Love and Pain Essay

The one thing many people spend countless hours of their lives looking for is love. They search for it in every person they know, even if only for friendship. However, sadly, many people learn that finding love is one of the greatest heartaches. For with love may come the demons of jealousy, possessiveness, and anger, and not just your own. Few writers throughout the years have dared delve into what happens when these demons take control of people, and none have done so well as William Shakespeare in his drama Othello. In Othello the psychological aspect of two of the key characters, Othello the Moore and Iago, the characters themselves, and the plot all meld beautifully to create a truly stunning and timeless drama.
Why do people do what they do? What drives people to commit to actions that they might not normally do? Questions such as these, when answered, can give great insight into a person or character in a well-written work of literature. In Shakespeare’s Othello the reason for many of the character’s actions is severe emotions such as love, envy, revenge, and anger. The two prime examples of characters who exhibit this range of emotions is Iago and Othello. Iago is the prime example for what strong negative emotions will make someone do. Iago finds himself passed over for promotion by Othello, who instead promotes Cassio, and so Iago develops a deep hatred for Othello. Throughout the play, Iago proves how ruthless he can be by using other characters, specifically Roderigo and Cassio. Iago uses Roderigo for his money, as well as an unknowing accomplice to bring down Othello. He goes as far as to have Roderigo fight Cassio, then kills Roderigo himself to ensure Roderigo’s silence. However, Iago uses Cassio far more subtly by dropping quiet rumors into Othello’s ear. “If I had said I had seen him[Cassio] do you wrong?” (1164), hinting Cassio is bedding Desdemona. Iago is the perfect example of someone who is willing to do anything to get what he or she wants....