Othello--Themes

In Othello, there are a few themes that stood out to me. One of these themes is jealousy. Jealousy is the driving force in many of the actions the characters make. The worst part is that some of the jealousy is based off a notion or feeling, not even facts. Othello is a character who displays jealousy in Act V when he murders Desdemona. He says that "she must die, else she'll betray more men."(V.ii.6). This shows that his jealousy of Desdemona is great enough for him to find it reasonable to kill her. Also, his jealousy is based off what Iago makes him believe, which is based on no proof or facts. Iago always says "I think" or "I have heard". He never definitively says whether he knows for a fact Desdemona had an affair. Another person who has jealousy is Iago. He is the most jealous one in the play by far. Not only does he lie to every person in the play, but he even wounds Cassio in the leg (V.i.). He does everything because of his jealousy towards other people. He even says that he must have Cassio dead because if not Cassio's "daily beauty in his life that makes me ugly"(V.i.19-20). This shows how Iago is so jealous that he must try to get rid of anyone who makes him feel lacking.