Othello Jealousy Essay

In the play Othello, the idea that jealousy can cloud judgment and lead to destructive actions is depicted by Othello's weakness of jealousy. In Act 3, Scene 3, Iago issues a warning to Othello, advising him, "O, beware, my lord, of jealousy; It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock. The meat it feeds on." The metaphor of jealousy as a "green-eyed monster" suggests that it is a vicious and dangerous force that consumes its victims. The metaphor seems to foreshadow Othello's descent into madness as he gradually becomes consumed by jealousy due to suspicions planted by Iago. Shakespeare employs personification in the phrase "which doth mock." The meat it feeds on," giving human-like qualities to jealousy. This suggests that jealousy has a mocking nature, as if it is taunting the person experiencing it.

The violent imagery in this statement illustrates how jealousy has clouded Othello's judgment, causing his actions to become fueled by his jealous emotions rather than reason. His threat to "tear her all to pieces" shows how jealousy can cause one to lose control and act violently, blinded by suspicion and anger. In Act 3, Scene 4, Emilia, Iago's wife and Desdemona's attendant, observes, "But jealous souls will not be answered so; They are not ever jealous for the cause. But jealous, for they're jealous. It is a monster. Begot upon itself, born upon itself." Emilia compares jealousy to a "monster" which further underscores the danger of this