Love, hate, and violence are all emotions that are experienced by people at one or more times during their lifetime. Othello by William Shakespeare and "What We Talk about When We Talk about Love" by Raymond Carver are stories in which love, hate and violence fulfill an important role among the relationships between characters. Though the emotions of love and hate are considered opposites it is possible for each to bring about violence. In Shakespeare's Othello love leads to hate and hate leads eventually to violence. There are many love relationships in Othello. Othello loves Desdemona, Cassio, and he even loves Iago. Emilia loves her husband Iago. Each of these relationships develops into hate and eventually into violence. Shakespeare makes the characters think that love will bring them happiness, but in the end it brings them the most suffering and the most pain. One of the central themes of this play, because there are many, is romantic love. Iago sees love as only being lust but to the others it is much more.
             In "What We Talk about When We Talk about Love," Terri and Mel both experience violence in their previous relationships. In Terri's relationship with Ed love provokes the violence, while in Mel's relationship with Marjorie love shifts to hate and then becomes emotional violence. Mel thinks about it but does not act on his thoughts of violence. The theme of this story is also love, but it about all the different types of love. The characters talk of spiritual, platonic, romantic, carnal, and even possessive love. Both Othello and "What We Talk about When We Talk about Love," have relationships of love and hate, and violence emerges from both emotions.
             Othello feels love for many people in the beginning of the play. He loves his new bride Desdemona greatly. "But I love the gentle Desdemona" (Othello 1. 2. 26). Othello feels a brotherly love towards hi...