HISTORICISING THE MONSTROSITY OF JEALOUSY IN OTHELLO AND THE WINTER’S TALE

Abstract

This article historicises the monstrosity of the passion of jealousy and situates it in its early modern cultural context with special reference to Othello and The Winter’s Tale; hence, the study is separate from the pure discussion of the nature or causes of jealousy. The cultural effects of the Reformation and the Renaissance and the abundant availability of literature, both original and in translations, inspired Shakespeare to portray the monstrosity of jealousy with all its early modern character. Most of such literature retained a strong influence from the classical antiquity. Moreover, the patriarchal standards of the period and residual elements of the shame culture rendered jealousy such a strong inflammability that it could, in early modern culture, “Burn like the mines of sulphur” (Othello: III.3.323).i The study contextualises and historicises the monstrosity of the passion of jealousy in the chosen plays and concludes that jealousy in Shakespeare’s society was regarded as a complex male-oriented malady, accompanied by monstrosity of violent passions capable of wreaking havoc in the family life of the victim. Shakespeare portrays Othello and Leontes as the epitome of this monstrous passion as was known to the people, the intelligentsia and the stage-goer which gave it an axiomatic status