Jealousy is the green-eyed monster Why Should I Care

Why Should I Care?

Othello is probably the most famous literary work that focuses on the dangers of jealousy. And this is the most famous phrase featuring jealous in our culture. So we're going to go out on a limb and say this quote is pretty key.

So what is it about jealousy that turns us into green, flesh-eating, fire-breathing monsters?

Well, this whole play tries to answer that question. It shows us how jealousy can be fueled by mere circumstantial evidence, or even just an unfounded accusation. When you thrown jealousy into the mix, lives get destroyed. The hero (that would be Othello) succumbs to jealousy when Iago convinces him that Desdemona has been an unfaithful wife. In the end, Othello murders his wife and then kills himself, all because Iago fanned the envy flames.

Let's face it: when people are jealous, they do crazy things. A man killing his wife over her having an affair sounds like something you'd hear on the news, not something in a 400-year-old play. But that's the thing about this quote. It's still just as relevant as when it was first said. We think that's something to care about.