Imagine you’re in high school, sitting in class when your friend shows you something on his phone. You look at the screen and see another classmate’s Instagram post. At the bottom of the screen, you see a small text, reading liked by your girlfriend and 11 others. “What’s up with this?” your friend laughs. You feel a rush of embarrassment, but before you can answer, the bell rings and class starts. You don’t think much of it at the time, but as your day continues, it’s all you can think about. Why did she like his post? Is she flirting with him? It’s small things like these that can erode a relationship over time, similar to what we see in Shakespeare’s Othello.
Something as little as doubt can turn into something bigger when fed a constant diet of jealousy. In Othello, Othello loves his wife completely, but once Iago seeds just the smallest bit of doubt in Othello’s mind it enables the evil growth of jealousy to take hold of Othello’s mind and heart. Iago explains all of the things he’s seen, Cassio’s dream, and the handkerchief, he even sets up a conversation with Cassio where he talks degradingly of Desdemona. This is Othello’s turning point, he’s experiencing a whirlwind of emotions, grief, anger, despair, and uncertainty. He still loves her at this point in the story, but he’s slowly being convinced of Desdemona’s infidelity.
While all of this is happening, Othello never thinks to actually communicate with Desdemona. Instead, he lashes out at her, hitting her right in front of Lodovico. Later that night, he confronts his wife, asking her for the handkerchief to prove her love to him. When she can’t find it, Othello completely derails in a fit of rage. To Othello, Desdemona’s disregard for his gift signifies the carelessness with which she treats their relationship. Desdemona pleads that she has it, just not right then, but it’s of no use. Othello doesn’t care about any of her excuses because he has already made up his mind. Iago already told him that Casio had the handkerchief, but Othello asks Desdemona regardless, to further the narrative in his head.
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In more modern times, a lack of trust in relationships is still prevalent, if not more. Nicky Lidbetter, the CEO of Anxiety UK, asserted,
We see attention from social media as a form of validation. When people notice these meaningless forms of interaction, they use them to fuel the preconceived notions they have about others. This is the same mindset that Othello had when questioning Desdemona.
When it comes to our significant other liking another person’s posts, especially if they’re of the opposite sex, it can harbor feelings of jealousy and resentment. Some may even take it a step further and claim it’s a form of cheating. As seen in this Tiktok, by Casiah West, where she details how people can show blatant disrespect to their partners by liking others’ posts. This stems from a lack of trust and communication in a relationship, like the one we see with Othello and Desdemona. Like social media, Iago was the catalyst for their relationship’s demise, as his continuous lies added fuel to the fire. The gossip that Iago told could destroy the strongest of relationships, even now.
So now you walk home, still thinking about what your friend showed you. The same thoughts tangle themselves in your mind, but this time, confirmed by what you’ve seen. She’s been cheating on me this whole time, hasn’t she? You decide enough was enough, you make a stop at her house and knock on the door. Your girlfriend opens the door, bewildered. You pull up the post on your phone, showing it to her.
“Have you been two-timing me with this guy on Instagram?!” You blurt out. Her eyes widen, bursting with tears as she laughs,
“Ew! That’s my cousin, I would never!” You felt the rush of anger leave your body, as you begin laughing too.
“I’m sorry for jumping to conclusions, I should have trusted you.” She steps closer and kisses you on the cheek before inviting you in.
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