Shakespeare's Othello is about the jealousy of one man, not Othello, but Iago. Iago's jealousy of anyone who gets anything that seems better than that which he gets himself which is the driving force of the play. Iago's own jealousy which enables him to provoke the same feeling in others, to use them to his own advantage, or at least to their disadvantage, which to him acting devilish and without conscience seems the same. .
As early as the first scene of the play Iago claims motivation for his actions. In this first scene we see Othello, a general of Venice, has made Cassio his new lieutenant. Iago feels he truly deserves his promotion as he says, "I know my price, I am worth more no worse a place" (1.1.12). At the end of act 1 scene 3, Iago says he thinks Othello may have slept with his wife, Emilia: "It is thought abroad that 'twixt my sheets he has done my office" (1.3.429-430). However, none of these assertions seem to adequately explain Iago's deep hatred of Othello. A reader could notice how Iago seems to take great pleasure in preventing Othello from enjoying marital happiness. Cassio's drunken brawl with Rodrigo and Montano in Act II, scene iii interrupts Othello Desdemona for the second time. Then, when Othello demands to know what happened, Iago strangely explains the calamity by comparing the party to a "bride and groom divesting them for bed" (2.3.192-3). Perhaps Iago's true motive for screwing Othello is his homosexual love for the general. In addition to disrupting Othello's marriage, he expresses his love for Othello frequently and effusively, and he seems to hate women in general. His low view of women is seen when he states, "You rise to play and go to bed to work" (2.1.128) and his disgust with heterosexual love is evident throughout such as, "an old black ram is tupping you white ewe" (1.1.97-98). Later, he vows himself to Othello and mocks marriage: "Witness that here, Iago doth give up the execution of his wit, hands, heart to wronged Othello's service" (3.
