Iago:

“Oh, beware, my lord, of jealousy!
It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock
The meat it feeds on.”

-Dramatic irony

• Iago is the human incarnation of the ‘green eyed monster’

  ‘Honest Iago’ epithet, dramatic irony

“Trifles light as air
Are to the jealous confirmations strong
As proofs of holy writ.” - Iago realises honest proof is not needed, mere doubt is enough to fuel Othello’s Jealousy

Lack of jealousy:

'“But jealous souls will not be answered so.
They are not ever jealous for the cause,
But jealous for they’re jealous. It is a monster
Begot upon itself, born on itself.”

-Emilia to Desdemona, genuinely warns her away from jealousy, saying it is a monster which eats away at people

Essay planning

In Shakespeare’s tragedy “Othello,” jealousy is portrayed as the harmartia and driving forces of most of the characters, and the cause of the eponymous character’s inevitable downfall. This is elucidated by the characters of Iago, Othello and Bianca.

Iago uses jealousy to fuel his hatred toward the other characters in the play, and is irretrievably linked to the theme. Iago is the human incarnation of the ‘green eyed monster,’ which he warns Othello away from, with his deep and searing hatred of Othello and Cassio, as both have things which he desires. Othello has both a higher position and Iago believes he slept with his wife, Emilia, and Cassio has Iago’s desired position. Iago perfectly embodies the sly villain, but manages to hide his jealousy and true emotion, being labelled ‘Honest Iago.’ This epithet and dramatic irony emphasises and contrasts with the trickery and deception Iago utilises throughout the play, and demonstrates how his jealousy has twisted his morals and actions.

The tragic flaw of Othello’s is his jealousy, and this is presented as the cause of undue suffering and pain for not only Othello, but also Desdemona, and all the remainder of Iago’s pawns. The quote ‘for I am black… for I am declined into the vale of years,” illustrates the deeper insecurities that allow Othello to be so easily manipulated. He states that he is both discriminated against for being black, and that he believes he is too old for Desdemona. This foreshadows the cause of his future jealousy, as he believes Desdemona cheats on him with the good-looking, white, Micheal Cassio. “That handkerchief which I so loved and gave thee, thou gave too Cassio” is another quote which exemplifies this point. Before killing Desdemona, Othello finally confronts her about her supposed infidelity. Of course, she denies it, and repeatedly states that she does not know anything about what he is accusing her of. This leads to the death of Desdemona, Othello, and the arrest of Iago.

Bianca, although a minor character, has a large impact on the events of the play, and her actions are driven almost entirely by jealousy. The quote ‘But that you do not love me. I pray you, bring me on the way a little,’ suggests she is aware that a proper relationship between her and Cassio is not feasible, or acceptable, and that her affection for him is un-requited. However, she is clinging to the idea of a relationship and is seemingly desperate for Cassio to even acknowledge her. ‘A likely piece of work that you should find it in your chamber and not know who left it there!’ portrays the jealousy Bianca holds, and even though Cassio holds no feelings for her, she feels a sense of ownership or protectiveness over him, and especially his love life. This outburst ends up cementing Othello’s suspicions of Desdemona’s infidelity, and gives him the proof he needs to be able to kill her.

In conclusion, in the play ‘Othello,’ William Shakespeare presents the theme of jealousy as the motive behind evil and cruel behaviour, and explores the underlying reasons for this envy through the antagonist Iago, the titular character Othello and Bianca, a mostly inconsequential character, but one that has a large impact on the play’s events.