Othello and Leontes’ Extreme Jealousy Both Leontes and Othello suspected their wives of sexual infidelity which caused them to react in a way where they would destroy their family and political status. Both Leontes and Othello had a fatal flaw which was jealousy. Othello was a hero that became a villain caused by the manipulation of Iago. Othello was brought down by Iago’s evil scheme that caused him to go out of control which led to the death of Desdemona over pure jealousy. He believed the evil Iago that his wife had been unfaithful to him. Iago convinces Othello that Desdemona cheated on him. He made up stories about Cassio talking in his sleep, and mentioned that he had the handkerchief that Othello gave to Desdemona.Othello was…show more content… Iago tells Othello "I saw my handkerchief in his (Cassio's) hand." act 4 scene 2. Othello believed Desdemona was guilty for cheating on him and wanted Cassio dead as a revenge for their “affair”. Othello was emotionally unstable, which meant that Iago’s scheme was working and it was quite easy for him to deceive Othello. Iago manipulated him and said “My lord, you know I love you.” in act 3 scene 3. Iago’s plan worked because Othello believed everything he said about Desdemona. Othello would believe Iago because in his eyes Iago was an honest man in act 2 scene 3. Othello lossed his trust he had for Desdemona which became a murder suicide situation after finding out the truth that he was being manipulated by Iago. In act 5 scene 2,“I kissed thee ere I killed thee. No way but this, Killing myself, to die upon a kiss.” was Othello’s last words, which showed his regret that he made because of a false story that caused him to make a decision because he was overly jealous and angry. When Desdemona was alive, he never got the chance to show how much he loved her with his gestures. Eventually, his jealousy killed Desdemona, and he kissed Desdemona like he never did before to show how much he loved her…show more content… Most critics have assumed that Leontes is in a normal state of mind when this scene begins that he suddenly becomes jealous when Hermione persuades Polixenes, the visiting king, to remain longer in Sicily.” (The Inception of Leontes' Jealousy in The Winter's Tale, pp. 321) In the second play, King Leontes was his own Iago in a sense where he had created this jealousy in his mind about his wife having an affair with his best friend. With the jealousy he had about his wife, it drove him to persecute her for adultery and had doubts about the unborn child being his own. In act 1 scene 2, when Hermione gives her hand to Polixenes, King Leontes shouted out “Too hot, too hot! To mingle friendship far is mingling bloods.” Leontes was furious and extremely jealous. In act 1 scene 2, King Leontes asked his son, Mamillius, “Art thou my boy?”, apparently King Leontes was having doubts that he was the biological father of Mamillius too. In act 1 scene 2, King Leontes is convinced that his wife had cheated and said in a quote in reference to the military life. “ No barricado for a belly; know't; It will let in and out the enemy. With bag and baggage: many thousand on's, Have the disease, and feel't not. How now, boy!” King Leontes was saying that there was no defense for a belly and that he could not protect his wife from other enemy