| | However, the main story centers upon a plan by Iago, a lieutenant of Othello, to sabotage Othello's sterling reputation, and destroy his life, by making Othello believe that Desdemona has been unfaithful to him. Iago's desire to harm Othello emerges almost ''ex nihilo'' – [[Samuel Taylor Coleridge]] famously termed it "motiveless malignity" – and thus a main theme of the play is the "the destructive power of jealousy". This, combined with the minor themes of deception and love leads the viewer to the question, "What can make a man do evil things?", and what ''is'' evil? One of Shakespeare's greatest [[tragedy|tragedies]], the play's plot often forms the basis for cinematic "modernizations." | | However, the main story centers upon a plan by Iago, a lieutenant of Othello, to sabotage Othello's sterling reputation, and destroy his life, by making Othello believe that Desdemona has been unfaithful to him. Iago's desire to harm Othello emerges almost ''ex nihilo'' – [[Samuel Taylor Coleridge]] famously termed it "motiveless malignity" – and thus a main theme of the play is the "the destructive power of jealousy". This, combined with the minor themes of deception and love leads the viewer to the question, "What can make a man do evil things?", and what ''is'' evil? One of Shakespeare's greatest [[tragedy|tragedies]], the play's plot often forms the basis for cinematic "modernizations." |