Humans often learn by imitating others, which sometimes involves imitating others’ desires. However, this can be problematic because when two humans desire the same object, it can turn into conflict and violence, which can lead to destruction. According to Rob Wilson in “Othello: Jealousy as Mimetic Contagion”, “Desire is mimetic. It always focuses on some object already desired by the model, and it necessarily brings disharmony and rivalry…” (Wilson, 215). In other words, mimetic desire occurs when people see others possessing what they desire, and this can turn into rivalry. Jealousy caused by mimetic desires of the characters can be seen in William Shakespeare’s Othello, a play that centers around two conflicting, but similar characters: Iago, a deceptive, vengeful character, and Othello, an honorable but insecure soldier, who murders their wives. On the one hand, Iago is a jealous character who seeks Othello’s downfall, because he desires to have the Lieutenant position given to Cassio, as he feel he is entitled to it, and because he suspected that Othello slept with his wife, Emilia. On the other hand, Othello, an articulate, fearless, and honorable soldier, is jealous because he believes that another man desires the love of his wife, Desdemona. It is hard to determine why he is jealous because his actions are not based on what he claims he is jealous of for jealousy are not based. It could be reasonably contended that Iago possesses the traits of a manipulative villain, and Othello of an credulous victim, however, this surface level categorization fails to explore the complex relationship each character has with themselves and their identity. By examining how Iago is able to he use his jealousy to stir and fuel Othello’s actions, and how Othello, a dignified man transforms irrationally, and murders his wife, this paper will argue that Iago stirs the jealousy in Othello, however, Othello’s jealousy is exacerbated as a result of his insecurities with his identity, which ultimately leads to his downfall. This paper will do so by first comparing Iago’s true intentions >