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Examples Of Greed In Othello

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“Surrounded by the flames of jealousy, the jealous one winds up, like the scorpion, turning the poisoned sting against himself ”. These wise words which were said by Friedrich Nietzsche can be used to portray the themes of jealousy and greed in William Shakespeare’s literary work, Othello. In the late sixteenth century, the time this tragedy took place, these themes of jealousy and greed played a big role during these times. Jealousy and greed were also seen as deadly sins of envy or infections which had no cure. Not only this but jealousy was viewed as something irrational and as something that dissolved the bonds holding together marriage, families, and even social frameworks. These concepts were thought to cause chaos and was a state which …show more content…

At the beginning of Shakespeare’s play, Othello is portrayed as a man who is confident in himself and his position. He is deeply in love with his wife, Desdemona, and we can see their relationship was both strong and stable. However, while the play and its events start to unfold, with the help of Iago’s evil plans, these factors don’t stay the same. When Iago begins to plant the seeds of doubt in Othello's mind about Desdemona's unfaithfulness, his once strong faith in love quickly is replaced by suspicion and jealousy. “Othello displayed signs of a man no longer sane. Jealousy is a monster who spirals out of control and destroys anything in its path...” (Reynoso 1). This quote supports the idea that as Iago manipulates Othello's mind by saying lies, making Othello believe that Desdemona is truly having an affair with his lieutenant, Cassio, he starts to believe it all and eventually loses himself. “O, beware, my lord, of jealousy!; it is the green-eyed monster which doth mock the meat it feeds on” (Othello, III, III, 165-167). This quote said by the villain Iago himself contributes to how jealousy can be portrayed in Othello.
Othello's jealousy ends up consuming him, and he ends up becoming obsessed with the idea of his wife's infidelity. In conclusion, Othello’s corruption of jealousy over love impacted several outcomes in this tragedy, varying from himself as a character to even the fate of those around

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