Themes: Jealousy in Othello.
The play is written by the most famous poet in the world William Shakespeare. He is known as romantic and comedy writer .Othello was written at probably 1604. Although winter’s tale is one of the last play written by Shakespeare but the theme (of jealousy) is not much different than Othello.
Jealousy as stated in the Oxford dictionary “feeling angry or unhappy because somebody you like or love is showing interest in somebody else: a jealous wife or husband.” Some try to find out the source of inspiration that William Shakespeare to write about romances. Not much is known about the love life of William Shakespeare, Several theories have been advanced by Shakespearean scholars and biographers, many involving a mysterious "dark-lady" to whom the bard seems to pine for in several of his sonnets. As the Shakespearean scholar Arthur Aches writes :
" I believe, from what I find in the Sonnets, that our poet's connection with [a] woman commenced at almost the same period as his acquaintance with Southampton, in about 1593, ... I believe, also , that he genuinely loved her, and fired with the passion and intensity of his love, produced in those years the marvelous rhapsodies of love in "Romeo and Juliet," ... and other of his love plays, which have so charmed the world, and still charm it, and shall continue to do so while the language lives. If ever a man lived who sounded the human heart to its depths, and gauged its heights, that man was Shakespeare, and such knowledge as he had, and shows us of life, may not attained by hearsay, nor at second hand.
http://www.cinetropic.com/shakespeare/life.html
The play Othello tells the story of Othello the Moor who marries Desdemona out of love, without Desdemona father approval. Jealous that Othello promoted Cassio instead of himself Iago, Othello trustee, lied to Othello to trigger jealousy in Othello thinking that his beloved wife Desdemona is having an affair with Cassio. In the end eaten by jealousy Othello killed his wife, only later to find out about Iago deceitful lies. In regret Othello kills himself.
In the play the theme of jealousy is not only evident in between Othello and Desdemona but in Iago to Cassio. At the end of his tale to Roderigo about how he was passed over for promotion to lieutenant, Iago displays his jealousy of Cassio. He says that Cassio, a "counter-caster"(1.1.31) has the job Iago wanted, while Iago has to keep on being "his Moorship's ancient " (1.1.33). A little later, Roderigo, who is desperately in love with Desdemona, expresses his jealousy of Othello's marriage to Desdemona by saying, "What a full fortune does the thick-lips owe, If he can carry't thus!" (1.1.66-67). Where Roderigo says "carry't thus" .
"Look to her, Moor, if thou hast eyes to see: She has deceived her father, and may thee" (1.3.292-293). Desdemona makes it clear that she loves and honors her husband, Brabantio remains bitter, and warns Othello that Desdemona may turn out to be a unfaithful.
Iago tells a series of lies about Desdemona, and manipulate Othello mind by saying that they may not be worth thinking about. He says, "I confess, it is my nature's plague , To spy into abuses, and oft my jealousy , Shapes faults that are not" (3.3.146-148). Here Iago uses the word "jealousy" in its general sense of "suspicion," but ambiguously he also speaks of himself.
Psychologically, Iago manipulate Othello thoughts to make Othello jealous, Iago warns Othello against jealousy:
This speech not only a description of jealousy, it also shows insightful of its psychological manipulation. (reverse psychology).In comparison to all of this pain of suspicion and doubt, it's "bliss" to just be angry. Thus Iago tempts Othello to make the jump from suspicion to anger, without considering if the suspicion has any truth in it.
Iago's warnings against jealousy have the outcome that he was looking for: Othello denies that he is jealous. From Iago's point of view, this is a good sign, just as was Cassio's denial that he was drunk. Othello does not believe that he is the sort of person who can be jealous, because to him "to be once in doubt , Is once to be resolved" (3.3.179-180). He means that as soon as he is in doubt he will eliminate it.
It is Othello who is talk of jealousy; even as he's denying that he can be jealous. He says, "'Tis not to make me jealous, To say my wife is fair, feeds well, loves company, Is free of speech, sings, plays and dances well; Where virtue is, these are more virtuous"(3.3.183-186). An outgoing personality doesn't make a woman loose. But keep saying that he is not jealous Similarly, he says, "Nor from mine own weak merits will I draw, The smallest fear or doubt of her revolt; For she had eyes, and chose me" (3.3.187-189). Again, Othello is reconcile his thought by reminding himself that in front of her father and the world Desdemona proclaimed her choice, but if he were not jealous he would not have to remind himself that she chose him.
Othello says that he is untouchable by jealousy by declaring, "No, Iago; , I'll see before I doubt; when I doubt, prove; And on the proof, there is no more but this,-- Away at once with love or jealousy!" (3.3.189-192). Othello already has strong suspicions, not from seeing anything, but just from listening to Iago. But still, Othello is prepared to hear and believe whatever Iago says next. Othello believes that he's not the jealous type and he believes that Iago is his honest friend, so he believes that Iago couldn't be lying and he believes that he himself cannot be wrong. Shows the ego of man of rank.
Iago then uses more reverse psychology, telling Othello to "Look to your wife; observe her well with Cassio; , Wear your eye thus, not jealous nor secure" (3.3.197-198). Then Iago adds, "I would not have your free and noble nature, Out of self-bounty , be abused; look to't." (3.3.199-200). In other words, Othello shouldn't be jealous, but if he's not, Desdemona is likely to take advantage of him.
Desdemona can't find her handkerchief and she feels guilty, and she's put herself at ease by saying that "my noble Moor , Is true of mind and made of no such baseness , As jealous creatures are," because otherwise the loss of the handkerchief might be "enough , To put him to ill thinking" (3.2.26-29). Emilia seems to have a doubt about Othello not being jealous, but Desdemona says confidently, "I think the sun where he was born , Drew all such humours from him" (3.4.30-31). "Humours" were thought to control a person's temper. Desdemona is sure that Othello will be jealous.
However, when Othello arrives, he asks Desdemona about the handkerchief, and then storms out, Emilia asks, "Is not this man jealous?" (3.4.99). Desdemona tries to convince herself that Othello is only upset by something that happened at work, but Emilia, unconvinced by Desdemona's reasoning, says diplomatically, "Pray heaven it be state-matters, as you think,And no conception nor no jealous toy, Concerning you." (3.4.155-157). A "toy" is a silly or stupid idea, and Emilia clearly thinks that Othello could be toying with the stupid idea that Desdemona is unfaithful to him. Desdemona replies, "Alas the day! I never gave him cause" (3.4.158), which gives Emilia the chance to remind her that jealousy doesn't need a cause; "It is a monster , Begot upon itself, born on itself" (3.4.161-162). Desdemona exclaims, "Heaven keep that monster from Othello's mind!" (3.4.163),
"I will be hang'd, if some eternal villain, Some busy and insinuating rogue, Some cogging , cozening slave, to get some office, , Have not devised this slander; I will be hang'd else" (4.2.130-133). Emilia says this after Othello calls Desdemona a whore and Emilia thinks she knows the reason. This describes Iago exactly, and it makes him uncomfortable. He says, "Fie, there is no such man; it is impossible" (4.2.134). However, Emilia knows better. She continues to denounce the unknown villain until Iago tells her to quiet down, which only inspires Emilia to say, "Some such squire he was , That turn'd your wit the seamy side without, And made you to suspect me with the Moor" (4.2.145-147). He shuts her up by saying, "You are a fool; go to" (4.2.148). "
Just before he commits suicide, Othello tells about how he wants to be remembered. He says he should be spoken of as "one not easily jealous, but being wrought , Perplex'd in the extreme" (5.2.345-346). The first half of the statement, that he was "one not easily jealous," was supported by Desdemona when she said, "I think the sun where he was born , Drew all such humours from him" (3.4.30-31). Still, it can be said that he was too easily made jealous. The second half of the statement seems beyond doubt. True that he was confused and tormented in to the extreme, and he views his puzzlement not as an excuse, but out of guilt he kills himself.
As a conclusion jealousy as the theme of the play Othello is very apparent. It can be found in almost every part of the scene. A monster that existed from love and insecurity, or simply because someone else has the upper hand as do Iago to Cassio. In the end, Desdemona, Othello and Emilia died because of the green eyed monster called jealousy.
Reference
http://www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/othello
http://www.cinetropic.com/shakespeare/life.html
http://absoluteshakespeare.com/guides/othello/othello.html
M.R. Ridley. (1972) Othello. Methuen & Co Ltd London.
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