The Destructive Power Of Jealousy In Shakespeare's Othello

The destructive power of jealousy
Othello by William Shakespeare is a successful play about flag-bearer, Iago who takes revenge against his General, Othello also known as a Moor for supposable sleeping with his wife and raises Cassio to lieutenant instead of him. Also, another hater of Othello is Roderigo who claims Othello took Desdemona from his hands by manipulating her. With Iago and Roderigo hating Othello they formulate a plan that manipulates Othello into thinking that his wife, Desdemona is unfaithful to Othello’s lieutenant, Cassio. This fuels Othello’s jealousy to ultimately control and consume him which causes pure chaos and the tragic downfall of the play. Using the characters Iago, Roderigo, and Othello Shakespeare demonstrates

First, the flag-bearer Iago and Roderigo have a conversation about how they both hate Othello. Roderigo shares his hatred for Othello by explaining how Othello took Desdemona from him by manipulating her. Then Iago starts his Jealous behavior by telling Roderigo that by stating “I Hate the Moor, and it is thought abroad that ‘twixit my sheets H’ s done my office. I know not if’t be true, but I, for mere suspicion in that kind, will do, as if for surety” (Shakespeare 1.3.378-382). In his rant, he starts his jealous behavior by saying he hates Othello for sleeping with his wife. His suspicion that Othello slept with his wife gives him jealousy that stays with him through the whole play giving him one out of many of his reasons to set up Cassio and Desdemona to get back at Othello. As Iago’s jealousy gets bigger, he keeps spreading rumors which leads Othello to snap and Emilia to find out his rumors are fake. Both of these cause chaos by Othello killing himself and Iago killing Emilia. But before this chaos unfolds Iago finds Roderigo who also hates Othello and helps him with his

This starts his hatred for Othello when Iago and Roderigo meet in a random street behind a street stall. As both of them strongly dislike Othello Iago forms an in which they ambush Cassio when he leaves Bianca’s house to kill him. Iago claims that this plan will also help take Desdemona back. After Iago explains Roderigo hesitantly agrees by saying “I have no great devotion to the deed/ and yet hath given me satisfying reasons” (Shakespeare 5.1.8-9). When this plan was in action it had an unexpected turn because Roderigo did not expect Cassio to be so strong. In their fencing fight, Cassio strikes Roderigo down with Iago crippling Cassio and then fleeing the chaotic area. After the brawl we that Roderigo’s Jealous choice of wanting Desdemona to like him instead of Othello leads him to make a choice that he wouldn’t have done if he wasn’t jealous. Also, his poor discussion leads to pure chaos in which he dies and Cassio gets handicapped. This statement shows how Roderigo's jealousy cost him his life. While on the other side of Roderigo and Iago, there is Othello whose Jealousy drives him to