Jealousy is a powerful emotion that can prevent us from identifying the truth. Shakespeare strongly emphasizes this theme throughout the play Othello, especially through the actions of the characters. In the play the hateful antagonist, Iago, uses each character's jealousy to deceive that person and manipulate the truth. His false promises and deception lead to the deaths of many of the play's main characters, including the protagonist, Othello. Othello could not have been deceived if it were not for his powerful jealousy. Therefore, Shakespeare is telling us that jealousy is a bad trait that can hide the truth, which in turn causes many problems between the characters in the play. The opera opens with Roderigo and Iago standing on a street in Venice, this is where Iago begins his mischievous plan. Roderigo desired Desdemona's hand and asked her father Brabantio for it, but was repeatedly denied. Then comes the news that Desdemona has run away with General Othello and is married. Roderigo is indignant, and Iago promises Roderigo that he will take Desdemona as his wife soon enough, if all goes according to plan (Meyers, 1187-1192). Already, in the first act, the reader can see how Iago is playing with Rodrigo's emotions in order to get a personal revenge on Othello. The reader can see that Iago will use Roderigo as a pawn in his plan; knowing that Roderigo will do whatever he says. Iago's reasons as to why he would offer to break up Othello and Desdemona's marriage include that he is outraged that Othello has promoted Casillo over him and that he suspects that Othello has slept with his wife Emilia ( 1203). This is the driving factor behind Iago's deceitful actions in the play. In Act II of Othello the characters all travel... middle of paper... despite knowing it. Iago does not have to make much effort to manipulate Othello and act so that Othello is consumed by jealousy. Othello is now in this mindset of thinking what Iago wants him to think, completely ignoring the truth and his own opinions. With very little evidence Othello is filled with jealousy. From this point on, the characters tear themselves apart and destroy each other because of Iago's lies. The reader can foresee the disastrous inevitable ending that is coming. It is only at the end, after jealousy is the weapon that kills Desdemona, Othello gives his last speech after killing himself, and Emilia is killed by her husband, that everyone realizes how foolish they have been. The characters have made each other victims of Iago's plan. Jealousy is the emotion that has overcome knowledge and truth leading to the death of the characters in the work.