jealousy

• quotes

  ‘I do suspect the lusty moor’ - Iago

  ‘It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock the meat it feeds on’ - Iago

  ‘The handkerchief which I so loved and gave thee thou gavest to Cassio’ - Othello

  ‘O the pity of it Iago, the pity of it Iago, - Othello
• ‘I do suspect the lusty moor’ - Iago

  • Iago reveals his motivations are rooted in his own envy as he believes Othello has slept with Emilia and because he lost the role of lieutenant to Cassio you could also suspect Iago has prejudice beliefs since he uses the a racist term to name Othello
  • the quotes also illustrates how Iago is malcontent as he seeks not only to ruin Othello’s life but to elevate his own status
  • Shakespeare may have done this to describe Iago’s bitterness and how jealousy fuels his ambition showcasing how envy can drive people to malicious actions
• ‘I do suspect the lusty moor’ - Iago

  • the audience would disapprove of Iago’s antics as he is plotting over a rumour
• ‘I do suspect the lusty moor’ - Iago

  • the adverb ’lusty’ has the connotation of religion as lust is a sin which depicts how much hatred Iago has for Othello as religion was very important in Elizabethan society
• ‘It is the green eyes monster which doth mock the meat it feeds on’ - Iago

  • Iago warns Othello about jealousy referring to it with a metaphor which describes it as a beast that devours its vulnerable prey which is proved by Iago who embodies jealousy as his own envy leads him to manipulate Othello
  • Shakespeare intentions were to increase the plays dramatical effect as he uses dramatic irony because Iago who embodies jealousy warns Othello about how jealousy leads people to irrational thoughts and actions even though Iago is capitalising on Othello’s insecurities to achieve this
• ‘It is the green eyes monster which doth mock the meat it feeds on’ -Iago

  • audience would be disgusted by Iago’s duplicity and deceit
• ‘The handkerchief which I so loved and gave thee, thou gavest to Cassio’ - Othello

  • the handkerchief was often given as a gift of love in this era and symbolises trust and fidelity
  • this false evidence of Desdemona’s adultery feeds Othello’s jealousy which exemplifies how jealousy can warp reality as Othello consumed by suspicion turns on Desdemona without hearing her side which links to contemporary patriarchal systems in society as Othello automatically believed Iago over his wife as he is a man
• ‘The handkerchief which i so loved and have thee, thou gavest to Cassio’ - Othello

  • Shakespeares intentions were to showcase the tragic repercussions of misguided trust as the token of love transformed into a weapon of jealousy
  • audience feels irritated that Iago’s influence has grown on him as he changes from seeing Desdemona as an equal in their marriage to believing Iago since he‘s a man
• ‘O the pity of it Iago the pity of it’ - Othello

  • the final act of the play underscores the destructive power of jealousy as Othello’s rage leads to Desdemona’s tragic death
  • his exclamation captures the regret of his deep anguish as the jealousy which was fuelled by Iago’s deceit led to a tragic irreversible act
  • Shakespeares intentions were to emphasise the tragic elements of the play as not only has an innocent life been taken but the one who took it realises he has killed the love of his life due to being manipulated by someone he thought was honest
• ‘I the pity of it the pity of it Iago’ - Iago

  • the repetition of ‘the pity of it’ emphasises the overwhelming sense of regret and sorrow that jealousy has wrought
  • audience would loath Iago because of his morally wrong and ungodly actions and wished Othello had just spoken to his wife