Tragic Flaws
Jealousy
Evidence to support
Analysis
1. “Oh, beware, my lord, of jealousy!
It is the green-eyed monster which
doth mock.The meat it feeds on.”
Iago refers to jealousy as the
"green-eyed monster." As this
metaphor suggests, jealousy is
closely associated with the
theme of appearance and
reality. Reverse psychology is
used by Iago to warn Othello
when in reality he wants
Othello to be jealous. Green
symbolizes envy and jealousy in
the venetian Society.
Shakespeare refers to the
victim of jealousy to be fully
consumed by jealousy and his
life becomes restricted to that
feeling.
2. OTHELLO
“Why, why is this?
Think'st thou I'd make a life of
jealousy,To follow still the
changes of the moon
With fresh suspicions? No….I'll
Here, Othello claims that he
won't be destroyed by jealousy.
Othello lets slip that he may in
fact be a bit more jealous and
suspicious of his wife than he
lets on – he says he wants some
"proof" of Desdemona's
infidelity. Looks like Iago's
master plan may work out after
all.
see before I doubt; when I doubt,
prove;
And on the proof, there is no more
but this:
Away at once with love or jealousy.”
3. ‘Each drop she falls would prove a
crocodile.”
4. OTHELLO
Speak of me as I am. Nothing
extenuate, Nor set down aught in
malice. Then must you speak
Of one that loved not wisely, but
too well;Of one not easily jealous,
but being wrought, Perplexed in the
extreme; (5.2.402-406)
Unwavering and hard attitude
towards Desdemona. His
jealousy compels him to harden
his heart against Desdemona
Othello begs to be spoken of as
a man so "perplex'd" that he
didn't know what he was doing
when he accused Desdemona
of infidelity and murdered her.
He doesn't want to be
remembered as a man who was
"easily jealous." Why is that?
These last words reveal an
unpleasant streak of
showmanship in his make-up.
He does not want to be
understood by the audience.
Furthermore,
Male Ego
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