Jealousy And Iago's Manipulation In Othello

Romeo calls himself “Fortune’s Fool” and realizes that he is going to have to face a punishment for his actions, that are of course caused by fate (3.1.142). Later when Romeo hears of Juliet’s death he blames fate and tries to kill himself, “Is it e’en so?-Then I deny you, stars!” (5.1.25). In this example Romeo is taking responsibility for his past actions by defying fate and taking things into his own hands. Juliet is also a naïve and impulsive girl that

Othello’s jealousy causes him to jump to conclusions and not doing his due diligence in investigating Desdemona’s possible infidelity himself. Once it is proved to Othello that Desdemona was innocent and the affair was fabricated by Iago, Othello despairingly stabs and kills himself. Shakespeare uses Othello to warn against jealousy by providing an example of the possibly fatal consequences to those who harbor such envy. Yet again cruelty comes as a result of the provocation of the character's fatal flaw, and in the case of Othello it was his

In “Hamlet” everyone made the wrong choice. In choosing to avenge the crimes committed against them, everyone died. Revenge is unjustifiable because it hurts the revenger seeker, causes dire political disturbance, and creates negative karma. Hamlet is driven mad by the mental anguish of justifying revenge. He knows “ 'tis almost 'gainst [his] conscience” (Hamlet 5.2.304) to commit revenge in the form of murder.

Iago sends Roderigo to kill Cassio, and Iago says to himself that no matter who dies he will still have the upper hand. His ambition to ruin Cassio to get promoted nurtures Iago into doing evil throughout the course of the play. The difference between Iago and Lady Macbeth is that after everything she had done, she showed the audience her guilty conscience. Lady Macbeth says, “Out, damned spot” (Shakespeare 179)! Her guilty conscience made her constantly worry that the other characters would find out what had actually happened to King Duncan.

The flaws that lead him to the inevitable was his wrath and righteousness. Firstly, Oedipus’s wrath is the main reason why the oracle’s prophecy became true which causes his downfall in the end of the play. When Oedipus was fleeing from Corinth, he became enraged when he got pushed aside. The fury he had within triggered the start of the prophecy. In the play, it stated, “ On the way, he brawls with an old man in a carriage… and in a fit of temper kills him.” ( Sophocles 3) This shows that Oedipus’s anger controlled him and caused him to kill the old man whom, little did he know, was his biological father.

He kills the love of his life while blinded with false anger and jealousy, only to find out all of the betrayal was fake. He finally has actual suspicions when Emilia, the wife of Iago, reacts by saying, “If he say so, may his pernicious soul Rot half a grain a day! He lies to th ' heart. She was too fond of her most filthy bargain.” (5.2.166). Even as Emilia is finally clearing his vision, he draws his sword at her, refusing to believe that he’d killed the love of his life for nothing but lies.

The characters portray real-life concepts of jealousy, going to great lengths to harm others, a result of their deep envy. Through the characters of Othello and Iago, Shakespeare reveals a condition of jealousy in human nature. Jealousy is a major theme in Othello, and Shakespeare employs the theme through Iago in many ways. The jealousy Iago expresses is a depiction of human nature, although it may seem as though he goes beyond what is normal. According to Psychology Today’s article “Jealousy: Love’s Destroyer,” “Jealousy lends itself far too readily to obsession and delusion.” This idea is clearly seen throughout the play in Iago’s most cunning of actions; his attempt to murder Cassio, and his malicious lies which tear Othello and Desdemona apart.

Othello is so blind from jealousy that Iago ends up brainwashing and manipulating Othello into killing his wife. Othello chooses to kill himself after coming to his senses and realizing what he did, he states, “I kissed thee ere I killed thee. No way but this, killing myself, to die upon a kiss.” He now becomes aware that he made the wrong judgements towards the one person who showed him true love and commitment. It is a little too late when Othello eventually realizes that Iago has betrayed him. He states, “the demi-devil Iago has ensnar’d my soul and body” Othello feels bad that Iago betrayed him into believing the worst of his wife.

As Othello is deciding to kill Desdemona, he speaks these words, “Ay, let her rot, and perish and be damned/tonight, for she shall not live. No, my heart is turned/to stone” (4.1.200-202). Iago has done such a good job at making Othello believe that Desdemona has been unfaithful that he, out of jealousy and anger, decides to kill her. He says it himself in these lines, that his heart has turned to stone which indicates that his whole heart did in fact once belong to Desdemona—and Othello is doing this without even having valid proof that she did anything

The male character Othello, had pride in being a leader to others and having a loving wife named Desdemona that is loyal to him. Even though, Othello had a fear of Desdemona of being unfaithful to him one day because of his background. On page 710, he says “By the world, I think my wife be honest, and think she is not: I think that thou art just, and think thou art not. I’ll have some proof.” Throughout this act 3, and scene 3, Othello believes that faithful in the beginning until Iago starts to make him doubt Desdemona, by mentioning the idea of Cassio and Desdemona being together. In which, slowly but surely Iago conveniences that Desdemona is being unfaithful to Othello.