Shakespeare has an exceptional ability to compose plays full of deceit, trickery, murderous revenge, and jealousy. In Othello, one of his most recognized tragedies was consistently evolving around the central theme of jealousy.
Jealousy in Othello is what the play was founded on. One of Shakespeare’s most credible characteristics in his writing is his ability to compose a play in which has a story that originates, and strides on lies. As theses lies were unraveled the central theme of his play became distinct, and clearly visible. The central theme was based on the acts that characters had taken based on their jealous feelings.
The flaws within all of the characters lied within their blindness to over look Iago’s lies. What made each character jealous, was what they perceived as the truth. What adds to this great tragedy is that it is a love story as well. In which a man, Othello, loves Desdemona excessively and passionately, however he loves her unwisely. Love consumes all those who take part in it, and in Othello’s case his flaws lie in his loving Desdemona so blindly. It is for that single reason that Iago knows that such a naive man as Othello, who loves his wife so blindly and unrealistically, can be made to think whatever Iago wants Othello to believe.
Just as Othello’s flaws lied within his inability to see past his jealous feelings, so did most of the rest of characters, no matter what social ranking they were classified in. Even from the well-developed characters, such as Othello, to the lesser figures, such as Roderigo, envy and lust were feelings all of Shakespeare’s characters were accountable of holding at one time or other in the play. Within each of the characters in Othello was a level of jealousy, which Iago c. . o seek revenge, in the most gruesome way possible. All through Iago’s manipulation to distort reality, is an intricate way to cause the vengeful Othello to take total control of the trustworthy, reliable, and faithful officer as well as husband named Othello Othello is a tragedy of numerous dimensions.
The most dominant issues in Shakespeare’s Othello are evil and jealousy. From these two dominant issues, it can be said that with the act of evil, beyond it to some degree, envy or jealousy can be held responsible. Jealousy of course is harming to oneself and most times is irrational. Demonstrating once again the “intrinsic instability of evil, the ultimate impotence of the jealous gods.” (Godfrey D.R., Shakespeare for Students, pp.422)
