Introduction
Jealousy is one of the major themes present in Othello. Othello is described as a jealous booby by many people. Looking at how people view Othello, one can understand Othello’s character: he is a booby and also an insecure person. This is because one can be jealous and not a booby or be a booby and not jealous. The description of Othello as suspicious and booby has brought numerous arguments about whether it is indeed true. The same text that proves Othello to be jealous and booby provides a counter-argument, and this advocates debates about what is what. One of the reasons why Othello is viewed as an insecure person is because of the way he, to some extreme extent, quickly reacts to Iago’s encouragement.
To some, Othello is not a jealous person by nature, but rather, what made him act the way he does is his few characteristics together with an outside force (Iago). To some, Othello is a victim and a tragic hero, while the villain in the play is Iago. Othello’s character of being booby has also brought about opposing views as some believe he has the booby character in him while others argue the opposite. Those who support the argument do this because of his wrapped self-perception and also because of his lack of comprehension of the human nature of the people around him and himself (Schilb). Those who argue that Othello is not a booby point to his military capabilities, his self-control, and his ability to command respect.
In most instances, Othello is seen reacting extremely quickly to Iago’s bait and is thus viewed to become jealous at a rapid rate. Iago knows this, and he doesn’t have to do much to get Othello jealous. All he has to do is mutter some vague sentences, and thoughts of jealousy overrun Othello’s mind, which is the intention of Iago. In the play, Othello is seen wondering why he ever got married, and he goes ahead to conclude that the only way he can receive relief is by loathing his wife. With every encounter with Iago, Othello moves further toward near lunacy. This act proves that, indeed, Othello is heading toward jealousy.
Shakespeare, on the other hand, demonstrates that Othello is a suspicious character by showing how deeply his jealousy has become. Once Iago instills jealousy in Othello, Shakespeare goes ahead to use this character to show Othello some truth. When Emilia presents her claims to Othello and says that his wife is honest, Othello refuses to believe the evidence brought in front of him, which proves that he was indeed consumed with jealousy. In this scene, Othello declares that he would rather remain jealous than believe in the evidence that his wife, Desdemona, is innocent. Shakespeare shows how deep Othello’s jealousy is by letting him suffer both physically and mentally. Othello is seen falling into a fit that is a result of jealousy, which is described by Iago as falling into epilepsy. According to Schilb, a fit refers directly to a new depth of jealousy Othello had entered, which proves that both his mind and body were corrupted. Only a jealous individual can be affected to the extent Othello was being affected.
It’s well known that jealousy is not an acquired trait, as it can never be created by a person. If a person exhibits traits of jealousy, it only means that they have a jealous nature. With this in mind, it’s true to say that Iago plays a subordinate and ancillary role, and it is Othello’s proclivity to jealousy, together with his weak character, that results in his downfall. Iago only makes vague comments, and Othello is very quick to respond, and this action is what led to his downfall. Jealousy can be said to be a passion that only comes out from a trait that is inside people, and this is why Othello was easily made jealous by Iago. If Othello was able to portray jealousy at such high levels, then it only means he had a suspicious nature. Iago isn’t responsible for making Othello jealous, but rather, he gives Othello a way to reveal his inner nature, which is jealousy.
It’s accurate to argue that Othello’s suspicious nature was also brought about by Iago. From the text, many instances prove that before Iago got the chance to corrupt Othello’s mind, jealousy never had a place in his mind. For example, when he is sent to Venice, he leaves his wife Desdemona in Iago’s care without any thoughts of dishonesty from his wife or Iago. After Iago had begun corrupting Othello’s mind and placing jealous thoughts in his mind, Othello is seen demonstrating that he was not going to be easy nor did he intend to be jealous at any one point.
However, no matter how hard Othello tries not to fall into Iago’s trap or resist his poison, he eventually falls into his trap, as no other character is able to stay away from Iago’s trap. This proves that Othello’s jealous nature was not his own doing but rather Iago’s. Just like any other human being, Othello had flaws, but jealousy was not one of them. His openness to the influence of others is what makes it possible for Iago to make him jealous. Iago can thus be said to be responsible for Othello’s downfall.
When it comes to Othello being a booby, there is evidence that supports and dismisses this claim. One indication that proves that indeed Othello was a booby is his ignorance when it comes to human nature (Schilb). This is true as he has minimal understanding of how a person, including himself, can be motivated or why a person acts the way he/she does. By trusting and mistrusting the wrong people, he proves he is truly a bad judge of character. For instance, Othello is seen believing Iago unquestioningly, and he believes everything he says. He even goes ahead to leave his wife under the care of Iago when he goes on any journey. Othello goes a step forward to ask for advice and opinions from Iago, who is an evil man, but Othello believed that Iago was an honest and brave man.
Conclusion
It’s true that Othello has the capabilities to exist in a world that is full of opportunities with no extreme tests of his intelligence, like what Iago did to him. In many instances, Othello has proved that he possesses many sound qualities, but when disrupting forces come his way, such as Iago, he is unable to cope with them, and as a result, he responds in an inappropriate way, thus producing disastrous results. No person can live a life without temptations and complications, and this is why it’s important for people to know how to handle such instances. Othello proved he could not do this, and this was why it was easy for him to fall due to trusting the wrong people. His positive traits don’t triumph during the hard times, and as a result, he proved he was indeed jealous and booby.
Works Cited
Schilb, John, and John Clifford. Arguing About Literature. 2016. Print.
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