Lago’s Jealousy affect the Outcome of the Play

Lago’s Jealousy affect the Outcome of the Play

Introduction

William Shakespeare is amongst the world’s greatest writers as well as a dramatist. Over the years, scholars have used the work by Shakespeare to illustrate various themes. Shakespeare has written numerous poems and plays in the English language. Othello is a play written by Shakespeare about the tragedy of a Venetian general, Othello. The play revolves around a dispute over the marriage between Desdemona, a senator’s daughter, and Othello. Roderigo gets mad over the secret marriage since he has been in love with Desdemona and had asked the senator her hand in marriage. Roderigo complains to Lago, who has a grudge with Othello for not promoting him. It was Lago’s jealousy towards Othello that led to the breakup of his marriage. Lago was jealous of Cassio for being promoted, which led to Cassio and Roderigo being wounded. Lagos’s jealousy resulted in chaos and misunderstandings, which caused the death of Desdemona, Othello, and Emilia. The tragic ending of the play arises from Lago’s jealousy characterized by lies, manipulation, and the use of people’s feelings.

Lago’s jealousy and hatred of Othello’s race led to the need for vengeance. Lago lies, manipulates, and uses Roderigo’s emotions to get what he wants. It is the hatred that Lago has towards Othello that led to the disruption of Othello’s marriage. The hate can be seen through Lago’s discriminatory behavior towards Othello. Lago does not refer Othello in his first name but uses pronouns such as “he” “him” and the use of “Old black.” Othello steals the glory by being a Venetian army general and marrying the daughter of a senator. Lago manipulates the weaknesses of Othello, Brabantio, and Roderigo, who both love Desdemona. Lago manipulates Roderigo’s love for Desdemona to cause a dispute between Roderigo and Othello. Lago convinces Roderigo and Brabantio that Othello used witchcraft on Desdemona to convince her to marry him. Othello marries Desdemona secretly, and Lago insights Roderigo towards telling Brabantio about the marriage. It was Lago’s jealousy over Othello that led to the manipulation of the misfortunes of Roderigo. After Lago convinces Roderigo to tell Brabantio that his daughter and Othello have eloped, he approaches Othello and tells him that Brabantio is coming after him. Brabantio’s rage and Lago’s skimming to frame Cassio of infidelity with Desdemona causes a dispute between Othello and Desdemona. Othello believes that Desdemona has been cheating on him, which causes Othello to seek revenge. All these events led to the breakup of the marriage between Othello and Desdemona. Lago plays with the emotions of Othello, Roderigo, and Brabantio to get back to Othello because he was jealous of his glory. It was Lago’s jealousy towards Othello that led to the breakup of Othello and Desdemona’s marriage.

Lago was jealous of Cassio for being promoted, which led to Cassio and Roderigo being wounded. It is Lago’s jealousy that led to Cassio losing his lieutenant position under general Othello. Lago hates Othello for promoting Cassio, whom he considers less capable in comparison to him. Lago despises Cassio and uses him to hurt Othello, whom he despises. According to Lago, it was unfair for Othello to promote Cassio since he considered himself better equipped and qualified for the position. Cassio was a threat to Lago’s glory and promotion. Lago plans for Cassio to get drunk and start a fight with Roderigo during the day Othello is consummating his marriage to Desdemona. The fight causes Othello to leave his wife to sort out the commotion. It was Lago who pointed out the fact that Cassio started the fight and stabbed governor Montano. As a result, Othello strips Cassio of his lieutenant position, which he laments to Lago after everyone has left. Lago plants the idea of Cassio asking for help from Desdemona. Lago uses the chance to ask Othello to be keen with Cassio and his wife, Desdemona. Lago manipulates Othello to thinking that his wife and Cassio are having an affair. Cassio greets Desdemona by clasping her hands, and Lago tells the audience that he will use “as little a web as this” hand-holding to ensnare Cassio (II.i.169). Lago goes to the extent of planting evidence of the affair in Cassio’s room. The play brings out Lago as manipulative and deceitful towards the characters who are an obstacle to his glory. Lago uses Cassio to meet his gains and revenge for Othello, giving Cassio the lieutenant position. It is Lago’s jealousy of Cassio that contributed to his downfall as a lieutenant.

Lago’s jealousy resulted in misunderstandings and chaos, which led to the deaths of Othello, Desdemona, and Emilia. Lago deceives everyone and turns everyone against each other. The deception causes misunderstandings amongst the people involved. In the end, chaos erupts from the confusions, which led to the death and wounding of the characters after Lago convinces Othello that Cassio and Desdemona are having an affair. “No, sure, I cannot think it, / That he would steal away so guilty-like, / Seeing your coming” (III.iii.37–39). Othello plots for the death of Cassio. Roderigo attacks Cassio and is wounded while Lago cuts Cassio in the leg. Lago stabs Roderigo to stop him from revealing the intentions of Lago. Othello strangles his wife, Desdemona, in their bed due to the lies spread by Lago. On learning that the infidelity accusations made towards his wife were false, Othello grieves and commits suicide. After Emilia realizes that her husband is the source of all the confusion, she tries to expose Lago. In the process, Lago kills Emilia and Othello stabs Lago. Lago has to face trial for his actions while most of the people involved in the plot are dead. Lago’s attempts to get back at Othello caused the death of Emilia, Othello, and Desdemona. These deaths could have been prevented if only Lago were less cunning. The play ends with the tragic death of three people, while others such as Cassio and Roderigo are wounded. The lies and manipulation by Lago led to the downfall of everyone in the play.

Conclusion

Lago’s jealousy contributed to the tragedies present in the play through deception, the use, and manipulation of people’s feelings. Lago is to be blamed for the break-up of Othello’s marriage with Desdemona. Lago despised Cassio for getting a lieutenant position, which he believed he deserved; the jealousy resulted in Cassio losing the position. Lago’s deception, manipulation, and jealousy contributed to the conflicts as well as confusion, which caused the death of Desdemona, Othello, and Emilia. The play Othello, like many works of Shakespeare, leaves the audience with a takeaway. Lago loses everything and gains nothing on his mission of vengeance. Jealousy dictates Lago’s every step and even leads to the death of three people. Despite the strong relationship between Desdemona and Othello, built on love, jealousy becomes a dragon that slays love under the pretense of trying to keep it alive. Then again, I wonder, would it be that the love was inadequate to conquer the jealousy?