Love and hate are two very contrary terms. However, even the most powerful emotion, love, can ironically turn into hate, the emotion that can lead to the most vulnerability. In William Shakespeare’s play, Othello, Jealousy is the bridge that connects love and hate. The play takes place in Venice during the Turks invasion of Cyprus. Othello and Desdemona, two of the main characters, committed love for each other even Desdemona’s father, Brabantio is against the marriage. Iago, blinded by resentment, is eagers to destroy Othello's marriage. As a result of Iago’s manipulation, Othello gets blinded by his overwhelming love and murders his own wife. The main characters in the play, Iago, Roderigo, and Othello, were ruled and blinded by jealousy.
In Act 1, Roderigo envies Othello because the woman he loves, Desdemona, is married to Othello. In the play, Iago tells Roderigo that 'when she is sated with his body,/ she will find the error of her choice” (Shakespeare 1.3.350-351). In return for the false hope, Roderigo “supports” Iago with wealth in order to fulfill his ambition of winning Desdemona back. In Roderigo’s plan, everything will work out as planned. More accurately, as Iago planned. Iago, however, tells him that Cassio is the only person that would stay in his way. As a result, Roderigo is determined to do everything he is capable of to stop Cassio from being with Desdemona. Roderigo says that he would rather die if he cannot earn Desdemona’s love and be with him. Eventually, this becomes a major opening for Iago to manipulate his feelings and make Roderigo go with his plans. He made him believe that Desdemona will stop loving Othello soon and look for someone new because “Her eye must be fed; and what delight shall/ she have to look on the devil?” (Shakespeare 2.1.225-26) Roderigo is not aware that he is misguided by Iago with his love for Desdemona. On the other hand, Roderigo is completely blinded by his love, twisted love, for Desdemona. With the manipulation of Iago, Roderigo’s blind love gradually becomes a stronger and stronger tool for Iago to complete his own evil plan.
On the other hand, Othello’s severe feeling of insecure drives him crazy and made it easier for Iago to manipulate him. Before he met Desdemona Othello implies that It gives me wonder great as my content To see you here before me. O my soul's joy! If after every tempest come such calms, May the winds blow till they have waken'd death And let the laboring bark climb hills of seas Olympus-high and duck again as low As hell's from heaven! If it were now to die, 'Twere now to be most happy; for, I fear, My soul hath her content so absolute That not another comfort like to this Succeeds in unknown fate” (Shakespeare, 2.1.183-93).
From the beginning, Othello feels not confident about himself. He wonders why his beloved wife Desdemona would go against society and married to a moor. He starts questioning himself why Desdemona would never be unfaithful to him, which brings out his deepest insecurities: “O curse of marriage,/ That we can call these delicate creatures ours,/ And not their appetites! I had rather be a toad,/ And live upon the vapour of a dungeon,/ Than keep a corner in the thing I love/ For others' uses” (Shakespeare, 3.3.268-73). His insecurities begin to tear him apart bit by bit when Iago suggests that Desdemona is not faithful, and his growing anger starts to eat his soul and eventually turns him into an insane man. The thoughts of doubting himself gradually turn his love for Desdemona into anger and hatred with the manipulation of Iago. He started to question if Desdemona ever truly loved him or it was just a lie all along, but deep down in his mind, he has nothing but love for her. In the beginning, Othello claims that he won’t be destroyed by jealousy.
Nevertheless, he suspects his beloved wife but he doesn’t want to admit it and ask for some real evidence: “For she had eyes, and chose me. No, Iago;/ I'll 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!” (Shakespeare 3.3.190-92)
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Love and Hate in Othello.
(2022, Jun 16). Edubirdie. Retrieved April 27, 2024, from https://edubirdie.com/examples/love-and-hate-in-othello/
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Love and Hate in Othello [Internet]. Edubirdie.
2022 Jun 16 [cited 2024 Apr 27].
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