Genre Cpmarison for the Movie and Shakespeare’s Play Othello

Genre Comparison

“O” & Othello

Many tend to use the words: jealousy and jealous, as a description of an attitude or emotion; but few actually knows the definitions of these words. To be jealous has to do with or arose from feelings of envy, apprehension, or bitterness. Jealousy is a jealous attitude or disposition. Jealousy is a very powerful emotion and has the potential to make people do various things. There is a statement for jealousy that states “jealousy kills”, although this was meant figuratively for the way that it can eat at someone mentally and emotionally. However “jealousy kills” can be very literal, in the cases of the movie “O” which is based off of the play Othello, by William Shakespeare. Both of these genres (stories) are clear evidence proving that jealousy truly does kill.

In the play Othello, by William Shakespeare, jealousy (figuratively) is the main character. For the fact that it plays a major role in the outcome of the play. William Shakespeare's Othello is a tragic play about deception, manipulation, and revenge. The main character, Othello, is a powerful black military man who wins the love of a white woman named Desdemona. Their devotion to each other seems ideal, and it appears that Desdemona would do anything for Othello, even if it meant withstanding ridicule. The love between Othello and Desdemona, however, will be horrifyingly hindered, for the immoral Iago has plans to destroy their affection, but especially to destroy Othello himself. Iago's primary goal was to get revenge on Othello for not promoting him to lieutenant. Iago is clever. Iago is evil. In the eyes of others he is ironically perceived as honest and trustworthy, but inside he is a sinister villain. Iago is able to manipulate the minds of people into performing actions that are advantageous to him. "Honest Iago" is like a disguised wolf in the flock of sheep that guilefully pounces on each victim. Iago does not merely seek retribution against Othello in one single step, but rather, he cautiously and cleverly manipulates several people to trap the Moor. Iago uses people as if they were pawns; and he positions each one carefully, making moves that will finally corner Othello. He uses people such as Roderigo, Cassio, and even his own wife Emilia.

In the movie “O”, Odin is a Black student and star on the basketball team at Palmetto Grove high school (where all the other students and faculty are white). He is in love with Desi, whose father is the Dean; they share a loving and intimate relationship. However, even as he pretends to be Odin's friend, Hugo, the coach's son, is intensely jealous of Odin. Odin gets the school's MVP trophy and he shares it with Michael, his "go to man," rather than with Hugo; and most crushing to Hugo is that his father, Coach Duke Goulding, “loves Odin like a son”. Hugo feels that Odin soars above the crowd and that he can literally fly both on and off the basketball court (which is why Hugo compares Odin to a Hawk; and later on in the movie states that he always wanted to fly like a hawk). He sees O as proud, powerful, and determined-he has it all. Hugo fits into the social scene but not