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Jealousy In William Shakespeare's Othello

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Othello is a play written by William Shakespeare in the early 1600s. The general summary of this play is about an African American General named Othello who appoints a young man named Cassio as his Lieutenant, when another guy known as Iago wanted the job. Iago plays the role of the antagonist in this play and Othello, the tragic hero. As the play goes on Iago’s evil plan unravels as we see the scheme was to try and ruin them both by making Othello believe that his new wife, Desdemona, is having an affair with the newly promoted Lieutenant: Cassio. This affair and plot gives the play the theme of jealousy and deception. Throughout this play the main thing that I learned is when everything you love has been stolen from you, at times all you have left is revenge. This play is not one about forgiveness. In this play, Shakespeare proves that jealousy often leads to unreasonable behaviors on the psychological issues of a …show more content…

“I know not that; but such a handkerchief-I am sure it was your wife’s- did I to- day see Cassio wipe his beard with” (iii,iii.437-439). After this was said Othello became sure that revenge and Cassio’s blood is what he wanted. Still playing the mastery role of deception, Iago tries to make it seem like he has no part in the situation so he tries to calm down Othello by saying “ Yet be content” (III,iii,450) or “Patience, I say. Your mind perhaps may change” (III.iii.452). Although he was telling Othello relax and don’t be rash, Iago still fueled the fire because he basically said yes kill Cassio but let Desdemona live. “My friend is dead; ‘tis done at your request, but let her live”(III,iii,473-474) and Othello gives into Iago’s pigheaded motives when he says “Come, go with me apart. I will withdraw to furnish me with some swift means of death for the fair devil. Now art thou my lieutenant.”

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