Feb 12 2019 - Othello

In the first three acts of Othello by William Shakespeare, there are moments of jealousy and revenge that occur with the protagonist, Othello. The reader learns in Act I that Othello is a military man who secretly married a woman known as Desdemona. Desdemona’s father as well as Othello’s colleagues were all unaware of this marriage until it is brought to light by Othello, “... I love the gentle Desdemona, I would not my unhoused free condition put into circumscription and confine for the sea’s worth.” (561). Othello brings to light that he is indeed married to Desdemona, then, it is revealed that one of Othello’s fellow military comrade, Cassio, wants Desdemona all for himself. Cassio thinks of Othello as a fool and he wants to get even with him for marrying Desdemona, “And I dare think he’ll prove to Desdemona a most dear husband. Now I do love her too, not out of absolute lust… But partly led to diet my revenge…” (580). It is evident that Cassio wants to take Desdemona away from Othello; the way he does this is by using a friend into manipulating Othello of thinking that Desdemona is being unfaithful with Cassio. A fellow military comrade, Iago, manipulates Othello into believing Desdemona is having an affair with Cassio, “In sleep I heard him say ‘Sweet Desdemona, let us be wary, let us hide our loves!” (601). After that lie from Iago, Othello becomes angry and he begins to believe the lies Iago is telling, “All my fond love thus do I blow to heaven. ‘Tis gone.” (601). This is where Othello is emotionally at the end of the third act. There is a lot of toying with themes of jealousy in this work as well as desire and lust through manipulation. Shakespeare illustrates the power of slander and word manipulation to convince others of occurrences that are entirely fake because there is no moment where it appears that Desdemona is having an affair with Cassio.






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