Shakespeare's Treatment of Sexual Jealousy in Developing the Storyline in Othello

The stage play Othello is a masterpiece by William Shakespeare that revolves around the theme of sexual jealousy which functions as the protagonist Othello's hamartia in the play. This study analyses Shakespeare's treatment of sexual jealousy in the development of the plot while articulating its behaviour as a tragic flaw responsible for the protagonist's downfall. The study involves a literary analysis of the play with reference to a body of related secondary sources from the psychological perspective of metaphor. It is clear that Shakespeare metaphorically demonstrates sexual jealousy as a green-eyed monster that feeds upon itself destroying both its provoker Iago the villain as well as its victims Othello the lover and Desdemona the beautiful in the protagonist roles, and moreover, Roderigo whom Iago manipulates to kill Cassio whom he considers to be a potential threat to his designation in the Venetian army.