Othello's Jealousy Character Analysis

Johann Kaspar Lavater once said, “The jealous are possessed by a mad devil and a dull spirit at the same time.” People who have become jealous are taken over by an evil greater than themselves, but are also taken by a insecurity they have inside of them, strong people taken over by jealousy so much- that they change so horribly no one wants anything to do with them. William Shakespeare’s Othello teaches us that in jealousy as either envy or fear, the only thing that could come out is the monster deepest inside of someone that even the best people wouldn’t want anyone to see. On one hand, envy and jealousy go hand and hand, together never without the other. For example, as Iago is talking to himself and the audience he states, “I hate the Moor,/And

An example of this is with Othello, as he speaks with Iago stating, “I think my wife be honest, and think she is not; I think thou art just, and thou art not” (Othello III,iii, 381-382). This quote here is spoken just after Iago has told Othello that his beloved wife, Desdemona is cheating on him. Othello is slowly starting to give into fear that he is losing her, not wanting to believe she is cheating but at the same time he does not know if he can be so sure. Just like he does not know if he can trust Iago’s words, if he is honest or lying to him. However, this not the only example of fear in a character’s heart in the book or play. Roderigo also feels that same very fear Othello does, as he is talking with Iago after the Duke and senators leave the room, he states, “It is silliness to live when to live is torment” (Othello I,iii, 303). Roderigo is heart broken at having witness to Brabantio- Desdemona’s father- giving his blessing to Othello and Desdemona’s marriage, for he was so in love with Desdemona, it simply makes him want to die to not have her, in fear that he has lost her forever to the Moor general. Roderigo is so in love with the Venetian woman, that he would do whatever he could- even die to have her, no cost whether money or his own life- could get in his way. These two- envy and fear- power jealous up

Othello shows the two types throughout the story and the play, envy and fear, and how they can claw and chew away the the fragile human psyche, like a monster, trying to claw out of a deep dark hole that has had a trap on it for days without end. Othello is one of the great examples of how jealousy can teach us not to be overcome by dark things, to always stay strong and believe in our own thoughts, and that the poison known as jealousy, can make or break even the best of people a slow killing venom that makes the weak sick and twisted. This play teaches us that jealousy has no good outcomes, only horrid and how it shows no mercy to anyone. Jealousy is a card no one should or ever want to play with a deck full of