From Valiancy to Vengeance in Shakespeare´s Othello

Hatred, in Shakespeare’s Othello, destroyed the lives of so many innocent people, creating an atmosphere of fear and mayhem. Jealousy turned into a deep hatred, and liberated the beast in man (Blooms major dramatists).This mayhem caused a substantial amount of destruction and led to the demise of many. Hatred in Othello starts with Brabantio, who claims Othello is a noble, respectable man. However, Brabantio hates dark skin and foreign roots, two attributes Othello possesses. Brabantio’s hatred for Othello grows when he marries his daughter, Desdemona, behind his back. Brabantio accuses Othello of witchcraft, which is clear when he argues â€Å"She is abused, stoln from me, and corrupted by spells and medicines bought of mountebanks†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦show more content†¦Iago’s jealousy and hatred prompt him to plot revenge, and dishonor Cassio. A cloud of hatred so thick settles into Iago’s mind, compromising any shred of humanity he has left. This is prov ed when Iago convinces Roderigo to try and assassinate Cassio, by telling him â€Å"none can be so determinate as the removing of Cassio† (4.2.227). Iago’s selfish, need-to-be-dominate nature also stems to his hatred of women. Iago shows no respect or morals toward women, and believes that they are simply just â€Å"property of men† (nikki-nikki87.blogspot.com). Iago proves his hated toward women when he states â€Å"Ere I would say I would drown myself for the love of a guinea hen; I would change my humanity with a baboon† (1.3.310). His hatred for women became indisputable when he killed his wife, Emilia, for the sake of trying to protect his harsh secrets from being released. Not only does Iago hate women, he hates any man who dare love a women himself. Similarly, Emilia has a hatred toward men, although it is not as obvious. She believes all men are pompous and self-absorbed. This becomes obvious when she says, â€Å"They are all but stomachs, and we all but food; / They eat us hungrily, and when they are full / They belch us† (3.4.104-106). It is argued that Emilia’s hatred toward men is derived from years of living with Iago, causing her to see all men as the same (Shakespeare’s Tragedies). One of the most important roles of hatred in Othello was that of