Othello Essay

Essay by bonladiquaHigh School, 10th gradeB, November 2014

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Jealousy can be fueled by circumstantial evidence and can destroy lives. In William

Shakespeare's Othello, Iago, the main character whose jealousy comes from the anger of being

rejected for the position of the lieutenant as well as his suspicions of Emilia being intimate with

Othello, manipulates Othello to become jealous of Cassio and in the end murder Desdemona.The

want of having a political promotion, a character's insecurity and selfishness, and the desire for

revenge are the factors that initiated hatred and jealousy in both Othello and Iago. Othello and

Iago were plagued by jealousy in a way that they were driven to murder, but Othello's love for

her wife made him regret his murder of Desdemona while Iago has no remorse to all the

destruction he has done.

Iago's suspicion of Emilia being intimate with Othello as well as his self centered

character makes him jealous and drives him to use Roderigo to plot a revenge on Othello. Iago

becomes jealous when uncertainty and suspicion encounters him. He declares that he "hate[s] the

Moor" because it is "thought abroad that twixt [Iago's] sheets [Othello's] done [his]

office" (1.3.363-365). This indicates how Iago thinks negatively and comes to a conclusion even

without proof. Due to this circumstantial rumor, he plans to take revenge by "get[ing] [Othello's]

place" and "abuse Othello's ear that [Cassio] is too familiar with his wife" in order for him to kill

Desdemona, who is the person he loves (1.3.370-373). Moreover, the reason why Iago creates

jealousy in others is that Iago is selfish in that he wants everyone to feel the same way he does.

In Act II Scene I after Roderigo agrees to Iago's plan of selling all his assets for money and

leaves the scene, Iago declares his true motivations through declaring Roderigo as...