Othello Act IV

Lodovico: "Is this the noble Moor whom our full Senate/ Call all-in-all sufficient? This the nature/ Whom passion could not shake?..."
Iago: "He is much changed." IV.i.251-253

The themes of Othello were introduced early in the play and continued to be developed upon as the action and characters progressed. Now that Iago's plan grows with more and more people falling deeper into his manipulations, those themes become more prevalent. Othello becomes more convinced about Cassio and Desdemona's treachery and now set out to punish them. The themes of love, anger, and jealousy manifest in Othello's struggles with himself. He is furious about his wife's betrayal, but he struggles to overcome his love for her. His jealousy is caused by his love cheating on him with someone he used to trust, even though that is a lie. His jealousy morphed into hatred for the both of them, causing him to plot drastic punishments. The depth of these emotions lead to dramatic consequences, thus strengthening the themes. The message is that uncontrolled emotions, like anger, jealousy, and love, can lead to destruction and harm. Even though the themes are prevalent, the play is not too didactic because it does not solely rely on the themes to tell the story; the characters and action also advance the drama.