that all men are aware of his reputation of being direct and honest due to his military background, which is why he uses his authority to convey his innocence. The specific language choices are centered around exposing his strengths and weaknesses in order to provide credibility before he tells his perspective of the story.

In conclusion, Othellos speech about the nature of his relationship with Desdemona uses ethos as a rhetorical strategy because he understands that others know about his reputation and authority. The situation takes place as a disrupted military meeting with Othello addressing officers, senators, the duke, and other characters. He uses language to expose his strengths and weaknesses to prove that Desdemona loves him and that he did not forcefully kidnap her against her will.

Work Cited

Shakespeare, William. Othello: Act 1, scene 3. The Folger Shakespeare, 2020, Web.

In the play Othello by William Shakespeare, a close look at the characters is being taken. Othello, Cassio and Iago are very different people with their own life experiences and this plays a very important role in the play. Each of them was raised uniquely and this makes up their individuality and how they judge themselves and others around them.

From the beginning, both Othello and Cassio are wrong about Iago. Cassio says that Iago is brave and Othello thinks that Iago is honest. When Iago offers Cassio a drink but Cassio says he does not want because he will get drunk, Iago continues to ask him to drink and after a few phrases Cassio agrees: Not tonight, good Iago; I have a very poor and unhappy brains for drinking. (Kean 25). This shows that Cassio is a kind and not very strong character because he agrees to have a drink, even while he says that he does not want to. Iago uses Cassios good side and kind heart. After the fight when Iago talks to Cassio and tells him that it is not his fault that he was drunk and had a fight, Cassio thank Iago for his help: Ypu advise me well and Iago answers: I protest, in the sincerely of love and honest kindness. Cassio responds: Good night, honest Iago. (32). This shows that Cassio was raised to be a kind person and trust everyone. He cannot even think that Iago has evil plans. Even though Cassio is seen as a positive character who is trying to be good and respectful to other people, he is shown as lacking character and strength of will. He believes everything he is told and cannot judge people and their motives. His judgment of peoples individuality is very topical; he is not able to look deep into a person and find out their emotions. Also, he cannot think that there are people who might do things because they are evil and want to accomplish their greedy ways. This represents the fact that he does not have a lot of life experience. A person learns that there are good and bad people by having dealings with them. By being hurt and betrayed a person starts to understand that there are those who want to hurt others for selfish reasons. Cassio was raised to be kind and never had dealings with bad men and this is why he believes Iago. If Cassio had more experience in life, he would understand that everything in the world is not that simple and he would change.

Othello on the other hand is shown as a very strong character. He has a lot of life experience in battle and dealings with other people. His own principles are based on respect, control and fairness. If something is done for evil reasons or someone who did not deserve it gets hurt, he will do anything to punish that person and make sure that the good character is rewarded Othello trusts Iago to guard him, saying that Iago is most honest (24) and this shows that he never took time or attention to take a closer look at the people who surround him. He is so sure that no one wants to harm him and that he is always right and noble that he cannot even imagine that one of his closest soldiers, with who he has been in battles, is plotting against him. This happened because he does not know the emotional side of Iago and he never took the interest to look deeper into his character. At the same time it is hard for him to imagine that a man can be pretending and acting with such ease and because of this he trusts Iago. Othello believes Iago and his expression of friendship, loyalty and love and is fooled by the way Iago tries to protect and explain the reasons why Cassio was in the fight. Othello cannot even think that Iago is using this situation in his favor and is lying, by saying I know Iago, Thy Honesty and love doth mince this matter (30). But Othello still trusts only his judgment and decides things his own way. He is shown as very quick to judge. After the fight that Cassio has Othello cannot think reasonably, which illustrates that he is very easily angered and can lose his control. Also, he is blinded by his strong love for Desdemona. He realizes that she is beautiful ad his jealousy takes a hold of him (Bradley 100). This can be seen when Iago tells him how quickly Cassio leaves after a talk with Desdemona. Such a little thing is enough for Othello to start thinking about the worst that could possibly happen. When Iago tells him that Cassio and Desdemona are involved with each other, Othello does not take the time and care to see what is really happening. He does not ask anyone, he cannot see the truth or reason. This shows that he is very used to trusting his opinion. Throughout his life, this happened because he was rarely wrong and his right thoughts and actions were often rewarded. The battles that he had gave him confidence that he is lucky and strong and that God is helping him. It is made for a purpose, to show that he is very opposite when compared to Cassio. Othello is strong and very determined for action, whereas Cassio is shown as a young and weak character. This contrast makes Othello look even bigger in the eyes of others but his own as well. It is a very interesting fact that he trusts Iago and all he says and this means that even though Othello had a lot of experience in life and battle, he cannot notice little things in another person and realize that he is being lied to. His experience did not help him this time.

Iago is a very good actor. He is smart in the way that he knows other people and their characters. He understands exactly that Cassio is a ladies man and he uses this to his advantage. Also as soon as he hears that Cassio gets drunk very easily, right away he uses it to set Othello against him by staging a fight. This proves that he is not stupid and can think quickly at the moment when something happens. He comes up with a story very effectively and uses every situation to his benefit. Iago is a good actor because he had a lot of experience with people. He had a chance to observe them and he understands and sees the weak sides of a person. Iago can use this weaker side of others for his benefit and it is obvious that he has done it many times before; he has experience in the manipulation of people. But at the same time chance helps him very much. All the situations that he uses against Cassio and Othello appear almost by themselves. Iago does not do a lot of planning before something happens. He patiently waits and when the situation comes up by itself he uses it with full benefit.

These three characters are shown to be very different and it becomes ironic how both weak and strong can be lied to, while evil dominates and get his way.

Works Cited

Bradley, Andrew. Shakespearean Tragedy: Lectures on Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, Macbeth, Middlesex, United Kingdom: The Echo Library, 1908. Print.

Kean, Edmund. Shakespeares Othello, London, United Kingdom: T. Rodwell, 1818. Print.

Shakespeare constructs Othello to be the perfect example of how jealousy degrades one’s identity and morals. Jealousy deconstructs the rationalism and nobility that he once upheld. Illustrating his fall from grace, succumbing to the archetypal possessive, patricidal husband that dominated Elizabethan society. Shakespeare portrays how jealousy is an innate emotion that can be triggered in anyone; Lago is used to play ‘devil’s advocate’, acting as a catalyst for the downfall of even the most stable relationship. As he blurs the line between reality and illusion. However, at the route of all jealousy there is a cause, as Shakespeare portrays it to be an emotion that develops in a relationship, rather than existing without a cause.

Othello’s oxymoronic speech in the extract depicts his categorical decline of self-assurance; he does not know or believe anymore, rather he only “think my wife be honest and think she is not”. This is a significant contrast to his strength of character in Act one Scene two, where he exclaims “My parts, my title, my perfect soul – Shall manifest me rightly”. It is a depiction how jealousy has developed with in him, causing an alienation of character, as it was never present in the start of Desdemona and Othello’s relationship. Othello being a man or war and violence would be unaccustomed to dealing with such personal emotions. Furthermore, his frenzied reaction to discovering Desdemona has slept with another man, alludes to the fact they have not consummated their marriage. This would come as an extreme insult to his pride and loyalty which are two values upheld the most by an Elizabethan man, especially one of his hierarchal position in the Venetian Army. Iago insights graphic images in Othello’s mind, he uses animalistic imagery to portray how Desdemona and Cassio would have slept together. “Were they as prime as goats, as hot as monkeys as salt as wolves in pride”. From a historicist perspective we understand why such vulgar language is being used, not only to insight extreme anger and jealousy, but because the act of sex during the Elizabethan period was considered far more sacred in a marital relationship. So, it is a direct insult Othello’s authority in the relationship as well as his masculinity. Shakespeare originally portrays Desdemona and Othello’s relationship to be seamless and defiant, similarly to Romeo and Juliet’s relationship their love knows no boundaries. However, they are ‘star crossed lovers’, and despite their best interests their fate has already been preconstructed. It is arguable that jealousy is the most effective emotion and tenant used in Shakespeare’s tragedies as it breeds mannerisms that are a stark contrast to character’s original personality.

Critic Samuel Coleridge argues Iago’s monologues are “the motive-hunting of motiveless malignity”, while this may be true, and some view his quest to destroy Desdemona and Othello’s relationship as unprovoked. From a psychoanalytical perspective his manipulation is merely a cowardly projection of his own woes he Is facing with Emilia. As it is only spoken of once that Emilia may have committed adultery, as Iago states “it is thought abroad that ‘twixt my sheets he’s done my office”. Shakespeare is portraying an intricate representation of the way in which jealousy has poisoned Iago, his repetitive questioning in the extract, “What then? How then? What shall I say? Where’s satisfaction?”, depicts a derangement of character similar to that of Othello, it reflects Shakespeare’s understanding that jealousy is a toxic emotion. However, envy does not only exist in the romantic relationships in the play, as it is the omnipresent “green-eyed monster”, which has the ability to be present wherever there is a hierarchy. Iago’s jealousy that he feels towards Othello is similar to that between Satan and Jesus in the bible; Othello is presented as a masculine, noble figure and Iago is compared to “Janus”. Furthermore, Shakespeare’s setting of the play in Cyprus an exotic, isolated island reflects the warped heaven that the character’s live in, and the jealousy that Iago perpetuates is the downfall of such paradise.

Shakespeare’s didactic presentation of jealousy as a malignant emotion, portrays how it could be perceived as the single cause for the destruction of characters and relationships in the play. However, it only exists as a result of weak morality, betrayal and envy. Iago is the advocate for spreading the jealousy that plagues his consciousness, as he is the proof that such emotion only exists when it is injected and incubated. He immortalizes the hatred and jealousy he feels by projecting it onto other’s relationships, causing it to exist without reason, ruining otherwise seamless situations.

It was an exciting time in the 1600s as the famous tragedy Othello was written by William Shakespeare was introduced to the world. Since then, many appropriations of the famous tragedy have been created. A Tim Nelson appropriation of the play Othello into a film from 2001 took a modern-day approach, allowing the play to suit the audience of the 21st century. Although both texts show significant differences being the time frames, many similarities are also evident, exemplified through two main values being race and Appearance vs Reality. The texts continue to transcend time as the themes within still relate to modern-day issues expressing the importance and relevance of the narrative to changing times. Both play and film represent Othello as a Tragic Hero. A tragic hero is a literary character who makes a judgment error that inevitably leads to his/her own destruction.

Othello & ‘O’ features a tragic hero whose fatal flaws result in their demise. Shakespeare extensively uses dramatic irony to highlight the fact that Othello evidently has a fatal flaw which regards his appearance vs reality. Tim Nelson has also effectively encapsulated the same universally significant theme of Race throughout his film ‘O’ through the use of various language and film techniques.

Racism is a major issue that exists in both our modern-day society and in the Elizabethan society where the play took place. However, Shakespeare and Nelson choose to use different techniques to explore this issue. Shakespeare uses poetic and dramatic techniques as English literature was the main sole enjoyment during the Elizabethan time period. Whereas Nelson uses cinematic techniques as the majority of his audiences are teenagers and movies are the most popular enjoyment in modern-day.

In Othello, Othello is being labeled as “the Moor,” which according to the collins dictionary “the term ‘Moor’ referred to dark-skinned people in general, used interchangeably with similarly ambiguous terms as ‘African’, ‘Ethiopian’, ‘Negro’, and even ‘Indian’ to designate a figure from Africa.” Similarly in O, Nelson uses many different symbolisms to explore racial tension between the white and the black. One of which is to have a black character to play the “drug dealer” to reinforce the racial stereotype of most drug dealers are black and upholding Shakespeare hallmark technique of Appearance vs Reality.

Another reason he chooses to play with a black personality is perhaps merely because of how color is interpreted. The color black often provides us the impression that it is dirty and unclean and illegal drugs give us the same picture. Another is a black hawk that juxtaposes the white pigeons. During the film when it starts, the hawks can be defined as dark, powerful, and proud. However, when the hawk, a black person, is caged up and separated from the white pigeon, white person, the image of a black person does not fit into the white society. This proves that the idea of racism continues to transcend in time, allowing the changing audiences to relate to the problems within.

There are themes, concepts, values, attitudes, and symbolism put forward in both texts. The topics cover love, jealousy, tragedy, deceit, tragedy, friendship, manipulation, violence, racism. The topics are heavily depicted in both texts and some more than others, for example, friendship is seen more in O because the protagonists are adolescents, and friendship in those years is essential. The idea seen in both texts is the’ hero concept,’ which is to portray Othello and Odin as a hero in both army and basketball conquests. In both texts, symbolism is seen in the same way as the themes, the white/black contrast symbolizes the fight between good and evil, with the difference being that Othello is physically black but inwardly white, while Iago is physically white but inwardly black. In O, this is symbolized by the comparison between the dove and the hawk and can also be seen as a sign of racism (an instance of racism in Othello, when Iago defines Othello as an ‘ancient black ram’).

Racism in O is also demonstrated by the fact that Odin is the only black student in the college and is heard in the film through contemporary hip-hop and rap music that represents the essence of racism in modern culture. Also used as a sign is the handkerchief or scarf; it is a motif for the love of Othello / Odin for Desdemona / Desi. The values that can be picked out in the texts are the values of Othello from the beginning of the play to the end. Othello values honesty, his reputation, his power, his high status in society and his love for Desdemona, Othello loses much of his values at the end of the play, particularly his reputation, power and high status. He lost all feelings of reality and lost his own love for Desdemona because of Iago’s ongoing manipulation and deception.

The race is undoubtedly one of the most widely explored topics apparent in both film and play. The race is a recurring worldwide problem that has resulted in discrimination and exclusion for many decades. A black-skinned guy, the protagonist Othello is depicted as an outsider. Because of racist suggestions, the barriers Othello’s faces show the insecurities Othello experiences later. it’s not ironic when we think of the moment when Othello is set back in the 1600s and reflects on how poorly dark-skinned people were treated? How strong roles were provided to Othello, a dark-skinned guy. Othello was seen as more than just his color in both the play and the film. He was nearly camouflaged behind the abilities he depicted in governance. At the beginning of the play, Othello had not yet experienced discrimination because he was black. He is unaware of existing racism or the power of such thoughtless hate.

However, Othello’s behavior started to change when Iago notified Othello about the suspicion that Desdemona was having an affair. Anyone who first discovered this information would have a comparable response, but as quickly as Othello’s behavior started to alter it was presumed that the way he acted was due to the color of his skin, implying that colored people exhibited unacceptable behaviors. The importance of the dark skin of Othello can be shown in in the play with many racist comments called names like ‘the moor’ and referred to as ‘dirt’ The meaning of his skin is also expressed in the film using the various techniques, extreme close-up illustrating the detail of Odin’s appearance and drawing knowledge of the reality that he is distinct from the other characters in the play. These racist comments and prejudice of unjust behavior, remain as an issue today stereotyping ‘the same’ all colored people. This is unpacked earlier on in the film when several white doves surrounded a black Hawk and outnumbered it.

In Act 5, Scene 2 Othello ends up being corrupted and confused about his position and ends up submitting to his own life. That’s the same thing in O. Hugo values his connection with his dad, and so when he saw Odin gaining more attention than his dad gave him, it made him jealous and compelled him to conspire against Odin. At the end of the film, Hugo’s quote tells us that he envied and hated Odin for getting all the attention from everyone, especially his father, and that he wanted that attention: ‘even though all the other birds want to be hawks, they hate him for what they can’t be. Proud, powerful, determined, dark. Odin is a hawk, he soars above us, he’s can fly. One of these days’ everyone is gonna pay attention to me because I’m gonna fly too”. The characters ‘ activities represent their attitudes. This is shown in particular by Hugo’s behavior; his deceit, manipulation, and premeditated betrayal behavior represent his spiteful attitude towards Odin.

Othello and Odin are tragic heroes because they are noble, and both suffer from a fatal tragic flaw and go through tragic downfalls. All these traits that they both exhibit lead them to be known as one of the most well-known tragic heroes in all of literature.

“Othello” is a play about revenge. The revenge that takes part in the play is so deep and continues throughout the play. The revenge in the play “Othello” is all tied in with jealousy. The only thing Othello wanted was to live a happy life with his wife. There are so many themes in Othello. The most important theme in “Othello” is revenge. Revenge drives the entire play, it is what the play is based off of. Revenge is lead by jealousy, the green-eyed monster. In the play Othello revenge is the main theme, it leads the play because vengeful behavior acts as a catalyst for every event; which causes extreme conflict and emotional damage in the play.

Iago is the antagonist in the play “Othello”. Iago has lots of Jared and jealousy. Iago is evil. One person he hates is the moor, “I hate the moor, And it is thought abroad, that ‘twixt my sphere ‘ has done my office. I know not if’t be true, But I, for mere suspicion in that kind, Will do as if for surety.” ( 1.3. 429-433). Iago complains about everything and everyone. Iago shows many times in this play how much hatred, jealousy, and anger he has in him. Iago is also very manipulative. Iago acts as if he is the good guy in every situation. Iago also loves to put his ideas in people’s heads and make them think as if it was their idea. This is where manipulation ties into the revenge. Iago shows his manipulation and revenge many times throughout the play, “Call up her father, Rouse him. Make after him, poison his delight, Proclaim him in the streets; incense her kinsmen, And, though he in a fertile climate dwell, Plague him with flies. Though that his joy be joy, Yet throw such changes of vexation on’t As it may lose some color.” (1.1. 74-80). Iago is showing his plan for revenge and what he would like to do. Iago is also a liar, he acts as if he would never do a bad thing in his life. Iago is so manipulative throughout the entire play.

The handkerchief Othello gave his beloved wife is very important it is a symbol of his love. The handkerchief has been in his family for ages. Othello was beyond furious when she lost it and when he found out it was in another mans room. Othello saw her losing it as she didn’t care about it and that she was cheating. Even though what really happened was that she was in Iago’s wife’s room and had dropped it. Iago manipulated his wife to steal it and bring it to him, when she did bring it to him he planted it in another mans room so Othello would think she cheated. When Othello went to iago about his wife cheating iago acted as if he was a good friend and started saying that Cassio was a good man and could not imagine him cheating, “Cassio’s a proper man. Let me see now: To get his place and to plume up my will In double knavery—How, how? Let’s see. After some time, to abuse Othello’s ear That he is too familiar with his wife. He hath a person and a smooth dispose To be suspected, framed to make women false. The Moor is of a free and open nature, That thinks men honest but seem to be so, And will as tenderly be led by th’ nose As asses are. I haven’t. It is engendered. Hell and night Must bring this monstrous birth to the world’s light.“ (1.3.435-447). The handkerchief was just as important has a wedding ring. It means a lot to Othello. When Othello thought she lost it in another mans room and thought she cheated he lost it. Othello went off on his wife. Othello felt as if she did not care about his symbol of love.

Revenge is more than payback, it has many complex emotions tied in with it. One of the complex emotions is jealousy. Jealousy also plays a main part in Othello, “O, beware, my lord, of jealousy; It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock the meat it feeds on;” (3.3. 15). Jealousy is such a complex emotion that it is hard to explain. This is the best way to explain jealousy. It is truly a “green-eyed monster”. Emilia really understands jealousy, “Pray heaven it be state-matters, as you think, and no conception nor no jealous toy concerning you. Alas the day, I never gave him cause! But jealous souls will not be answered so.They are not ever jealous for the cause, But jealous for they are jealous. It is a monster Begot upon itself, born on itself. Heaven keep that monster from Othello’s mind” (3.4.176-184). Desdemona and Emilia are good friends, that quote is a conversation between them. Emilia basically thinks that jealousy come up out of nowhere and there is no reason for it. Emilia thinks that jealousy grows bigger and bigger by “feeding on itself”. Everybody gets jealous at some point in their life, but nobody knows exactly why people get jealous. Their is a lot of research on jealousy, Sussex publishers talk about jealousy on psychology today, they say that jealousy is a very complex emotion, it encompasses many different emotions. The emotions that are involved with jealousy are; fear, rage, and humiliation. It does not matter what age a person is jealousy affects everyone. Jealousy is a very ugly emotion. iago realizes that their is actual proof of Desdemona’s unfaithfulness, “Trifles light as air Are to the jealous confirmations strong As proofs of holy writ. This may do something.”(3.3.370-372). Iago realizes Othello’s suspicion of his wife cheating needs evidence. Iago realizes he needs to plant evidence. Iago decided to plant the handkerchief and give evidence that Othello’s wife was “cheating”. Iago already knew that Othello was not a confident person especially being married to a white woman because it is so frowned upon.

Revenge is more than just something people want. It’s an emotion. It is when people want fairness and justice. Othello is so hurt because he believes his beloved wife has cheated he now seeks revenge, “Even so my bloody thoughts with violent pace Shall ne’er look back, ne’er ebb to humble love” (3.3. 467-470). Othello now seeks revenge for his wife and Cassio, Othello truly shows how hurt he is. Othello went from being head over heels for his wife to know having a deep hatred for her. Othello has never felt more angry in his life before, now he wants both of them dead. This leaves his wife very hurt because she didn’t cheat and Othello doesn’t believe her, Desdemona ends up dying from a broken heart. Othello is preparing to kill both Desdemona and Cassio, “Therefore be double damned: swear thou art honest.” (4.2. 38-40). Othello thinks that Desdemona’s soul is damned and cursed. The more that Desdemona denies cheating the more angry Othello gets. Revenge is not a good feeling, just like jealousy. Revenge is worse because it feels good while doing it then after people either feel guilty or regret it. On psychology today people researched revenge and what wires it, researchers believe that people’s emotion of rage is what triggers revenge and revenge is a way for people to feel justice and even. At the end of the play when othello realizes that he has been tricked he was so disappointed, “ Then must you speak Of one that loved not wisely but too well.” (5.2. 357-360). Othello feels so betrayed and regrets so many of his decisions. Othello wishes he saw this coming.

In the play Othello revenge is the main theme, it leads the play because vengeful behavior acts as a catalyst for every event in the play. This causes extreme conflict and lots of emotional damage in the play. In the play “Othello” Iago is the antagonist. Iago’s actions is what drives the entire play. This play shows people how jealousy and revenge are emotions and that every person gets these emotions and that nobody can control them. Every person has experienced these emotions.

Works cited

1. “Jealousy.” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, (n.d.) https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/jealousy.
2. “Revenge: Will You Feel Better?” Psychology Today, 2019, www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/pieces-mind/201309/revenge-will-you-feel-better.
3. Shakespeare, William,, Mowat, Barbara A.Werstine, Paul.The Tragedy Of Othello, The Moor Of Venice. New York, N.Y. : Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, 2009, c1993. Print.

Racism and prejudice, two of the most devastating elements that is engraved into every society and civilization since the beginning of history are a topic of debate and discussion. Racism, a word that looks quite simple on paper, but holds so much more meaning when looking at the whole picture. Racism is something that appears in many shapes and forms directed at those of deemed inferior to those of the opposite race. Although the worlds society has progressed in the last couple of decades, racism still continues to exist as it has in the past. Most literature is inspired by the overall theme of being human and being able to make mistakes but, this does not exclude the theme of racism. The Elizabethan Era was the most obvious time period where the discrimination of race was very evident. The famous Shakespearean play, Othello, is an example of literature that displays the effects of racism. Therefore, Othello is a tragedy that deals with racial conflict rather than other works that deal with the feeling of jealousy that comes from being the opposite race, or the feeling of being outcasted due to being the minority. The play shows racism that places a restrain on love, and also destroys the happiness that one feels when faced with prejudice from fellow peers.

In Othello, the protagonist is a successful, brave soldier from Africa who is also given the title of supreme commander of the Venetian army. Although he is only a Moor, Othello is dedicated to serving his society. When it comes to serving his country, Othello can be seen as a significant and physically powerful figure respected by those around him. However, his deep rooted insecurity of his race makes it difficult to enjoy the sacrament of holy matrimony. Othello is surrounded by the countrymen who do not wish to see the interracial couple that is Othello and Desdemona.

The duration of the play consists of verbalized racism represented by the words ‘Moor’ and ‘Black’, these names are not associated with anyone other than Othello creating this divide and feeling of being an outsider. In the beginning of the play, Othello’s own name is not used when he is introduced, in fact he is instead called ‘thick-lips’ and ‘an old black man’. As the play develops the audience can see Iago’s growing hatred towards Othello’s race. In Iago’s mind a black soldier cannot be as successful as a white soldier, a black man is not worthy or deserving of marrying a white woman. When Iago hears the news of Othello and Desdemona’s marriage he becomes enraged, spitting out racist language in response. In the Elizabethan Era, marrying behind a father’s back was unacceptable, however when it is revealed that Desdemona married a black man, this aggravates the situation further. As Othello ‘steals’ Brabantio’s daughter from him he furiously says to Roderigo, ‘O, that you had had her!’. Brabantio would have been more pleased with a marriage to a man he did not approve of compared to a marriage to a black man.

Due to all of the damage that Othello caused, his reputation of being a good soldier is destroyed. Othello’s fellow soldiers were able to see pass his race in some aspects due to the respect of his kills, however when the truth of the secret marriage is revealed the respect Othello had once had is gone. Othello is angered by the idea of being judged merely by the color of his skin.

It remains clear that Brabantio will never accept the marriage between Desdemona and Othello. In Brabantio’s eyes nothing good can come from the Moor. Othello’s good soldier illusion is shattered due to him being another race. To him, if Othello is black then Desdemona and his love cannot be real and thus is questioned. Brabantio is so blinded by Othello’s skin color that he believes the only way that Desdemona could be in love with Othello is if she is bewitched. From this idea Brabinito proclaims:

O thou thief, where hast thou stow’d my daughter? Damn’d as thou art, thou hast enchanted her; For I’ll refer me to all things of sense,

If she in chains of magic were not bound, Whether a maid so tender, fair and happy, So opposite to marriage she be shunned.

When Desdemona is given the chance to respond the audience is keyed in on how she truly feels about her husband’s race. Desdemona admits that she is not necessarily impressed by Othello’s appearance but instead is with him more for his mind replying ‘I saw Othello’s visage in his mind’.

When reviewing the play, it is easy to see the root of the conflict was due to the matrimony of Desdemona and Othello. Othello’s greatest fault is marrying the white Desdemona. The fault between the two is not the love and affection that they share, but the fault was not taking the impact of his race into consideration. It is evident for the beginning of the play that Othello is outcasted, however the marriage sparks the flame of racism. Once the marriage is revealed this fuels Iago’s hate fire even more. When the position of lieutenant goes to Othello rather than him he becomes infuriated. This rank shift is the what Iago bases his revenge on. He cannot stand the idea of having someone he see lesser than him being in charge. This sparks jealousy in Iago’s heart and from then on his sole mission is to destroy Othello. At this point, the thing that pushed Iago into setting his plan into motion was Othello’s blackness and now deemed devil image. From these ideals, Iago believes that Othello and Desdemona’s relationship will end quickly, mainly from his doing.

This feeling of jealousy ties in with the film ‘O’, a Shakespeare adaptation filmed by Tim Blake Nelson. In Nelson’s adaptation the character of Iago is portrayed by the character Hugo. Hugo is the son of the basketball coach and during the course of the film the audience can see that his father prefers Odin over his own son. This favoritism influences Hugo to always seeking for attention and approval from his father and peers. Odin is the ‘token’ black boy of school and ultimately is the star of the basketball team. Hugo’s true jealousy begins when Odin overlooks him for a position he believes he deserves. Instead, Odin bestowes MVP to an underclassmen, Michael. Just like Iago in the play Othello, Hugo burns with jealousy and anger to such a high degree that he is willing to do anything to knock Odin off his throne and become ‘king’ of the court. Just as in the play, Hugo uses manipulation to betray anyone who stands in his way of revenge.

The first step in Iago’s revenge plan is to team up with Roderigo, who is undoubtedly is in love with Desdemona. In his speech to Roderigo, Iago comes to the conclusion that Roderigo’s feelings for Desdemona will fade and that she too will eventually get fed up with her betrothed. He supports this theory by saying Desdemona will get bored of the Moor’s stories and intelligence and that she will settle for his looks, seeing as she did not marry him for his looks in the first place. As mentioned previously, Iago’s plans are purely motivated by his deep set prejudice towards Othello. Iago believes he will achieve his goal of ruining Othello, if he can make Othello suspicious of his own wife. Iago only feels that he can be successful due to his vigorous feeling of inferiority over Othello. In doing, Othello is cast-off and Iago is able to turn everyone against the Moor. Once Othello is alienated he comes to the conclusion that Desdemona is cheating on him, just as Iago wanted. Othello may lack the confidence of his marriage due to his own ethnicity and culture. Othello knows that the color of his skin does not match the ‘pure’ white color of his white Venetian companions, thus creating a distrust in his relationship because he feels as though he is not good enough for her.

Earlier in the play, Othello’s reputation was upstanding, Othello was a honorable and trustworthy demeanor, in other words he was viewed as good by everyone around him, despite being Black. Once Othello kills Desdemona his reputation is ruined and his race is put on display. Emilia, Iago’s wife and Desdemona’s servant, never brings up the subject of Othello’s race yet, once Desdemona is murdered at his hands Emilia cannot help but spit hatred at him: ‘O, the more angel she, And you the blacker devil!’. Othello’s blackness, his marriage to Desdemona, a white woman, and his killing of his wife all coincide creating the perfect formula for a Shakespearean tragedy. Othello’s killing of his wife relates to their marriage and their marriage relates to his being black, this all comes full circle.

Racism in the play consequently ruined the marriage of the two lovers. If a society has any form of hatred, especially racism, it can affect the lives of people, including their love and it ultimately allows people to ruin the happiness of others.

Effective texts contain recognisable narrative tropes that facilitate new understandings of our world and ourselves. This is evident in William Shakespeare’s play, Othello, and F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby which both portray new understandings of the tragic hero narrative trope.

A tragic hero is a character who begins of a noble status or of great virtue. Though this character is pre-eminently great, he or she is not perfect and has a significant character flaw or hamartia. This tragic flaw is what leads to the hero’s eventual downfall or demise. These characteristics are evident in the characters of both Othello, and Jay Gatsby.

In Shakespeare’s play, Othello, it is evident from the onset that Othello is a noble man and has an elevated social status. This is predominantly achieved through Othello’s consistently eloquent and poetic speech. In Act 1, Scene 3, after being accused of using spells and magic to win over Desdemona, Othello compliments the judges in a calm and controlled manner by responding, ‘most potent, grave, and reverend signors’. His manner and the employment of long vowel sounds used in that line, provides a heightened sense of authority, in addition he speaks in iambic pentameter (a type of verse used in Shakespearian plays that has 10 syllables on each line) which helps to convey how eloquent and articulate he is.

Similarly, Jay Gatsby is also depicted as a character of elevated social status in the early chapters of The Great Gatsby. The narrator, Nick Carraway, converses with a Gatsby-hosted party guest (later revealed as Gatsby) that he has far more substance than the other party guests, asking Nick about his life and seeming interested in someone other than himself. In fact, Nick remarks through a hyperbole that Gatsby possesses ‘a quality of eternal reassurance… that you may come across only four or five times in life.’ He even personifies Gatsby’s smile, by saying that it ‘believed in you as you would like to believe in yourself’. The understanding projected through Gatsby’s smile, and his obvious wealth shown through his lavish parties, reveals Gatsby as the perfect gentleman.

However, despite the early impression of Othello and Gatsby, both have submerged flaws that eventually lead to their tragic demise.

Othello’s tragic flaw is his overwhelming jealousy, and his vulnerability to manipulation. Throughout the play, Othello becomes a powerless victim to the manipulation of Iago and allows his growing suspicions and jealousy to control him. His jealousy is prompted in Act 3, Scene 3 when, having seen Cassio speaking to Desdemona, Iago tells Othello ‘O, beware, my lord, of jealousy; /It is the green-eyed monster, which doth mock/The meat it feeds on’. In saying this, Iago insinuates Desdemona is cheating on Othello and so begins Othello’s downward spiral of jealousy. Shakespeare metaphorically compares jealousy to a monster and uses the traits of a monster, such as “destructive”, “frightening”, and “powerful”, to foreshadow what is to come regarding Othello being controlled by his raging jealousy.

Othello’s jealousy is also conveyed in the same scene where Othello delivers his soliloquy, where he thinks aloud, “Haply, for I am black/ And have not those soft parts of conversation… She’s gone.” This soliloquy expresses Othello’s inner belief that he has lost Desdemona, possibly due to his race and because his speech is not as sophisticated as others, in particular, Cassio. This demonstrates how Othello has been blinded by his suspicions of Desdemona and his envy of Cassio, as he can no longer recognise the ability he has with words and assumes the worst of Desdemona without any significant proof.

Jay Gatsby also has a tragic flaw, in the form of his unrelenting pursuit for an unobtainable goal. He has dedicated his life to chasing ‘the American Dream’ and Daisy; the woman who he thinks befits and completes this dream. Nick informs the reader via his narration that “Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgiastic future that year by year recedes before us”. This green light is an extended metaphor throughout the novel and is representative of everything Gatsby hopes to achieve, including Daisy’s house on the other side of the bay, signalled by a green light on the horizon. Despite Gatsby’s attempts to win Daisy over, the light remains far away in the distance, showing that Gatsby could never truly grasp what he was searching for. This message is reiterated when Nick explains that Gatsby “had committed himself to following the Holy Grail”. This biblical allusion further develops the idea that Gatsby was chasing a dream and a woman that he could never truly reach in his hopeless pursuit.

Eventually both characters experience a tragic downfall due to these significant flaws. Signs of Othello’s slow deterioration can be seen through his change of speech in Act 3, Scene 3, when he delivers, “If I do prove her haggard/… I’ld whistle her off and let her down the wind”. The bestial imagery within this soliloquy shows the beginning of Othello’s descent into jealousy driven, madness. By comparing his wife to a wild, untrained hawk, it is apparent that his previous, eloquent verse has dissolved and his sanity along with it. This jealousy ultimately claims Othello, and he decides he must take Desdemona’s life. In Act 4, Scene 1 he declares “Ay, let her rot and perish and be damned tonight, for she shall not live.” Soon after, Othello realises Desdemona was in fact innocent and takes his own life, bringing an end to his tragic story.

Gatsby faces a similar fate as Othello, as his pursuit for his dream leaves him blinded to the reality of what is truly occurring. This is evidenced by the symbolism of Daisy’s name. Throughout the novel white is used as a motif for purity and innocence, and yellow is symbolic of corruption. Therefore, the name Daisy represents someone who, on the outside, seems innocent and pure, but is corrupt on the inside. Gatsby fails to see Daisy’s true nature and this misjudgement leads him to endanger himself when, in an effort to prove his worth to Daisy, he takes the blame for Daisy accidentally killing Myrtle. In doing so Gatsby unknowingly sacrificed his own life for someone who probably would not have done the same for him. Eventually he is shot and killed by Myrtle’s mourning husband, marking the completion of Gatsby’s tragic downfall.

Both Othello and The Great Gatsby facilitate new understandings of the dangers of jealousy and dedicating one’s life to a blind pursuit of an unobtainable goal. Through techniques such as rhythm, metaphor, symbolism, and allusion, William Shakespeare and F. Scott Fitzgerald have expressed messages about human nature that have withstood the test of time by remaining relevant to audiences and readers in contemporary society.

Shakespeare’s one-of-a-kind play, “Othello” demonstrates how mixed feelings of anger, love, hatred, manipulation, and jealousy can lead to an enduring tragedy. To enhance that message with the audience, Shakespeare uses foreshadowing to create suspense to a great extent in Othello with the rising action, climax, and falling action. In “Othello”, the feeling of suspense plays an immense role in how readers perceived and are intrigued by the tragic drama of events. Although dramatic suspense is created in various ways, foreshadowing is the most common. Foreshadowing usually appears at the beginning of a story and helps the reader to amplify expectations about the upcoming events in the anecdote. With Othello, Shakespeare uses foreshadowing in all plots, which suggests he relies on the literary device to keep the play captivating.

The antagonist in ‘Othello’ is Iago, a man who manipulates every character in the play. In the rising action of the play, Iago is trying to convince Othello (his enemy) that his wife is unfaithful. Iago has to go through several schemes to make his plan work. To trick his enemy, Iago manipulates Roderigo, a man who is in love with Othello’s wife, and convinces him to fight Othello’s close friend and lieutenant, Cassio by saying he’s also in love with Desdemona. Once Roderigo said ‘yes’ Iago talks to the audience and states “Make the Moor thank me, love me, and reward me, For making him egregiously an ass And practicing upon his peace and quiet Even to madness. ‘Tis here, but yet confused: Knavery’s plain face is never seen till used”.

In this statement, Shakespeare uses foreshadowing so the audience knows that Iago is not denying to be two-faced, he wants the audience to be aware he has more schemes and plans to convince Othello his wife is having an affair. Othello and Desdemona’s speeches about love foreshadow the disaster to come; Othello’s description of his past and of his romance of Desdemona foreshadow his suicide speech; Desdemona’s “Willow” song and remarks to Emilia in Act IV, scene iii, foreshadow her death.

In Act IV, scene iii of William Shakespeare’s Othello, Shakespeare utilizes foreshadowing by indicating the imminent death of Desdemona through the song she sings about a willow. Desdemona explains that she learned the song from her mother’s maid. She remarks, “My mother had a maid called Barbary. She was in love, and he loved proved mad and did forsake her. She sang a song of “willow”—an old thing ‘twas, but it expressed her fortune, and she died singing it.

The climax occurs at the end of Act III when Othello kneels with Iago and vows not to change course until he has achieved bloody revenge. In Act III Scene iii, of William Shakespeare’s Othello, Shakespeare depicted how the conflict reaches its height with very little solution, the protagonist has lost control of the situation. For example, Iago will make Othello think Cassio is cheating. The climactic moment of the play occurs in act III, the scene when Iago tells Othello that he has seen Cassio “wipe his beard” with Desdemona’s handkerchief. At that moment Iago finally breaks his victim. Othello says, “Now do I see ’tis true…. All my fond love thus do I blow to heaven. A turning point has been reached in the conflict: Othello’s love has turned to hate, and Desdemona’s fate has been sealed. Desdemona intercedes for Cassio, Iago persuades Othello that she is being unfaithful to him with Cassio and uses her fallen handkerchief as ‘evidence’ until Othello vows his betrayers will die. Desdemona’s failure to ‘read’ her husband is contrasted by Bianca (Cassio’s girlfriend)’s understanding that love is precarious.

At this point in the play, Othello is already convinced of Desdemona’s guilt, but Iago continues to add more “evidence,” telling Othello that Cassio has claimed to have lain with Desdemona and bidding the hapless Moor to look on while he questions Cassio about it. Othello resolves that Cassio and Desdemona should die that very night. Lodovico arrives with news from the Duke that Othello is to be recalled to Venice and Cassio left in his place. When Desdemona shows happiness at the news, Othello slaps her. His behavior shocks Lodovico. Othello then questions Emilia, but when she insists that Desdemona is Othello

He confronts Desdemona again and when she defends herself, insisting that she is his “true and loyal wife,” and “a Christian,” he becomes more and more enraged and abusive. Desdemona is highly upset and appeals to Iago for advice. He tells her that Othello is probably just upset about his work in Venice. In the turn of events, Iago plots with Roderigo to kill Cassio, and Desdemona gets ready for bed. Emilia helps Desdemona to get ready for bed. Emilia is worried about Othello’s behavior but Desdemona remains loyal to him and sings a song of ‘willow’ that she can’t get out of her head. Emilia blames men for not understanding that women have feelings just as they do and adds ‘The ills we do, their ills instruct us so’ Desdemona is asleep on her bed. Othello accuses her directly of an affair with Cassio but he doesn’t believe her when she tells him she is innocent. She pleads with him ‘O banish me, my lord, but kill me not!’ and he suffocates her.

Jealousy is the main theme in the play Othello where Shakespeare portrays it using different characters throughout the play. The male protagonist Othello who is a bold and brave dark person selected as military general of Venice by the Duke of Venice. Female protagonist Desdemona is in love with Othello and is married to him. Her father is not happy with the marriage as he thinks Othello is not fair enough to marry her and does not deserve to marry Desdemona. Iago is the antagonist with his brilliant power to convince people with his words and get his work done with the use of other characters in the play.

Othello is happy for the life he is living but Iago comes in and makes it miserable, without leaving a clue. Iago is the one who was dreaming of becoming the military general but unfortunately, he could not, this made him jealous in the first place then he hope to become the lieutenant, but he couldn’t as Michael Cassio gets promoted by Othello. This makes him compare himself to Cassio and thinking that he is the one who deserved the post. As he is very loyal to Othello and he thinks Cassio isn’t good as him, so he deserves the position more.

Later he plans everything properly and gets Othello and Cassio down. Firstly he finds Roderigo who is a rich man and is desperate to sleep with Othello’s wife Desdemona. Iago takes this as an opportunity and tells him that give me money and I would make her sleep with him. This could never happen as Iago just needed the money. He also sent Roderigo to Desdemona’s father Brabantio to inform him that his daughter is married to a black man and they are on honeymoon now. He tells him as if they are doing something really wrong and he should stop it so that they both could face some consequences.

Othello is one of the people who trust Iago the most but he does not know that Iago is the person who is betraying him. Iago wants Othello and Michael Cassio both to lose their post and respect in society as he was not promoted to lieutenant. Cassio loses his job because he gets into an argument with Montano who is the Governor of Cyprus. Then he goes to Othello to move further in the situation. He tells him that Desdemona is in love with Cassio and when Othello asks for evidence he tells that Desdemona pleads for Cassio’s job back. This is how Iago puts his steps forward and moving towards his goal. This also makes Othello thinks that she is guilty. When he tries to bring this topic to Desdemona she changes the talk and thus this makes Othello believe that Desdemona is guilty sure, on another hand, Desdemona doesn’t know what Iago is speaking about. This also helps Iago to prove his honesty in front of Othello.

Jealousy completely changes Othello as he starts thinking differently from before and his love and faith in Desdemona reduce this shows how the development of jealousy in Othello. As he thought that Desdemona would never cheat him like this. Iago makes Othello believe that even Cassio loves Desdemona and he tells him that he has heard Cassio wanting to kiss Desdemona while he was asleep. He also shows Desdemona’s to Othello, proving that it was with Cassio. This puts Othello in deep thought, which makes him feel jealous.

On the other hand, when Roderigo plans to kill Cassio, Iago stabs Roderigo from the back, this way both of them lose their life and Iago doesn’t have to pay Roderiogo’s money back. This shows Iago is not only jealous but violent also.

Othello goes to Desdemona to speak about the matter but she doesn’t know what he is speaking about. Then he smothers her to death. Emilia who is Iago’s wife comes in and tells the whole story running behind him and takes the blame on her and explains that Iago was lying to you. After listening to this he feels very guilty and kills himself. This shows how dangerous jealousy is and can lead to the death of many lives. Othello also wanted to be remembered as not a jealous person at the end of his life.

You can see how Othello has changed through the play from being the bold and brave man loving his wife Desdemona to a guilty man at the end. This was only because of Iago’s beautiful planning and Othello himself developing jealousy. He was also a calm and respectful person at the beginning of the play. But at the end of the play, he is the victim who is affected by jealousy, and Iago remains uncovered being the villain. He was also referred to as honest Iago as everyone believed him and trusted him throughout the play. He killed Cassio because he couldn’t get the post and Othello for not giving it to him. Shakespeare has used many effects to make this play and show the effect of jealously. Thus Iago can also be called the green-eyed monster who is first jealous and then develops this to others which leads to tragedy. Othello in the last has lost all his respect as he kills Desdemona without trusting her and still wants to be remembered as a not a jealous person, however, this is not possible as he has already made the damage, and people would not believe him. Thus he loses his identity and honest Iago remains uncovered.