Othello and Macbeth Show Evil?

Someone once wrote, “In literature, evil often triumphs but never conquers.” Evil often reaches a point of satisfaction, but never takes over a situation. I agree with this statement. In the play Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, and in the play Othello, also by William Shakespeare, evil does not win in the end.

Taking place during the Middle Ages, mostly in Scotland, the tragedy Macbeth, illustrates how evil triumphs but does not conquer. After Macbeth is named the Thane of Cawdor, he encounters the three witches and they tell him that he will be named king. Macbeth then writes a letter to his wife, Lady Macbeth, telling her the news. This is what triggers Lady Macbeth to be evil. She plans to kill King Duncan so that Macbeth can seize the crown. She has great determination toward her goals. She knows that she will have to push Macbeth into committing this murder. At one point, she wishes that she were not a woman so that she could do it herself. This theme of the relationship between gender and power is essential to Lady Macbeth’s character. After the bloodshed of King Duncan begins, Lady Macbeth falls victim to guilt and madness to an immense degree. Her conscience affects her to such an extent that she eventually commits suicide. Even though Lady Macbeth triumphed because she succeeded in getting King Duncan killed, she did not conquer because that led to her committing suicide.

The tragedy Othello takes place in the late sixteenth century on the islands of Venice and Cyprus. Iago is the main character who exerts the evil in this play. The evil in his life starts when the general of the armies of Venice, who is Othello, assigns Cassio to be the ensign. This job of being assistant general is what Iago wants. His jealousy that leads him to become evil, triggers him to get revenge on Othello. This quintesinal villain creates a lie saying that Othello’s wife and true love, Desdemona, is having an affair with Cassio. The handkerchief in this play is a symbol of