Showing posts with label jealousy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label jealousy. Show all posts

Othelloooooo

Yeah, I just didn't know what I wanted to title this, so that looked appropriate.

So I must say that overall, I enjoyed Othello...but that doesn't come as too much of a surprise to me because I like most of Shakespeare's works that I have read. This one in particular is very different though because of the evil character. It is not told in the evil character's point of view, but it definitely is more objectively limited to Iago. Iago's plans are often spelled out for the most part in his asides and he is the focal point of the story since he is making the story flow. Without Iago, as annoying and cruel as he is, Othello would not even be a story. Well, I suppose it could be a story but it would be kind of boring since Othello and Desdemona are basically the "perfect couple" who "ran away together because they were so in love" type thing, but Iago definitely spiced things up a bit. It kind of ticks me off though just because Iago should have gotten what's coming to him. Cassio pretty much can do what ever he wants with Iago but that is all open for interpretation after the story ends. Overall, Othello has a huge lesson about jealousy and how it can be provoked if the facts aren't checked and the right people are not listened to. If Othello could have listened to his wife and figured out what was going on, he may not have made the rash decision to kill her and then himself. If he would have seen through Iago's deceit then he may not have ended up dead by the end of the story. Othello is a pretty good story and I'm glad we read it :]

Themes of Othello

"Oh, beware, my lord, of jealousy!
It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock
The meat it feeds on. That cuckold lives in bliss" (III.iii.165-170)
These words spoken by Iago to Othello are both ironic and true because jealousy can tear a person apart and Iago can attest to that. It is a very ironic statement coming from Iago because the only reason why he is messing with Othello and Cassio is because of his uncontrollable jealousy. Jealousy, along with maniacal planning, and light and dark, are a few of the many themes of Othello
Iago never stops planning. At the end of nearly every act he is planning through his soliloquy what he is going to do next. He planned to plant the handkerchief in Cassio's room so that Desdemona and Cassio looked guilty (III.iii.322-325), and he managed to plan many other things like Cassio's fight that made Othello suspect him in the first place. Now Othello's life is being torn apart because everyone who he respects and trusts he can no longer keep his faith in them.
The theme of light and dark occurs often especially sinace Othello is a black man and everyone else seems to be white. There are multiple racial slurs that are backhandedly cruel to Othello and some are just how they speak. When Iago is speaking to Desdemona and Emilia, they reference ugly people as "black" and how they will find someone that is "white" (II.i.141-142).
The most important theme of all though is jealousy. There wouldn't be a story without Iago's planning but his jealousy is what takes its toll on him and the other characters.