"Green Eyed Monster", meaning and context
シェイクスピアによる「緑の目の怪物」というフレーズの最も有名な使用は、『オセロ』です。(English) Shakespeare's most famous use of the phrase "the green-eyed monster" is in Othello.
"Green Eyed Monster", meaning and context
1)
Shakespeare's most famous use of the phrase "the green-eyed monster" is in Othello. In Act 3, Scene 3 of the play, Iago tries to manipulate Othello by suggesting that his wife, Desdemona, is having an affair. Iago plants the seed of jealousy in Othello's mind by saying:
"O beware, my lord, of jealousy;
It is the green-eyed monster that mocks the flesh it feeds on".
Shakespeare had previously used this idea in The Merchant of Venice, where Portia refers to "green-eyed jealousy" (Act 3, Scene 2).
2)
In Renaissance England, most emotions were associated with colours. Green was associated with envy and jealousy. Portia refers directly to 'green-eyed jealousy', and then, in the later play Othello, Shakespeare turns it into an even more visual idea, making it a monster, suggesting that it is powerful and dangerous. He adds the warning 'beware' to make it even more threatening.
And so, although the idea of jealousy being green was an everyday thing for the audience, Shakespeare has, as usual, taken something ordinary and turned it into the immortal idiomatic, highly visual phrase - 'green-eyed monster'.
3)
Today we still refer to emotions in terms of colour. We almost always associate envy with green. We say, 'I'm green with envy' rather than, 'I'm envious'. And when we say 'I'm green', everyone understands.
Associating other colours with emotions is still very much with us. When we are down, we may talk about feeling blue - and countless songs use this idea, including titles like 'It's Been a blue day', 'I've Got the Blues', 'Rhapsody in Blue' and so on. We might call a coward yellow, and the US military awards injured soldiers the Purple Heart in recognition of their courage, with purple being associated with courage. One of the most common colour associations is red and angry.
In Othello, the line "beware the green-eyed monster" is very important in the text. It's ironic because it's made under false pretences. We, the audience, know what Iago is doing, but Othello doesn't, so it heightens the dramatic irony at work in the play. It's uncomfortable for the audience because it puts them in the position of being conspirators in Iago's manipulation. We also watch with dismay as the other characters are confused and paralysed by the lies the 'honest' Iago tells them while we know the actual situation.
The green-eyed monster is another of Shakespeare's innumerable phrases that enrich our language.
A simple and concise synopsis of "Othello" and an easy-to-understand explanation of Shakespeare's works.
A)
"Othello is one of Shakespeare's four major tragedies.
In this article, I will briefly explain the plot of Shakespeare's "Othello".
B)
"Othello" Synopsis
"Othello" is a tragic love story between the hero Othello, a soldier in Venice, and his beautiful daughter Desdemona.
Othello and Desdemona marry against the objections of Desdemona's father, but their happy time ends.
Othello had an underling called Iago who trusted Othello, but Iago didn't think much of Othello.
Iago, who was jealous of Othello, used Iago's lieutenant, Cassio, to destroy Othello and spread Desdemona's fame.
When Othello hears rumours of Desdemona's infidelity, he becomes increasingly suspicious of her.
Iago also persuades Cassio's wife to join in the rumours, driving Othello to the point of no return.
Finally, Othello kills Desdemona by strangling her.
Othello blames himself for the truth of the rumours he heard from Cassio's wife after Desdemona's death.
And he lays his hands on himself, regretting his sin of not believing in his beloved wife.
And finally, he takes his own life.
C)
"Othello" characters
Othello: A Moor and Venetian soldier who marries the beautiful Desdemona.
Desdemona: A beautiful and intelligent woman. Becomes Othello's wife against her father's objections.
Iago: He hides his cunning and mean nature by pretending to be sincere to those around him.
Cassio: He has a wife called Emilia. Iago uses her because of her kind heart.
D)
The end of the rumour-mongering Othello
Othello, who believes the rumours more than his wife, learns the truth after killing his wife.
After killing Desdemona, Cassio's wife Emilia arrives and confesses that it was her husband, Iago, who spread the rumours about Desdemona.
When Othello learns the truth about Iago, he laments that he has killed his beloved Desdemona and takes his own life.
Othello should have trusted his beloved wife, Desdemona, more than anyone else.
Othello distrusted his wife and swallowed the unfounded rumours spread by his lieutenant, which led to his tragedy.
E)
Iago's end
Shakespeare complained that Cassio's existence "cannot survive by being good to the world alone".
Iago's innate storytelling skills seem to have succeeded in getting people to spread rumours, but he is later stabbed to death by Cassio.
Iago is an evil man who implicates many people, even planning to bury them without getting his hands dirty if their existence gets in the way.
He couldn't stop his jealousy of successful people, spread rumours, and was a villain who tried to get the people around him to take decisive action.
F)
The fear of rumours of going alone
"Othello" is a tragic tale of Iago's deliberate actions and rumours, but the horrors of the stories are still relevant today.
I'm sure everyone has had the experience of vaguely believing that a third party is telling them something they haven't seen or been told by the person themselves.
If Othello had not listened to Iago's story in the first place and believed in his beloved Desdemona, the tragedy would not have happened.
Or he wouldn't have believed rumours about things he hadn't seen or had no basis for.
Even if you think Shakespeare is a story from the past, some parts are surprisingly relevant to your personal life.
G)
This time I have briefly explained the synopsis of "Othello".
Even though it's a story from a long time ago, some scenes make me shudder.
Shakespeare is often avoided because it is difficult, but you will surely be hooked if you read other works with "Othello" as a trigger!
"Green Eyed Monster", Meaning and Context
https://nosweatshakespeare.com/quotes/famous/green-eyed-monster/