Explain and analyse the factors and characters which play a role in the creation of Othello's jealousy, hate and in the end the murder of his wife and his suicide.

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Othello, by William Shakespeare is a mixture of love, hate, trust, race, honesty, language, power and deceit intertwined into one huge misogynistic, sadist ball of corruption all ruled over by one man (Iago). All thirteen of the characters interact and in some cases make the problem worse. Iago corrupts Othello mainly but he also uses his language to make Desdemona, Cassio and Roderigo do whatever he desires and gets them to make the problem worse for Othello.

For this coursework question I will try and explain and analyse the factors and characters which play a role in the creation of Othello’s jealousy, hate and in the end the murder of his wife and his suicide. I will look into which characters helped cause the rift between him and Desdemona and which characters aid in building his jealousy and which characters try to calm it down. At the end of the play, when all the crimes have been committed and Iago has been revealed for the corrupting snake he is, Othello analyses himself in conjunction with the events and makes a speech in which he says,  ‘Speak of me as I am. Nothing exenuate, Nor set down aught in malice. Then you must speak, Of one that lov’d not wisely, but too well: Of one, not easily jealous, but being wrought, Perplex’d in the extreme:’. He says this before his suicide and I am going to delve into the matter and try and decide whether this self-analysis is true or false.

First I have to study each characters motivations for their actions and what relevance they have to the situation of the other characters. Iago had worked his whole life to gain a lieutenancy in the Venetian army, he worked his way up through the ranks and has worked hard in the army his whole life to try and gain a lieutenancy under Othello. Othello promoted Cassio to lieutenant over Iago because he thought he would do the job better, even though Cassio has no experience in real life fighting or hands on training, he just studied at college. This angered him and made him hate Othello and Cassio. Othello is tricked into thinking his wife, Desdemona, is having an affair with Cassio by Iago and he kills his wife because of this. Emilia (Iago’s wife) is mistreated by Iago but she still loves him, she does whatever he says and gives Iago Desdemona’s handkerchief which she has dropped, even though she knows he will use it for no good. Desdemona is asked by Cassio to pester Othello into re-instating him and she does, even though it is to do with the army and nothing to do with her.

In the beginning of the play, Othello is secretly married to Desdemona without her father (Brabantio) knowing. Roderigo is in love with Desdemona but she does not love him and this angers him, so he pays Iago to buy jewellery for her in attempt to gain her favour for him. Cassio is a man who is well educated and went straight to the rank of lieutenant from his place of learning. The fact that Cassio was instantly promoted to lieutenant from school and Iago has worked his whole life and gone up through the ranks to try and achieve the rank of lieutenant angers Iago profusely. Iago is very angry with Othello for promoting Cassio and this his main reason for his corruption, albeit not a very strong reason.So he starts making Othello believe that Desdemona is having an affair with Cassio. Early on in the play, Iago decides he is going to ruin Othello’s life and he starts with his plan to make him believe Desdemona is having an affair.

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Iago is constantly using his power with language to try and make Othello believe that Desdemona is having an affair with Cassio. He drops subtle hints at the beginning of the play by repeating what Othello says and repeating his questions when on the topic of Desdemona and Cassio (Act III scene iii pg 76 lines 10-21) ‘Iago: Indeed?

Othello: Indeed? Ay indeed….Is he not honest?

Iago: Honest, my lord?

Othello: Honest? Ay honest.

Iago: My lord, for aught I know.

Othello: What dost thou think?

Iago: Think my lord?’

In this section Iago is repeating what Othello says ...

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