Othello Act III

Othello: "Excellent wretch! Perdition catch my soul/ But I do love thee! And when I love thee not,/ Chaos is come again." III.iii.91-93

As the play progresses, the themes become more evident as Iago's plans are put into action. He has carefully manipulated the players, pushing them to react with hatred and jealousy towards one another. Iago's motivation is jealousy towards Cassio for the position of lieutenant. Iago has seniority over Cassio, but Cassio was chosen based on popularity. Anger and hatred fuel Iago's plans, causing him to hurt Cassio and Othello. He includes Roderigo in his plans to provoke the other characters, using Roderigo's love for Desdemona as leverage. Roderigo is jealous of Othello for marrying Desdemona, and his love for her makes him act out and follow Iago. Othello seems to grow increasingly jealous and angry as he begins to suspect that Cassio and Desdemona are having an affair. These strong emotions often lead to intense drama, and that is the case as these characters prepare to clash with one another. Also, being motivated by passions such as love, anger, and jealousy can have disastrous consequences, and that is what Iago is hoping for.