Othello: Jealousy

Sarah Percival
Humanties – Level 1
Othello
Jealousy has a strong presence in the play Othello by William Shakespeare. It is used in 3 ways: as a catalyst, a motivation and a scapegoat.
You see jealousy being used as a catalyst to cause relationship problems when the trusted Iago rots Othello’s mind by telling him that he is being deceived by Desdemona and Cassio. Iago plant’s lies in Othello’s thoughts to create a whirlpool of jealous emotions in his head. He tells Othello made-up stories of a romantic situation between Desdemona and Cassio, “In sleep I heard him (Cassio) say, ‘Sweet Desdemona, Let us be wary, let us hide our loves’.” (3.3.475-476). In telling him these lies, Othello grows more and more hostile in his relationship with Desdemona, “Excellent wretch! Perdition catch my soul. But I do love thee! And when I love thee not, Chaos is come again.” (3.3.100-103). Othello’s jealousy is the catalys...