The play Othello by Shakespeare is in essence, a play about power; it examines the different ways in which power can

manifest itself. Power is represented through Iagos control of language, the power of love, the power held by those of a different gender and social caste and also perhaps the most important point within the play, the power of jealousy. This is perhaps because, to this very day, jealousy is still an inherent element of our society as are the other elements of this play such as the power of love. Since the play very much focuses on the power of jealousy through Othellos jealousy about Desdemonas infidelity, we can understand that the play is basically about power. The power of jealousy, of love and of language has allowed this play to still be relevant to society to this very day by providing a common basis of human conditions upon which we can relate to. It is the power of jealousy which ultimately brings forth the downfall of Othello by providing a means by which Iago can pour the pestilence into Othellos ears. Othello is rendered entirely powerless as he is slowly reduced from an eloquent, well-spoken man to one driven by jealousy and rage at Desdemonas supposed infidelity towards him. The poison of jealousy can be seen to take hold of Othello through the degradation of his language up to the point where his speech becomes muddled and unsophisticated in Scene IV Act I where he constantly contradicts himself by calling Desdemona A fine woman, a fair woman, a sweet woman, then going on to say that he wants her dead. It is through this jealousy that Iago is able to manipulate Othello into thinking that Desdemona is unfaithful to him, thereby making jealousy a power that Iago holds over Othello. This power is physicalized through the use of the handkerchief which Othello gave to Desdemona. By having the handkerchief, he is able to further fuel the fires of jealousy within Othello by using it as proof of Desdemonas infidelity. The handkerchief is thereby viewed by Othello as a physical representation of Desdemona herself and therefore, the loss of her chastity when it was discovered in the hands of a prostitute. In addition to jealousy causing the downfall of Othello, the power of love also attributed to this by causing Othello to be able to hate as much as he had loved. Othello loved Desdemona so much that he was blinded with rage when Iago planted the seeds of suspicion within his head that Desdemona was being unfaithful towards him that all the love he had for Desdemona turned into hate. This is shown in Othellos Swan Song near the end of the play where he admits that he lov'd not wisely but too well. It is in this last speech that he once again becomes clear and eloquent in his manner of speaking once again showing that once the curtain of jealousy that Iago has placed over his eyes has been lifted, all that remains is love for Desdemona. In fact, Othello still shows his love for Desdemona even as he is preparing to kill her, So Sweet was neer so fatal, where he refers to how his own kisses are full of love for Desdemona and yet at the same time, an overture to her death. The power of language is also another important element of this play where it is used by Iago to manipulate all the other characters to complete his own hidden agenda, by holding the power of language along with the ability to use it to manipulate the jealousy within

Roderigo, Brabantio and Othello is what has enabled Iago to complete his means. Through his long eloquent dialogues with various characters such as during Act I Scene I-II where he demonstrates his ability to switch between prose and verse along with manipulating Brabantio without revealing his identity, Shakespeare has portrayed Iago as being a very slick and witty individual whom is more capable in duelling with his mouth than with a sword. Iago also makes constant references to plants and biology in his dialogue, Our bodies are our gardens, which can be viewed as Shakespeares attempt to portray him as a horticulturist planting the seeds of doubt and jealousy within the mind of Othello. This relates back to the power of language as throughout the book, as Iagos hold over Othello increases, the references to plants become more and more sinister eventually ending up as poison, The Moor already changes with my poison. The poison motif can also be seen as a metaphor for jealousy, which Iago has poisoned Othello with causing him to turn his love into jealousy at Desdemonas supposed infidelity. Over the course of the play, the introducer of the poison shifts from Iago to Othello as he proposes that Iago fetch some poison with which to kill Desdemona. This can be seen as a representation of Othello becoming more and more jealous as the Seeds began to take root inside his mind. In conclusion, the play Othello is very much one about power and the lack thereof as is represented through the themes of jealousy, love and language. It warns us against certain traps such as jealousy and is still relevant to a modern audience because Shakespeare writes about basic human behaviour which has remained unchanged throughout the centuries since Othello was first written. It teaches us of the power of love and therefore, the potential for hate and it warns us about the dangers of being too honest and nave. Othello is, in the end, a play about the interplay of various forms of power.

By Liang Chen