Jealousy manifests on several instances in William Shakespeare’s work, Othello. This jealousy has been shown to be more destructive than productive. It has wreaked havoc, caused death, and division. The following seven articles annotate the elements of jealousy in Othello and the aftermath.
Helsinger, Rosalind. “False Flesh: Shakespeare and Adultery.” Fsu.digital.flvc.org, 2021, fsu.digital.flvc.org/islandora/object/fsu%3A763404
According to this article, Roderigo and Iago meet Desdemona’s father in the middle of the night in Othello’s first scene. When Barbantio’s daughter marries a sloppy black general, the play’s key white male character is heartbroken. Barbantio foretells the infidelity that will show later in the play. He is an expert at giving people what they want to hear to get them to respond the way he wants them to. This guy is a master at using words to get out of sticky situations and avoid conflict. Barbantio’s jealousy over Desdemona’s relationship to Othello is fueled by Iago’s twisting of words. It was Iago who pointed out that Barbantio had no legitimate cause to be envious or even unhappy about his daughter’s wedding. It is ironic that Iago’s jealousy gets transferred to Barbantio, and Roderigo eventually hurts him as a result of this. All three characters in Shakespeare’s Othello have distinct personalities and ways to solving difficulties.
Song, Eric. “Othello and the Political Theology of Jealousy.” English Literary Renaissance, vol. 51, no. 1, Jan. 2021, pp. 96–120, https://doi.org/10.1086/711603.
According to this article, jealousy is a trait that all three of them acquire during the course of the play. The direction each person takes is determined by the development of their character. Iago is the first character to openly admit his feelings of resentment and enmity against the other characters. To Roderigo, he protests that he has not been promoted to lieutenant. Since Othello stole the lady of his dreams from him, Roderigo can empathize with Iago’s feelings of jealously. Roderigo joins up with Iago to undermine Othello out of anger and jealously for the man who has caused him so much pain: Othello. After Barbantio’s outburst, the opening scene of the play doesn’t come to a conclusion. Roderigo’s jealousy manifests itself the very same night for the same reason. Roderigo was previously turned down by Desdemona when he begged for her hand in marriage. This breaks Roderigo’s heart. When Roderigo learns that Othello will be Desdemona’s spouse instead of him, he feels betrayed. When Iago tries to explain that Desdemona and Othello’s love for each other is really a façade, his jealously grows. To sum up, Iago begins with a mandate, follows with a solution to the question he poses to himself, and concludes with a forceful claim. Roderigo gives up all he has ever known. Jealousy engulfs his thoughts, making him eager to go to any lengths to get the lady he feels he deserves. Roderigo would sell all he has in Italy and give up his life to get his hands on Desdemona. Because he didn’t get the promotion he wanted, as well as the suspicion that the general had slept with his wife, Iago’s plots to destroy the Moor and Cassio are self-evident.
Rauch, Beth, and Meg Clark. Othello and Jealousy: The Reason behind the Spousal Abuse. 2017, themusesfunhouse.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Othello-and-Jealousy-The-Reason-Behind-the-Spousal-Abuse-FINAL.pdf.
This article also identifies various instances of jealousy. After Iago discovers another man with the same burning drive to get back at Othello, he instantly constructs a deadly plot to destroy the individuals who have conferred this jealousy upon him – Othello and Cassio. Iago’s jealousy stemmed from the fact that he hadn’t been promoted. Cassio was put in danger because an inexperienced general was appointed in his place. His jealousy of Cassio’s elevation and his status as an employee of the Moor may be readily seen. Iago tells him that he’s being unfaithful to incite Roderigo’s jealousy. Early on, Iago’s malicious schemes and deceptive personality begin to take shape, continuing throughout the rest of the play.
Olson, Rebecca. “‘Too Gentle’: Jealousy and Class in Othello.” Journal for Early Modern Cultural Studies, vol. 15, no. 1, 2015, pp. 3–25, https://doi.org/10.1353/jem.2015.0006.
The authors of this article note that in order to avenge his wife’s betrayal by the Moor, Iago decides to sabotage Othello’s marriage. While Iago feels he knows everything, there is not enough proof to support his claims. Because of this, it is evident that Iago’s acts are motivated by hatred of Othello, and Shakespeare makes it plain that this envy guides Iago’s thoughts and actions throughout the play. A prostitute, Bianca ultimately erupts at the notion of her boyfriend, Cassio, seeing someone else. She hides her jealousy better than any other character in the novel. In the end, Bianca confronts Cassio about the handkerchief he had ordered her to replicate. She refuses to reproduce the handkerchief’s design since she “knows” it’s from another lady. Every character in the drama appears to be infected with the disease of jealousy. Jealousy is at the heart of the plot, and Othello’s downfall directly results from it. Iago hopes that Othello will not have any resentment against him in the future. Iago will begin to sow doubt in Othello’s mind at this point. Karl Zender thinks that Othello’s thoughts regarding his wife’s affair with Cassio only intensify despite his pleas. Due to his lack of concern for anybody else, Othello is easily swayed by Iago, and he will begin to question everything his new wife does. She’ll be accused of infidelity for everything and everything she says. Othello never confronts his wife or Cassio about their affair. Iago is the one person Othello can rely on since he is “helping” him. Othello is so consumed by envy that he thinks the only way to free the world and himself of the unfairness is to murder Desdemona. That Desdemona has been disloyal is a falsehood he has been persuaded into believing and, like the figures before him, acts on it. He is convinced that she has been having an affair with Cassio, and he lashes out at her in retaliation. Othello, ironically, claims that he is not envious in any way. Desdemona’s death and his result from his inability to see beyond the deceptions Iago threw at him. What Othello believed he understood after the play led to the tragedy.
Rai, Ram Prasad. “Jealousy and Destruction in William Shakespear’s Othello.” Crossing the Border: International Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies, vol. 4, no. 1, Oct. 2017, pp. 53–58, https://doi.org/10.3126/ctbijis.v4i1.18430.
According to this article, jealousy was at the center of the play’s plot. Their grievances with each character lead them down separate paths to exact revenge on their adversaries. Othello, Cassio, and Desdemona are on Roderigo’s list of revenge targets, as is Iago. In each case, the envy that causes this response is not rooted in actuality. Their acts are based on the erroneous idea that they are the ones who know best. “Beware of envy,” the tragedy warns us. When the truth is revealed, and the chaos cannot be undone, the play ends. In the end, Othello murders his wife due to Iago’s deceit, which is the most prominent example of jealousy in the narrative. According to the author’s statement, “in a minute!… she has been murdered!… Emilia has come to tell me that Cassio has died!”. Because of the cruel brainwashing that Iago has put Othello through, Othello is now in the process of murdering his wife, Desdemona, and is doing it because he believes she is cheating on him with Cassio.
Khalsa, Akasha. The Power of Modern Othello the Power of Modern Othello. 2019, commons.nmu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1103&context=conspectus_borealis.
According to the article, in the opening of the play, Iago’s jealousy causes everything to fall apart because he wants Cassio’s place. Keep an eye out for him and ruin his joy by announcing your intentions to do so publicly. He says, “Plague him with falsehoods, despite his living in a fertile area”. Even though his excitement is genuine, he continues to cause such upheaval that it begins to fade. Iago’s desire to destroy Cassio’s life while ruining Othello might be seen as a sign of his intense resentment at Othello for not elevating him to a higher political position. He seeks to ruin the lives and reputations of Othello and Cassio because Iago was envious and sought vengeance for not getting his way.
Hind Abdullah Alkoli, and Shi Ji. “An Analysis of Power Desire of Iago in Shakespeare’s Othello from Psychological Perspectives.” Journal of Literature and Art Studies, vol. 8, no. 3, Mar. 2018, https://doi.org/10.17265/2159-5836/2018.03.010.
The authors note that the power of destructive jealousy is illustrated in the play Othello and today’s society since one can’t be pleased for someone else. Because he suspected Cassio of having an affair with Desdemona, Othello set out to have him killed. Because Iago failed to achieve his goal, Othello committed suicide, and Desdemona’s death was blamed on Iago. We may observe this in our own lives, whether at school, home or even with our friends. Some individuals, like Iago, go too far in their envy and end up killing others as a result. This demonstrates the truth that jealousy in a man’s heart may be the one thing that wrecks his world.
Works Cited
Helsinger, Rosalind. “False Flesh: Shakespeare and Adultery.” Fsu.digital.flvc.org, 2021, fsu.digital.flvc.org/islandora/object/fsu%3A763404.
Hind Abdullah Alkoli, and Shi Ji. “An Analysis of Power Desire of Iago in Shakespeare’s Othello from Psychological Perspectives.” Journal of Literature and Art Studies, vol. 8, no. 3, Mar. 2018,
Khalsa, Akasha. The Power of Modern Othello the Power of Modern Othello. 2019, commons.nmu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1103&context=conspectus_borealis.
Olson, Rebecca. “‘Too Gentle’: Jealousy and Class in Othello.” Journal for Early Modern Cultural Studies, vol. 15, no. 1, 2015, pp. 3–25,
Rai, Ram Prasad. “Jealousy and Destruction in William Shakespear’s Othello.” Crossing the Border: International Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies, vol. 4, no. 1, Oct. 2017, pp. 53–58,.
Rauch, Beth, and Meg Clark. Othello and Jealousy: The Reason behind the Spousal Abuse. 2017, themusesfunhouse.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Othello-and-Jealousy-The-Reason-Behind-the-Spousal-Abuse-FINAL.pdf.
Song, Eric. “Othello and the Political Theology of Jealousy.” English Literary Renaissance, vol. 51, no. 1, Jan. 2021, pp. 96–120.
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