jealousy in othello essay conclusion

William Shakespeare

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Iago refers to jealousy as the "green-eyed monster." As this metaphor suggests, jealousy is closely associated with the theme of appearance and reality. For instance, at one point Othello demands that Iago provide "ocular proof" of Desdemona's infidelity—he demands to see reality. But Iago instead provides the circumstantial evidence of the handkerchief, which Othello, consumed by his jealousy, accepts as a substitute for "ocular proof." Othello's jealousy impedes his ability to distinguish between reality and appearance. While the prejudiced characters in the play denigrate Othello as an animal or a beast based on his race, Othello's obvious honor and intelligence makes these attacks obviously ridiculous. Yet when Othello is overcome by jealousy, he does become beast-like, falling into epileptic fits that rob him of the ability to speak intelligibly.

Othello is also not the only character in Othello to feel jealousy. Both Iago and Roderigo act to destroy Othello out of jealousy, with disastrous consequences.

Jealousy ThemeTracker

Jealousy Quotes in Othello

Jealousy in “Othello” by W.Shakespear Analytical Essay

Introduction, works cited.

Throughout the world, a dark, primal aspect of humanity is not hard to find. It is silent, usually never more than a whisper until it is too late, and can be as dangerous as poison. It is jealousy. Jealousy can destroy friendships, relationships, and even alliances. William Shakespeare undoubtedly knew the significance of this ugly part of human nature when writing his play Othello.

By examining the three central male characters in this play – Lago, Othello, and Cassio – Shakespeare illustrates the causes, immediate effects, and the ever-lasting bitterness that can result by allowing one to fall prey to this self-destructive affliction.

By following closely these three characters and the results of their attitudes and actions, Shakespeare presents support to the idea that the more an individual allows oneself to associate with jealousy, the more and more likely that the individual is to do harm to both those whom they love, as well as to their own person.

It is everyone’s responsibility to avoid jealousy at any cost; however, many people shun this responsibility and allow themselves to propagate this vice. Nevertheless, whilst one can choose to dodge the responsibility of living jealousy-free life, one cannot dodge its consequences thereafter.

The best thing is that, when one makes a choice, he/she chooses the consequences also and this is what Othello and Lago painfully learns later. On the other hand, living a principled life pays as in the case of Cassio. Othello and Lago are punished for their jealousy, while Cassio is rewarded for living a principled life.

Othello is the protagonist in this story. Despite the fact that he is a great storyteller and a trained soldier, he has let these good qualities and reputation to be “stained with jealousy and making emotional decisions” (Bradley Para. 4). His jealous traits become pronounced after marrying Desdemona.

After Lago plots to stain Cassio’s reputation by staging an attack at the bar, Othello comes in and sacks Cassio immediately without consultations. He says, “Cassio, I love thee / But never more be officer of mine” (Shakespeare 36). This is immature, irrational, and emotional decision; Othello should at least do some investigations before firing Cassio. To some extent this is insensitive and selfishness which resonates well with jealousy.

Due to jealousy, Othello does not trust his wife and he is even willing to kill her based on unfounded hearsays. After finding Cassio in his house, he gullibly believes Lago’s lies that Cassio is having an affair with Desdemona. Othello’s jealousy consumes him making him withdraw from his wife. He says, “I will deny thee nothing / Whereon, I do beseech thee, grant me this / To leave me but a little to myself” (Shakespeare 49).

The reason why he wants to be left alone is that he cannot contain his jealousy. Human beings are bound to make mistakes occasionally; however, Othello behaves as though he is holier that thou and this is why he cannot understand Desdemona. Othello is not perfect either and the reason he acts the way he acts is that he is jealous; not that Desdemona cannot match his ‘principles’.

Finally, Othello’s jealousy hits climax when he kills his wife. Even though Lago is a schemer and is out to ruin Othello’s life, he realizes how jealous Othello is and warns him, “O, beware, my lord, of jealousy / It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock” (Shakespeare 57).

Surely, this ‘green-eyed monster’ is lurking around the corner, waiting for the right time to pounce on Othello. He confesses, “When I shall turn the business of my soul/ The smallest fear or doubt of her revolt / Away at once with love or jealousy” (Shakespeare 58). The business of ‘his soul’ is to kill his wife for he questions her ‘revolt’. This tells it all and to cap it all he says he is done with her regardless of whether what he had for her was ‘love or jealousy.’

Nevertheless, as aforementioned, when one makes a decision, he/she chooses the consequences also. The immediate effects of Othello’s choice to believe every lie he hears and harbor jealousy is the breakdown of his marriage. The effects affect Othello’s life together with those around him. The long-lasting effect cum rewards of Othello’s decisions is guilt and eventually, death. After smothering his wife, he realizes that she is innocent and she did not give Cassio her handkerchief; Lago had planned everything.

Even if Othello does not die, this guilt will be long lasting and heavy to bear. However, the ultimate rewards of jealousy finally catch up with Othello as he kills himself. He says, “I took by the throat the circumcised dog / And smote him, thus” (Shakespeare 67). The ‘circumcised dog’ here is his wrong decisions and jealousy and to ‘smote it’ he has to die and thus gets rewards of jealousy, a dark, primal aspect of humanity.

Lago is the most flagitious character in this play. He is out to hurt everyone and settle scores as he enjoys people’s suffering. Surely, is not hard to find jealousy amongst human kinds. First, it is his wife; he thinks she has cheated on him by sleeping with Othello.

He says, “It is thought abroad that ’twixt my sheets / He has done my office” (Shakespeare 87). This is uncalled for as he cannot justify his claims and due to jealousy coupled with timidity, he kills Emilia, his wife. Then it comes to Cassio, after Cassio’s appointment, Lago’s jealousy is obvious.

He says, “I know my price, I am worth no worse a place/ One Michael Cassio, a Florentine, A fellow almost damn’d in a fair wife/ As masterly as he: mere prattle, without practice” (Shakespeare 29). This description is harsh and can only stem from jealousy. According to Mabillard, Othello knows Lago is not a competent man and that is why he prefers Cassio to him (Para. 5).

After arriving in Cyprus, Lago plots how to eliminate Cassio to further his plans of ruining Othello. His plans work out well and Cassio is fired; however, he does not get the post left vacant by Cassio.

He arranges Cassio to meet with Desdemona only to reveal this to Othello. Despite the fact that he knows about Cassio’s meeting with Desdemona, he says, “Cassio, my lord! No, sure, I cannot think it/ That he would steal away so guilty-like/ Seeing you coming” (Shakespeare 65). This is hypocrisy fuelled by jealousy. He has planned all these and he should defend Cassio better were it not for his jealousy.

Surely, jealousy would do anything. Apparently, Lago has been pushing Emilia to steal Desdemona’s handkerchief to use it as a proof of Desdemona’s infidelity. After he gets the handkerchief, he hurriedly places it in Cassio’s house. This gives him a foothold to accuse Desdemona of infidelity. When Othello asks for proof of infidelity, Lago vows that has seen “Cassio wipe his beard with her handkerchief” (Shakespeare 99). This is heinous act founded on jealousy.

Nothing can match Lago’s jealousy and wickedness. He seems to enjoy every bit of other people’s sufferings. Even after getting Cassio out of his job and straining Othello’s marriage, he is not satiated. He still wants Cassio dead and this is why he tells Roderigo to ambush Cassio and kill him. He tells Roderigo, “…by making him incapable of Othello’s place/ knocking out his brains” (Shakespeare 65). This is the far jealousy and wickedness can get.

However, killing to Lago is not an issue; he kills his wife and now is planning the death of Cassio. Nevertheless, there is prize for jealousy and Lago has to pay it fully. Othello attacks Lago and wounds him badly and this is the reward of jealousy and wickedness. People attract what they are, Lago is wicked; consequently, he attracts wickedness (Bradley Para. 9).

Cassio is a principled and he has no bad intentions whatsoever. Throughout the play, He lives by his principles and does not allow himself to be drawn into wickedness or jealousy. Due to his goodness, he is rewarded. First, Othello prefers him to Lago and trusts him with the coveted post of a lieutenant albeit inexperienced. The only time Cassio attacks someone is when he attacks Roderigo in self-defense.

After long time of remaining loyal to his work maintaining good relationship with everyone, he is rewarded with the post of Othello. Lodovico arrives with reveals that Cassio has been appointed as he says, “May be the letter moved him / For, as I think, they do command him home / Deputing Cassio in his government” (Shakespeare 203). This is a reward of goodness and living a principled life.

Surely, Shakespeare knew well about the primal nature of human beings characterized by jealousy. He knew for sure that, those who are jealous and wicked receive wickedness in return and those living by good principles receive good rewards in turn. Nature has way of regulating these events and it rewards everyone according to his/her actions without favoritism. Othello is gullible and full of jealousy.

He cannot trust his wife and this is why he accuses her of infidelity and finally kills her. He confesses that he really does not know what he feels for her is love or jealousy; however, jealousy takes precedence and he kills Desdemona based on unfounded accusations of infidelity. Lago on the other side is an epitome of extreme human wickedness. He is out to settle scores and hurt everyone around him.

This makes him kill Emilia; plots to ruin Othello, Desdemona, and Cassio. Nevertheless, due to their wickedness, Othello and Lago receive rewards of death and hurt respectively. Cassio on the other side receives good rewards due to his good principles. Shakespeare’s message here is, “do not be deceived, you reap what you plant” (Mabillard Para. 11).

Bradley, Alex. “Shakespeare: Othello.” Nd. Web.

Mabillard, Amanda. “The Moral Enigma of Shakespeare’s Othello.” 2009. Web. < http://www.shakespeare-online.com/plays/othello/othelloessay1.html >.

Shakespeare, William. “Othello.” Furness, Horace. (Ed.). Philadelphia; J. B. Lippincott Co. 1886.

Play’s Plot Explored
Act 1 Scene 1
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Act 2 Scene 3
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Act‌ ‌4‌ ‌Scene‌ ‌1
Act 4 Scene 2
Act‌ ‌4‌ ‌Scene‌ ‌3
Act‌ ‌5‌ ‌Scene‌ ‌1
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William Shakespeare
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The Theme of Jealousy in Othello, Essay Example

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Shakespear’s Othello is one of the most prominent literature works that incorporates the theme of jealousy. In this play the reader can study and understand how jealousy can ruin people lives, even in cases when only the most circumstantial proof of guilt is provided. In this play, jealousy is employ as a weapon, which was unconsciously lethal because its victim tends to demolish himself and those around him. In this play, the theme of jealousy is mainly revealed through Iago and Othello. Iago uses jealousy as the source for his hatred, thus directing it against Othello. By taking different forms, like sexual suspicion or professional competition, the theme jealousy is still destructive for all the characters.

The fact of jealousy in this play shows us how it completely corrupts the lives of its main characters – Iago and Othello. Being noble and famous, Othello occupied relatively high position in the regard of his rulers, thus he had everything he needed and wanted. However, his primary weakness was revealed through his saturating insecurity and self-loathing that granted profuse ground for the scoundrel Iago to capitalize on Othello’s fatal mistake an unreasonable, unfounded jealousy, which drove him to kill what he loved the most, thus putting everything away along with his own life and destiny.

In the very first Act of the play, one of the major characters Iago puts across an ultimate and irresolvable jealousy of Othello, thus suspecting him – “that twixt my sheets / He has done my office.”(1.3.367-368) In fact, Iago sets the tone for the way jealousy effects the characters in the play. Iago appears to be not certain that Othello is actually cuckolding him, thus without having any evidence he is still being suspicious – “I know not if’t be true; / But I, for mere suspicion in that kind, / Will do as if for surety.”(1.3.371) “His destruction of Cassion is not only a means towards the ruin of Othello, but also an end in itself.”(Elster, 109) Thus, Iago is constantly reflecting his own envious and jealous feelings. However, it is Othello and his intense jealous behavior that encompass the major theme of the play. Othello appears to be the center of power, thus his behavior and exercise of free will strongly affects everyone around him. In his turn, Iago uses Othello’s prevailing insecurity and jealousy as the means for instant changes in Othello’s attitude towards Desdemona. As a result, Othello’s jealousy makes him to overestimate the worth of the handkerchief “More than indeed belonged to such a trifle”(5.2.226) and as a result underestimate his wife’s true worth like “the base Indian.”(Korda, 112)

Eventually, Iago uncovers his plans to get even with Othello:

“And nothing can or shall content my soul Till I am even’d with him, wife for wife, Or failing so, yet that I put the Moor At least into a jealousy so strong”(2.1.275-279)

Consequently, as Iago unfurls his plans and intentions, he uses the ‘monster’ metaphor for the description of jealousy in an insincere, ironic warning to Othello to watch out “O beware jealousy; / it is the green-eyed monster which doth mock / The meat it feeds on”(3.3.165) In the scene when Emilia warns Desdemona that a jealousy in men is a “monster / Begot upon itself, born on itself”(3.4.156-157) the thread continues. As a result, Desdemona trembles at the thought Othello’s potential jealousy, thus praying “Heaven keep the monster from Othello’s mind!”(3.4.158) I appears that Emilia serves as an ignorant contributor to Iago’s web through handing him the handkerchief of Desdemona. So, first she assists Iago, and then she ‘kills’ him by revealing his betrayal. But at this point, the jealousy has already killed Desdemona; Emilia will pay a high price of her life as well; it will take Othello by suicide, and will destroy Iago through torture and punishment. Of course, the fundamental root of the tragedy is Othello’s trustfulness and insecurity, thus he listens to Iago’s words and lets himself to be cast adrift in self-doubt and failure to believe that Desdemona can truly be in love with him.

Shakespeare’s Othello is a heartrending paradigm of mankind’s legacy of doubt and disappointment, and the way they poison the free will given to us by God. The tragedy is that if Othello only would have kept believing in Desdemona’s honesty and accepted her devotion and faithfulness, he could have lived a long and happy life. However, we observe completely opposite picture in the play. In fact, the play and its tragedy could be a perfect example of how pure faith and acceptance are more valuable than contaminated free will.

Works Cited

Shakespeare, William. Othello . Classic Books Company, 2001.

Korda, Natasha. Shakespeare’s Domestic Economies: Gender and Property in Early Modern England . University of Pennsylvania Press, 2002.

Elster, Jon. Alchemies of the mind: rationality and the emotions . Cambridge University Press, 1999

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Essay: Jealousy and Envy in Othello

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To understand the many dramatic occurrences that happened in this tragic story, A person must understand the motives of every character in the book. In the play Othello, jealousy and envy are prominent themes within the characters from the beginning to the end (Shmoop Editorial Team). As the play slowly unfolds it is evident that jealousy is the cause of most of the dramatic scenes. There are plenty of characters that are affected by jealousy and resentment in the play but, most importantly one of the main characters Othello. There is an antagonist character named Roderigo, who also suffers from jealousy. Roderigo is very eager to be with Desdemona, who is Othello’s wife. He refers to Othello as “thick lips” because Othello is a black man. Using a racist comment also shows how much Roderigo envy’s Othello as Desdemona loves him and not Roderigo. Also Iago’s scheme would not have worked without the underlying atmosphere of racial prejudice in the society, a prejudice of which both Desdemona and Othello are very aware. Shakespeare’s Desdemona copes with prejudice by denying it access to her own life. Her relationship with Othello is one of love, and she is deliberately loyal only to her marriage. Othello is not affected by the jealousy instantly. It shows that his love for Desdemona is true. Although people have doubted if their love for each other is true. Brabantio refers Othello’s love for Desdemona as “if she in chains of magic were not bound” this shows that Brabantio is also feeling jealousy. Brabantio’s relation to Desdemona is her father and he thinks that Desdemona is showing Othello more love than she is showing to him. He is saying that Othello has used some sort of “magic” to make his daughter fall in love with him. Nevertheless, Othello has used nothing because their love is true. Othello’s jealousy and envy comes from his public insecurity due to the fact that he’s black, and wont have the same treatment or level of respect as the other characters. Which makes him jealous of Cassio. Othello’s envy is so strong that It allows him to believe that Cassio has slept with Desdemona. What is fascinating about Shakespeare’s Othello is the way in which jealousy between the major characters is sexualized. That’s what makes Othello so disturbing is how quickly this sexualized jealousy turns into hate. For Othello and Iago love becomes hate, and hate becomes love and the difference between the two feelings are always being blurred. The reason that Iago hates Othello is because Iago hates himself. He hates himself because he is jealous of all the things that other people have in their lives and he doesn’t. Iago’s ambition in the play shows that he will do almost anything in order to get what he wants. Iago’s jealousy fuels his fiery hatred towards Othello and Cassio, as well as all of the other people in his life. At first Iago is jealous of Cassio’s position as lieutenant, but then it turns into more than that. Cassio had violated Desdemona’s purity and ruined the bond between Othello and himself. The bond between Othello and Cassio is symbolized by the way in which Othello makes Cassio his second wife after Desdemona. Cassio and Desdemona serve the same role in Othello’s life. Othello loves them both because he believes both possess what he lacks: culture, and noble blood. And both Desdemona and Cassio bring the respectability that Othello so desperately seeks out. It is important to note that Cassio and Desdemona provide no emotional support to Othello. This is because Othello’s idolization of both Desdemona and Cassio prevent him from confiding in them. Othello in the end comes to turn his love and admiration of Cassio into hatred in the same way he turns his feelings toward Desdemona into such a hatred that he was willing to kill her. Iago becomes jealous of Othello and Desdemona’s relationship doing anything he can to put a stop to it. Iago sees qualities that are in Othello and Cassio that aren’t in him and it makes him hate himself. In Othello, Cassio is the first person that Iago becomes jealous of. Cassio gets promoted to lieutenant, which angers Iago. It is because of that situation Iago dislikes Cassio. There really is no indication of why Iago acts in such a way which causes him to be even more frightening. He is masked with jealousy to which he wants everyone else to feel. In doing so, Iago causes the deaths of many and the downfall of himself. Although he hates him, Iago hates himself even more for not being able to secure his spot as lieutenant. Iago, being the villain of this tragedy, appeared to have a desire to reach out and destroy the loving, as well as the good in everything. For example, after he unsuccessfully tried to enrage Brabantio with Othello and Desdemona’s secret, he began the endless web of lies. As a result of all of Iago’s lies, each character gains a false feeling of jealousy. The reason the feelings are false are because, none of the lies are even close to being true. All of the characters are jealous for no reason considering everyone was innocent. Iago noticed Othello’s tendencies about his insecurity and overreaction, but not even Iago imagined Othello would go as far into jealousy as he did. Jealousy forces Othello’s mind so tightly on one idea, the idea that Desdemona has betrayed him with Cassio, that no other assurance or explanation can peek through. Such an obsession shows Othello’s reason, his common sense, and his respect for justice. Up to the moment Othello kills Desdemona, Othello’s growing jealousy maddens him. Upon seeing that she was innocent and that he killed her for no reason, Othello recovers. He can again see his life in proportion and grieve at the terrible thing he has done. Once again, he speaks with calm rationality, and finally killing himself. That’s what’s so tragic and also dramatic about the play. Othello didn’t deserve to die because of Iago and Cassio’s lies. In Othello, love is a force that overcomes large obstacles and is tripped up by small ones. It provides Othello with intensity but no direction and gives Desdemona access to his heart but not his mind. Types of love and what that means are different between different characters. Othello finds that love in marriage needs time to build trust, and his enemy works too quickly for him to take the time. The main attraction between the couple works on passion, and Desdemona builds on that passion. Which Othello cannot equal. Iago often falsely professes love in friendship for Roderigo and Cassio and betrays them both. For Iago, love is leverage. Desdemona’s love in friendship for Cassio is real but is misinterpreted by the jealous Othello as adulterous love. The true friendship was Emilia’s for Desdemona, shown when she stood up witness for the honor of her dead mistress, against Iago, her lying husband, and was killed for it. Appearance and reality are important aspects in Othello.Also they play a key role for the jealousy in Othello. For Othello, seeing is believing, and proof of the truth is visual. To “prove” something is to investigate it to the point where its true nature is revealed. Othello demands of Iago “Villain, be sure thou prove my love a whore, be sure of it, give me the ocular proof” (Act 3, Scene 3). What Iago gives him instead is imaginary pictures of Cassio and Desdemona to feed his jealousy. As Othello loses control of his mind, these pictures his thoughts. He looks at Desdemona’s whiteness and is taken into the traditional symbolism of white for purity and black for evil. Whenever he is in doubt, that symbolism comes back to haunt him and even with his experience, he cannot help but believe it. In Conclusion Shakespeare’s Othello takes the readers and audience though an emotional journey. Anyone who reads the book can look back on what they have gained from each aspect of the play and apply it to modern day times. The way Shakespeare’s play intertwines with modern day society makes the book valuable no matter what time period a person is in. It holds the issues of jealousy and how it will always be around. I think Shakespeare play could possibly expand the minds of everyone and show how real jealousy can get and how it can get fuled in all different kinds of ways. It is shown that basically, Shakespeare has included the antagonist nature of Iago, and the destructive, powerful nature of Othello to show a “theme and variation” on the typical image of jealousy the “green eyed monster” feeds on. Because of the powerful toxic nature of this beast of jealousy, the feelings of jealousy are able to be spread rapidly and contagiously in the different events in the play, from character to character, in Shakespeare’s play, Othello.

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OTHELLO ESSAY PLANS A Level English Literature (Themes) (Edexcel)

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7 ESSAY PLANS IN THIS BUNDLE Essay plans summarising the key aspects of the many themes that appear in Othello. Includes the themes of jealousy, gender, manipulation, order and choas, passion and the self, race and reputation. These essay plans feature topic sentences, quotes, critical statements and context.These essay plans are very detailed and can be used in isolation to revise for different possible essay questions. It is succinct and designed to be a practical revision resource for the exam. I am a former student on the edexcel specification and achieved an A* in English Literature as a result of creating this resource.

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OTHELLO REVISION PACK- Complete with Essay Plans, A Quote Bank , A Critics Bank, Context & an Exemplar Essay

This pack has all the materials that **I used to get an A* in Edexcel A Level English Literature**. This pack has **7 essay plans** (quotes, literary and historical context, topic sentences) on the main themes in Othello. It also has **4 essay plans** on the main characters in Othello (Iago, Othello, Desdemona and Emilia). I have included a **quote bank** with analysis beside each quote, as well as a **critical quote bank**. This critical quote bank has quotes on Othello, Iago, Desdemona, Women, Tragedy and more. I have also included a **context summary sheet**, as well as an **example essay** that was graded an A* (30/35) on the theme of identity.

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Home / Essay Samples / Literature / Othello Jealousy / Jealousy and Discrimination in Othello

Jealousy and Discrimination in Othello

Category: Literature
Topic: Othello , Othello Jealousy , William Shakespeare

Pages: 1 (538 words)

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