Skip to main content

Is Iago acting out of jealousy? If so, how do Othello and Iago deal with their jealousy?

Iago is indeed acting out of jealousy. First of all, he's jealous that Othello passed him up for a promotion and chose to honor Cassio instead. Secondly, he's jealous because he believes that Othello has slept with his wife, Emilia. This latter assumption seems pretty unfounded, but Iago nonetheless uses it as justification for his jealousy. 


It's interesting to note, therefore, that Iago and Othello are similar in that both are jealous men. Iago deals...

Iago is indeed acting out of jealousy. First of all, he's jealous that Othello passed him up for a promotion and chose to honor Cassio instead. Secondly, he's jealous because he believes that Othello has slept with his wife, Emilia. This latter assumption seems pretty unfounded, but Iago nonetheless uses it as justification for his jealousy. 


It's interesting to note, therefore, that Iago and Othello are similar in that both are jealous men. Iago deals with his jealousy by manipulating most of the play's characters, especially Cassio and Othello, to orchestrate their downfalls. Likewise, Othello deals with his jealousy by killing Desdemona. So, both men are similar in that they will go to extraordinary lengths to satisfy their jealous feelings. However, that's not to say that Iago and Othello are exactly the same; indeed, Othello is tricked into acting on his jealous feelings, while Iago carefully and methodically acts on his jealousy with full knowledge of what he is doing. As such, it's hardly surprising that Iago has often been called Shakespeare's most evil character.  

Popular posts from this blog

In chapter one of The Great Gatsby, what advice does Nick's father give him? How does this make him a good person to tell this story?

Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches... Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches into a discussion of how pe...
Post a Comment
Read more

How did the United States become an imperial power?

"Imperial power" is a bit of a vague label. It tends to mean several things at once, so let's unpack it. In the sense of "this country was built on conquest by force," the "imperial power" part of America actually predates the United States proper. The territories that would become the United States were imperial colonies, established by the great European empires of the 17th and 18th centuries. Much of the US Constitution and American governance generally goes back to England, history's largest and most successful imperial power, but vital aspects of American culture come from other imperial powers, such as France and Spain. Much of American culture comes from sources other than the old empires, but they were key influences on what the United States became. In the sense of "this country treats conquest by force as a fundamental component of its culture, economy and politics," the United States has always been an imperial power. Even earl...
Post a Comment
Read more

How and why does James Gatz become Jay Gatsby? Describe the young Gatsby/Gatz.

James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune,... James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune, whereas they arose from well-to-do families. Gatz became Gatsby through determination and discipline. At the end of the novel, the narr...
Post a Comment
Read more