The Nature of Jealousy and How It Impacts People in Othello Essay Example

In William Shakespeare's Othello, the nature of jealousy impacts the characters significantly. The characters feel betrayed and threatened by the Moor of Venice, Othello, because they believe he is unworthy of decisions made for them. In addition, they accuse him of false accusations involving their personal relationships. William Shakespeare portrays jealousy as a feeling that becomes disruptive by characters throughout the play, as it’s the reason why Iago plots revenge on Othello, and why Roderigo falls off the right track.

Iago wants revenge on Othello and Desdemona by making their lives miserable. He becomes jealous because Othello picked Michael Cassio to be his lieutenant instead of him, his closest friend. In (1.1.8-26), Iago explains his hatred towards Othello to Roderigo. He believes Othello made the wrong decision by not choosing him instead. This decision made Iago very selfish and dishonest and caused him to plan a deranged scheme against Othello. Iago also hears that Othello slept with his wife, Emilia. It only made him more furious. Through (1.3.375-393), Iago plans his scheme against Othello and decides to include Desdemona, his wife, in it as well. He felt betrayed by Othello's decision of who his new lieutenant would be and, to top things off, he hears that his wife sleeps with the same man who did so to him?

Another way a character had disrupted through jealousy in the play was when Roderigo planned absurd decisions because he resented Othello. At first, he plans on drowning himself because watching the love of his life with another man (Othello) was torture to him. (1.3.305-317) Roderigo explains to Iago how deeply in love he is with Desdemona. He feels helpless as Othello has stolen the love of his life from him. So, he decides the best thing to do would be to kill himself so that he wouldn't have to suffer the pain of not being with her or seeing her happy with someone else. In addition, Roderigo plans to help Iago with his scheme out of malice. Through (1.3.334-365), he agrees to help Iago regardless of what he had to do because as long as Roderigo could get to be with Desdemona, Othello’s wife, who is also the love of his life, he couldn't care less. He feels jealous of Othello hence why he plans on killing himself at first, then he hears of Iago’s plan and figures out another way to get back at Othello for taking the love of his life.

In the play, Iago and Roderigo go out of their way to make Othello’s life miserable because they were jealous of him. The feeling caused Iago to become dishonest and use people, his friends, to get back at Othello for choosing lieutenant Cassio over him. Not to mention, Roderigo felt envious towards Othello as well, wherefore, he decided to help Iago with his evil scheme and started to plan other senseless decisions along the way. Shakespeare's play created monsters through the nature of jealousy. Who would've assumed the characters would’ve gone that far to get something they couldn't have?