Emilia: 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. (III.IV.180)
Jealousy is a very important theme in Othello and is a theme responsible for the destruction of each character. Iago is Jealous of Othello for taking a military position he had wanted. He is also jealous of Othello for marrying Desdemona, a woman he lusts after. Iago is jealous of Othello and Cassio because he thinks they both have had sexual relations with his wife. Othello's jealousy from watching Cassio with Desdemona leads him to believe his wife has been unfaithful. Jealousy fuels the action in the play; it is the reason for the downfall of Iago and Othello, the play's protagonist and antagonist. Jealousy is an innate trait of human nature that only ends in destruction. Jealousy motivates Iago to destroy Othello and gives Othello the tools needed to fall for Iago's master plans.
I think that Shakespeare is trying to teach his audience a lesson about the evils of jealousy. Jealousy is the most destructive human quality in existence; he refers to it as "a monster." Jealousy has the ability to completely consume the body, mind, and soul. Like a monster, it creeps up on its victim and slowly takes over each thought and emotion. Jealousy ruins romantic relationships and friendships. I think we could all learn from Shakespeare's message: beware of the green-eyed monster; avoid him at all costs. If we don't take heed, the result could be as tragic as Othello's fate.
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4 comments:
I nominate this as the Post of the Week because I think this is an issue that we didn't really touch on enough. We got very wrapped up in character analysis, but this is a major theme that can not be overlooked. I think Kaylin did a good job recognizing the weight of jealousy in Othello and adressed it thouroughly.
I also nominate this post. Kaylin does an excellent job uncovering a theme that we never touched on in class. While we seem to have reached a group consensus in class that Iago acted with zero motivation whatsoever, Kaylin points out that in actuality, he acted out of the motivation stemming from jealousy. Kudos, Kaylin!
I agree that it should be the post of the week, due to like the above comments say, it is a new theme that has been discovered. Also, the theme is tied to multiple characters and plot throughout the play.
I also vote for this blog for post of the week. We spent the entire week focusing on the who, what, where, and when, but not why. Kaylin realizes just how eminent the theme of jealousy is in this play and the effect that it has on all people.
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