Othello Assignment #3

1. Which is more powerful/dangerous? Love or lust? What exactly do YOU BELIEVE is the difference (what qualifies as lust and what qualifies as love?)

I would say that love is more powerful than lust. It involves emotions other than just being sexually attracted to someone. For example love usually involves trusting others because the person who is doing the loving must first decide if he or she is willing to engage in relationship with the other person. Love is also the more powerful feeling because it can lead to feelings such as hate or jealousy which are usually viewed as feelings that people try to avoid.

2. Is it worse to love someone too strongly or not at all. Why?

It is worse to love someone not at all. To not know what could have been would eat at my conscience so badly. If I loved someone too strongly then I would regret that I did that but not as much as if I were too be apathetic.

3. Is it worse to be devoted/loved by somebody who loves you too strongly or not at all? Why?

It is worse to be devoted to someone who does not love you at all because it is a loveless relationship. Only one side will be devoted while the other side might not care about the relationship anymore.

4. Which is more powerful/dangerous? An idea or jealousy? Explain.

Jealously is more powerful in my opinion. It can drive people mad and blind them from the truth that lies right in front of them. For example in "Othello", Iago was jealous of the fact that Othello became the commander of the troops when he was a foreigner and Iago was a hometown boy. Iago clearly thought that he was more deserving and because he did not receive the promotion along with several other factors, he ultimately plots the destruction of Othello's reputation and life.

5. Which is more powerful/dangerous? Lust or desire? What is the difference? How can you tell?

Lust is more powerful than desire because in my opinion it means to have intense sexually attraction for another person. Desire has a similar meaning but it is not to the same degree that lust is. Also desire could be used to describe situations that do not involve having attraction for something else such as my desire to get an A in this class.