To What Extent Does Jealousy Play A Part In Othell

1511 Words7 Pages
Jealousy can be seen as one of the main causes of Othello’s downfall as he is driven by it to ultimately murder Desdemona, his most valuable treasure, without whom, he is nothing. However, there are also other factors, such as his trusting nature, and his keen sense of honour that can be seen to lead to his downfall. His hamartia could be seen as his main flaw as it is through his grave error of judgement that allows Iago to exploits Othello’s insecurities and poison his mind. On the other hand, it could be said that honour is the main flaw that leads to Othello’s downfall. This idea is conveyed through the way Othello has achieved status in society and therefore, doesn’t seem to want to compromise his honour, as we assume, due to traditional Venetian rule that he had to work his way up through the ranks as Coleridge explains saying “Venetian society was noted for its ability to allow anyone to raise though the ranks”. Therefore, we can understand his overly protective nature of his reputation as he would have had to work doubly hard due to his race.
Firstly, Iago's plan for revenge against Othello revolves around Othello's protective nature over his wife Desdemona. Iago can clearly see how much she means to Othello when he says “how I did thrive in this fair lady’s love”. Therefore, gradually Iago begins to plant seeds of doubt into Othello’s mind over his trust for Desdemona. This is suggested when he says “Ha! I like not that” in act 3 scene 3 suggesting sexual relations have taken place between Cassio and Desdemona, whilst he tries to pretend that this was a slip of the tongue. This begins Othello’s deterioration of trust for Desdemona while seemingly increasing the trust he holds for Iago. This also creates dramatic irony as we know Iago did this intentionally to spite Othello.
In act 3, scene 3 Iago warns Othello, “O, beware, my lord, of Jealousy. It is

More about To What Extent Does Jealousy Play A Part In Othell

Open Document