Jealousy in Othello

The play utilizes its major characters to reveal the evil that the society faces through jealousy. According to Shakespeare, jealousy is one of the vices that may lead to destructive influence within the society since it is emotional. In fact, the whole play depicts that this vice is the key tragic flaw that results in suffering, misfortune, as well as the death of Othello. Jealousy is vice that makes Lago plot the downfall of Othello. Moreover, in the entire play, we find that Lago reveals his true self which causes Othello to undergo changes that destroy his life (Rosenberg 150). Lago tries to compare Michael Cassio to a spinster who is an inexperienced woman with insignificant experience of sex compared to the military theorist known as Cassio who lacked the experience of the battlefield (Rosenberg 150).

Jealousy is also portrayed in Othello when he decides to leave his wife Desdemona under the care of Lago because he doesn’t trust anyone else. This was during the night that he wanted to leave to Cyprus for official duty. He further asks Lago to have his wife Emilia to attend Desdemona. In the play, we can see Othello not trusting anyone else apart from Lago. Before then, Lago and Desdemona start to banter. Lago begins to explain referring to all women despite being beautiful, smart, as well as foolish are all deceptive and furthermore, crave for sex. Lago uses his jealousy to attack Desdemona directly. He, in fact, expounds this prejudice against women that he later uses to provoke Othello.

It is jealousy that makes Lago criticize women to that extent. It is clear from the play that jealousy unfolds in Lago because we can see him make evil plans to replace Cassio. It is jealousy which makes Lago refer Cassio as an obstacle which separates Desdemona from Roderigo (Wangh 210). According to the play, Cassio is well known to be a courteous man. When Cassio takes Desdemona and consults with one another in private, Lago predicts it otherwise. Jealousy is what enables Lago to perceive and predict the situation otherwise. According to the play, the action of Lago when he takes handkerchief by force means that Lago retains total control over the uncovering jealousy that Othello portrays. Also, when Lago plants the handkerchief dropped by Othello in the room of Cassio, it reveals the extent of jealousy and how it can produce the repercussions of fears.