In the drama Othello, the Moor of Venice, written by Shakespeare, many themes
are prevalent throughout the storyline. One of the most timeless themes that is used
in this play is that hatred is often based on preconceived notions. Though this is true of
Othello, the theme that humans may easily be prone to hatred towards others is
also shown in other works. In the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling and the classic
Disney movie Snow White, this theme of hatred is also portrayed. In Othello, the main
character Iago defines his hatred of Othello the Moor as “hearted” (I.iii.350). The
antagonists in each of these works develop a heartfelt hatred toward someone based
on pre-judgments and other notions of some character. The hatred that these antagonists
in these different works experience causes them to act irrationally so they themselves
may stand out. Hatred motivates characters to seek revenge against others and it leads
to sabotage and conflict in the plot.
In Othello, the antagonist Iago has hatred based on preconceived
notions towards many of the other characters, such as Cassio
and Othello. Iago hates Cassio because he received the position as Lieutenant,
the position to which Iago had hoped he would be promoted. On the other hand,
Iago’s hatred of Othello is rooted in several different reasons., Iago hates Othello based on the fact that he is a Moor; Iago calls Othello a “Barbary horse” to dehumanize him and show that he posseses no more dignity than that of an animal (I.i.110). Furthermore Iago despises Othello because of the rumor that he has “twixt sheets” with his wife Emilia. ( I.ii.367). Lastly, Iago abhors Othello for he is the one that favored Cassio for the position of Lieutenant rather than he. Iago’s hatred of Othello and Cassio caused him to hatch a plan to betray the two of them. By convincing Othello that his wife Desdemona was cheating on him with Cassio, Iago successfullywreaked havoc among the characters. Othello was angry with Desdemona for her rumored infidelity to him while Cassio, Othello’s beloved Lieutenant, was scorned by Othello for being a cheating,
deceiving liar. In the final act of the play, Othello was driven mad by all the
rumors and events that occurred because of Iago. Othello became so overcome with
all of the rumors, infidelity, and lies that he ended up killing himself. Iago’s initial
hatred towards Cassio and Othello motivated him to unleash his emotions in a
plot of revenge. Due to Iago’s hatred of these characters, much conflict arose and
Iago’s feelings had the power to influence the lives of the other characters in the play.
deceiving liar. In the final act of the play, Othello was driven mad by all the
rumors and events that occurred because of Iago. Othello became so overcome with
all of the rumors, infidelity, and lies that he ended up killing himself. Iago’s initial
hatred towards Cassio and Othello motivated him to unleash his emotions in a
plot of revenge. Due to Iago’s hatred of these characters, much conflict arose and
Iago’s feelings had the power to influence the lives of the other characters in the play.
Similar to Iago, the queen and antagonist in Snow White also
has intense feelings of hatred toward other characters. In this movie
she yearns to be the beautiful queen that is “the fairest of them all”
(Snow White). When the mirror on the wall says, “Roses are red: violets are
blue. The best-looking babe is someone else, not you,” she develops instant
hatred for the woman who is considered to be more beautiful than she
(Snow White). When the queen realizes that Snow White, her own step-daughter, is the one that is considered more attractive and appealing than herself, an intense feeling of hatred toward her step-daughter is engendered in her. The queen’s hatred for Snow White causes her to take action against her young beautiful step-daughter. The queen transforms herself as a witch and travels into the forest to find Snow White. She tracks down Snow White and then gives her a poisonous apple. The queen said that, “When she breaks the tender peel to taste the apple in my hand, her breath will still, her blood congeal. Then I'll be the fairest in the land” (Snow White). The queen
hated the fact that Snow White, with “perfect white skin, [and] no age spots”
was the most beautiful of all the land so she decided that killing her was the only
way to mend the situation (Snow White). The queen had been working on her image
so that she could claim the title “Fairest of them All,” and when it turned out that this
title was not bestowed upon her, she sought vengeance on innocent
Snow White (Snow White).
Here is a snippet of some of the script from Snow White: Click Here!
hated the fact that Snow White, with “perfect white skin, [and] no age spots”
was the most beautiful of all the land so she decided that killing her was the only
way to mend the situation (Snow White). The queen had been working on her image
so that she could claim the title “Fairest of them All,” and when it turned out that this
title was not bestowed upon her, she sought vengeance on innocent
Snow White (Snow White).
Here is a snippet of some of the script from Snow White: Click Here!
Lastly, in Harry Potter, one of the antagonists of the novels, Severus
Snape, has strong feelings of hatred toward Harry Potter. Throughout the Harry
Potter series, Snape regards Harry as incompetent, precisely like his own father.
Snape often gives Harry detention for anything from roaming the corridors to making
a mistake while concocting a potion in Snape’s class. In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood
Prince, Snape goes on a rant about his hatred for the boy in which he says: "Of course,
it became apparent to me very quickly that he had no extraordinary talent at all. He has
fought his way out of a number of tight corners by a simple combination of sheer luck and
more talented friends. He is mediocre to the last degree, though as obnoxious and
self-satisfied as was his father before him. I have done my utmost to have him thrown
out of Hogwarts, where I believe he scarcely belongs.” (Rowling, J.K.). It is obvious that
Snape despises Harry’s presence, actions, and abilities. Snape’s hate for Harry is often
misunderstood and it does not become clear as to why he truly hates Harry until the
final book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, reveals the true reasons for Snape’s hatred for Harry. In the seventh book of the series, Snape’s memories show that he hates Harry based on the fact that he is James Potter’s son. James Potter was severely hated by Snape because he stole Lily Potter from him, Harry’s mother, whom Snape fell in love with at a very young age. Knowing that Harry was the son of the selfish, pompous, conceited James Potter, Snape inflicted feelings of hatred on Harry all of his years at Hogwarts. Antagonists often will be led to exert their power over others by means of hatred, one of the strongest human emotions. Severus Snape allowed hatred to control
his actions and feelings toward Harry, and unfortunately hatred tends to cause humans
to destroy relationships with others. Hatred based on preconceived notions is a theme
that will remain present in humankind until the end of time.
his actions and feelings toward Harry, and unfortunately hatred tends to cause humans
to destroy relationships with others. Hatred based on preconceived notions is a theme
that will remain present in humankind until the end of time.
Snape's story
Works Cited:
Rowling, J. K., and Mary GrandPré. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. New York, NY: Arthur A. Levine, 2005. Print.
Snow White. Dir. RKO Radio Pictures. Disney, 1937. Videocassette.
Perrine, Laurence. “Othello.” Perrine’s Literature: Structures, Sound, and Sense. Fort Worth.
Harcourt College. 2002. 1361-1462. Print.
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