"Othello" by William Shakespeare

                Othello was a play written by William Shakespeare. This play deals with the love, lies, perceived betrayal, and finally a horrendous murder suicide. The driving forces behind the tragic ending were both envy and jealously. The envy that Iago had for Othello and the jealousy Othello had for Cassio. Envious of the rank and glory Othello had attained, and especially envious of the love of the young Desdemona. Othello’s jealousy of Cassio was due to the envy of Iago. Iago was scheming the entire play trying to convince Othello that Desdemona was being untrue to Othello. That Desdemona had defiled herself with Cassio and that she did not have love for just Othello. This of course was a lie; Desdemona loved Othello with all of her heart and never once cheated on him with Cassio. Even in her dying breaths she defends her husband faithfully to Emilia.

“O, who hath done this deed?”
“Nobody – I myself. Farewell. Commend me to my kind lord. O, farewell!”

                Desdemona is lying there, dying, after being smothered by Othello yet she still defends him saying that she had done it to herself. This is true love, yet even this act does not quell the jealous thoughts that have overtaken the mind of Othello.

“Cassio did top her. Ask thy husband else. O, I were damned beneath all depth in hell but that I did proceed upon just grounds to this extremity. Thy husband knew it all.”

Othello is speaking to Emilia after the death of Desdemona that he is still convinced that Cassio had slept with his wife, Desdemona. Othello’s eyes were closed to the truth and he could only see the twisted vision that Iago had masterfully crafted. Othello even went as far to have Cassio killed near the same time that he killed Desdemona, however Cassio’s assassin (Roderigo) was not as successful.
            

 It is explained that Iago had prompted Roderigo to place Desdemona’s handkerchief in the bedroom of Cassio, the same handkerchief that Othello had given to Desdemona. Iago played the puppetmaster of this play almost perfectly, almost. If only Roderigo had killed Cassio, and Othello would have killed himself before the others came into the room, or if Emilia would not have came upon the scene Iago may have gotten away with it.

              

 The ending of this play reveals Iago for the monster that he is. All of his secrets were shown for all to see. Roderigo had confessed to Cassio about Iago and Othello was in a rage about all of the lies that Iago had spun. Othello, in shame and despair, ends his own life with a hidden weapon to his own throat. Iago vows he will never speak again for the disaster he had caused and is taken by Lodovico to be imprisoned, sentenced, tortured, and probably executed for the mess he had made.

               

This play goes to show you that the jealously and envy can bring about catastrophic consequences. One must confront their demons when dealing with these emotions. One must confront the cause of these emotions and delve down into the dark abyss to figure out what is truth and what is deceit.