Jealousy In Othello Essay
Othello is a detailed and powerful play about jealousy and the negative effects that come with it. Throughout the play, jealousy is shown in two different ways. It's shown in lots of the characters in the play and show the cause and effects from the jealous rages they fall into. One way of showing it is the concern of losing what someone already has and the other way of showing it is, envy of what others have. Shakespeare combines these two types of jealousy throughout the play to make a strong point about the consequences of jealousy.
The first form of jealousy that Shakespeare explores is envy of what others have. Iago's character, who is jealous of Cassio's promotion to lieutenant, demonstrates this. Iago says that the reason he hates Othello is because he passed him over for a promotion and chose "one Michael Cassio" to be his military lieutenant instead of him. Iago claims that Cassio is far less
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Shakespeare shows how envy and fear can drive people to commit terrible deeds, and how jealousy can destroy relationships, trust, and someone's life. Through the character of Othello, Shakespeare expresses the devastating effects of jealousy on both the individual and the community. Othello's jealousy not only destroys his own life, but it also leads to the deaths of Desdemona, Emilia and himself. In the play Shakespeare believes jealousy is not a natural emotion but is a result of social constructs, insecurity, and manipulation.Iago's anger for those he believes that are more successful than him comes from his own insecurities. Similar to Othello's jealousy it's fostered by Iago's lies and manipulations. Shakespeare's portrayal of jealousy in Othello supports the claim that it is a social construct that cannot be overcome by trust, communication, and empathy. Instead, it shows that jealousy is a social construct that can be
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