Love, Desire & The Green-Eyed Monster: Writing Jealousy & Envy into Your Screenplay
- Natasha Langridge-Thorpe
- Jan 19
- 12 min read
Jealousy and envy are deeply uncomfortable emotions, sometimes hidden, and incredibly powerful in storytelling. Maybe you're scrolling through someone's social media feed, or you're watching someone succeed at something you've always wanted to achieve. Suddenly, there's a sharp sting in your chest. Perhaps you want to feel happy for them, but something darker bubbles up instead...
You find yourself comparing your life to theirs and wishing that things were different. However, remember that you're usually only seeing the good parts of someone's life. Particularly on social media, people intentionally post what they want you to see. The rejections, heartbreaks, or bad days rarely make it onto someone's highlight reel. If everyone had access to the full, unfiltered reality of each other's lives, then maybe we'd be less envious and a lot more empathetic.
In screenwriting, jealousy and envy can drive conflict, reveal vulnerability, and push characters to their limits. Writing these emotions believably takes more than a glare or a snide remark. It requires understanding what these feelings truly are, their root causes, and how they shape character choices.
Defining Jealousy VS. Envy
There's a lot of debate concerning the words 'jealousy' and 'envy'. Some people argue that these two words can be used interchangeably to mean the same thing. In contrast, others suggest that they have slightly different meanings depending on the context.
"Historical usage shows that both mean "covetous" and are interchangeable when describing desiring someone else's possessions. However, when referring to romantic feelings, only jealous can be used to mean "possessively suspicious," as in "a jealous husband." - Merriam Webster
By this definition, both words can be used when referring to someone's possessions. However, only 'jealous' is used in a romantic context. In this sense, you could use jealousy to describe how you would feel if you suspected your partner of infidelity or feared that they have feelings for someone else.
According to the Dictionary, the distinction between jealousy and envy depends on the amount of negativity. For example, jealousy focuses more on feeling resentful towards another person. Envy focuses more on the feeling of desire towards something that you don't have.
"Jealousy and envy both involve a feeling of desire for what another person has, but jealousy is usually thought to be more negative—it often involves resentment toward the other person. Envy is also a negative feeling—like a mix of admiration and discontent—but the word doesn’t usually imply hostility. Another difference is that envy can be used as both a noun and a verb." - Dictionary.com
For years, I thought that envy was the 'more negative' one out of the two since it's famously considered one of the seven deadly sins. However, several sources describe jealousy as a more intense emotion compared to envy. This video by Daybreak English highlights the key differences between jealousy and envy:
For this post, I'm going to be focusing on these two specific definitions of jealousy and envy:
Jealousy: Mostly used in a romantic context. It focuses more on negative emotions towards a specific person. It also involves feeling threatened that someone could take something you already have, like a relationship, away from you.
Example: "I'm jealous of my partner's relationship with their co-worker." = You're already in a relationship with your partner, but you're afraid that they could develop feelings for somebody else.
Envy: Wanting something that someone else has, which you either don’t have or believe you lack.
Example: "I'm so envious of their holiday to New York." = New York is the thing that you desire.
Although jealousy and envy have distinct meanings, they can occur simultaneously. For example, you might envy someone's wealth or belongings, such as a new car. At the same time, you could feel jealous if this person is flirting with your partner, worried that your partner might leave you for them.
For screenwriters, it's vital to understand the distinction between jealousy and envy because they create different emotional dynamics. These emotions also influence characters' behaviours and drive unique kinds of conflict.
Jealousy
How to Write Jealousy on Screen
Establish the thing that the character fears losing
The audience should understand the emotional stakes of what the characters fear losing. This will make the jealousy appear more emotionally grounded in reality. You can showcase this fear through private moments of tenderness between characters or by showing routines that feel intimate.
For example, Character A could be someone who is usually closed off and only displays their vulnerability towards their partner, Character C. When Character B starts to flirt with Character C, the audience already has an idea that Character A will fear losing their partner. This will help the audience understand why jealousy hits these characters so hard. Without establishing what the character fears losing, the jealousy can come across as irrational, unrealistic, or petty.
Introduce a credible opposition that activates this fear
The opposing person doesn't have to be inherently evil or malicious in nature. However, they need to be a plausible threat. To demonstrate that this person poses a threat to the protagonist, you could give them a personality trait that the protagonist is insecure about. Perhaps Character C encourages their partner, Character A, to speak more in front of large crowds. Whereas Character B is a social butterfly who finds it easy to talk to anyone, especially Character C.
A character could even be praised in ways that highlight the protagonist's flaws. Character C could comment on how confident Character B is. They could even suggest to Character A that they should be more like them. This immediately creates a direct comparison and a sense of tension. The audience could begin to worry that Character C will prefer Character B to their current partner, Character A.
Show how jealousy warps perception
A jealous character within a story often shifts from insecurity and suspicion to protective, or sometimes even possessive behaviour. You can show this shift through different actions. A character could read too much into neutral gestures, such as a laugh or a compliment. They could even start watching their partner and the opposition more closely. This could then escalate into interpreting silences as secret communication and becoming overly alert to changes in tone or routine.
Character A could constantly ask Character C who they're texting or interrupt conversations between Characters C and B. This behaviour could even progress into the jealous party creating scenarios to test their partner's loyalty, such as creating a fake dating profile. This progression could show Character A getting more paranoid about losing their partner, adding to the emotional pressure of the story.
Let jealousy drive action
If a character is jealous, then they're more likely to do anything they can to preserve their relationship. The jealous character could happen to show up in places where they know their partner will be. They could interrupt private moments with their opposition and do everything they can to outshine them.
Character A could push Character C towards commitments or reassurance. Despite not wanting to get married before, Character A has become so paranoid that they pressure Character C into proposing. A jealous character could even attempt to sabotage others in comedic or dramatic ways.
These actions should focus on the prevention of loss. A jealous person is ultimately acting out of fear, desperate to hold onto something they believe is slipping away.
Example of Jealousy on Screen
In Beauty and the Beast (1991), the audience recognises that Gaston has romantic feelings for Belle due to his confident and self-assured proposal. However, it quickly becomes clear that Belle does not reciprocate these feelings. Even without Belle verbally rejecting him at first, her uncomfortable body language and annoyed facial expressions when she sees him at the door speaks volumes.
Gaston shows that he is afraid of losing Belle by doing whatever it takes to force her into marrying him. After being rejected, he is clearly hurt. However, instead of respecting Belle's feelings, his behaviour reveals his jealousy and desire for control:
"My heart is set on marrying Belle, but she needs a little...persuasion" - Gaston
His words imply that he sees Belle as a prize to be won, rather than a person with her own choices. The word 'persuasion' suggests manipulation, rather than genuine affection.
Gaston's jealousy escalates because he is still deeply attracted to Belle, even though he doesn't genuinely love her. When he threatens to have her father sent to an asylum unless she agrees to marry him, he proves that his attraction is rooted in control rather than care. He knows that she would do anything to protect her father, and he exploits this vulnerability to force her compliance. Instead of valuing Belle's happiness, he prioritises his pride and sense of entitlement. This shows that his feelings are rooted in jealousy and possessiveness rather than love.
When Gaston initiates his plan, Belle is quick to defend the Beast. She describes him as "kind", "gentle", and "my friend". As she talks about the Beast, Gaston starts to look agitated and says, "If I didn't know better, I'd think you had feelings for this monster". Belle doesn't deny having feelings for him, and she is quick to call Gaston the real 'monster' in this situation. This only aggravates him more as he believes that Belle should belong to him. Now he feels threatened by the Beast, and his jealousy quickly turns into aggression as he seeks to kill him.
When Gaston confronts the Beast, it becomes evident that Belle's positive words about him have stayed in his mind. This highlights how threatened he feels by their relationship. He initially mocks the Beast by repeating Belle's description, saying, "Too kind and gentle to fight back?" This sarcastic tone suggests that Gaston is attempting to belittle the Beast to reassure himself of his own superiority. However, the fact that he repeats Belle's words shows that her admiration for the Beast has negatively affected him.
As the fight continues, Gaston's jealousy becomes even more explicit through his dialogue. When he says, "Were you in love with her, Beast? Did you honestly think she'd want you when she had someone like me?", he directly compares himself to the Beast. This reveals his insecurity and fear of being replaced. His use of rhetorical questions emphasises his need to assert dominance and mask his jealousy with arrogance.
Furthermore, when Gaston declares, "Belle is mine!" it demonstrates his possessive attitude towards her. Rather than acknowledging her right to choose, he treats her as an object he owns. This reinforces the idea that his actions throughout the story are driven by jealousy and his belief that he has a rightful claim over her.
Envy
How to Write Envy on Screen
Make the desired thing emotionally valuable
We've established that envy is about wanting something that someone else has. Therefore, it's vital to make it clear what the envious character wants but doesn't have. This could be money, a valuable object or a skill.
A character’s envy only resonates with an audience when the value of the desired object or experience is clearly established. By granting the contrasting character a moment of fulfilment or advantage beforehand, the narrative clarifies what the envious character is missing, making their reaction more meaningful.
For instance, Character A is living the lifestyle that Character B dreams about. Perhaps Character A has been given an opportunity that Character B has never received. No matter what the desire is, it's important to give it emotional weight. It should represent something deeper. For example, someone could crave validation, security, or power.
Use contrast and comparison
Focus on Character B's emotional reaction to Character A's moment of glory. They feel inadequate by comparison. Character B could express this through subtle gestures, such as a faltering smile or looking down while biting their lip. Cutting between the envied person's success and the other character's stagnation can help the audience truly feel the envy, instead of being told about it.
By highlighting this contrast visually, you don't need to rely on dialogue to explain the envy. The audience should already feel the disparity based on what you are showing them.
Let envy reshape how the character sees themselves
Envy can influence how you perceive yourself. Before a character starts making bold decisions, show how envy has affected their self-perception. For example, they could begin to doubt their abilities or attempt to copy the envied person. A character could fixate on their flaws or become hypersensitive to praise directed at others.
A character who envies someone else rarely thinks of themselves as a "bad person". Instead, they're more likely to think "I'm not enough" or "I'll never be like them". These beliefs can start to dictate their choices throughout the story. For instance, a character might behave in a certain way that differs from how they usually act. They could manipulate others or go on a long journey to reach what they desire.
Show how envy escalates throughout the story
Envy often starts as discomfort. For example, Character B feels a sting when Character A succeeds at something that they wanted to achieve. Then they long to have that same success, attention, or status. This leads to fixation, where Character B can't stop comparing themselves to Character A. They can't stop watching everything that Character A does, and constantly keep tabs on them.
Envy has propelled this character towards a dramatic turning point. Now they've reached the final stage when they decide to take action. A story with a lighter tone could portray this character embarking on a journey of self-improvement, fueled by insecurity. However, another story could showcase moments of subtle sabotage or passive-aggressive behaviour. The envious character could even resort to trying to steal the thing that they lack.
At the end of the story, it's crucial to show whether this envy leads to growth or self-destruction. For instance, Character B could lose their identity by trying to be a carbon copy of Character A. On the other hand, they could use envy as a catalyst to develop their own identity and make choices that come from authenticity, not insecurity.
Example of Envy on Screen
Throughout Cinderella (1950), the stepmother and stepsisters are envious of Cinderella's beauty, grace, and the attention that she attracts. As the story progresses, their envy grows, especially when Cinderella captures the Prince's attention.
Cinderella is naturally beautiful and carries herself with elegance. In contrast, the stepmother and stepsisters lack these qualities. They crave the admiration that she receives from the Prince and others at the royal ball. Her stepsisters attempt to outshine her by wearing over-the-top outfits and makeup, mocking her for being "plain". However, their mockery masks a deeper envy of Cinderella's effortless charm and poise.
Despite being mistreated, Cindrella remains kind with a hopeful outlook on life. Her stepfamily envies this inner strength because it brings her a sense of peace that they don't have. Their inability to match her character drives them to lash out and attempt to break her spirit.
A key moment that displays the stepsisters' envy is when Cinderella is dressed in a gown for the royal ball. The stepsisters, clearly threatened by her appearance, beg their mother not to let her go. The dress, which originally belonged to Cindrella's mother, has been remade using items that the sisters discarded earlier. The stepmother manipulates the situation by pointing out these items to her daughters. The sisters start acting like the items are valuable to them now. They don't necessarily want the items back, but they know that Cinderella's beauty will command attention from others. The attention that they want for themselves. Their envy causes them to ruin her dress, taking away Cinderella's chance to go to the ball.
The fact that the original dress belonged to Cinderella's mother adds to the emotional weight of this scene. Its destruction represents not just the loss of a beautiful gown, but the deeper personal wound. It's the loss of family connection and self-worth.
Later, the stepsisters are angry when the Prince chooses Cinderella at the ball. It could be argued that they're jealous of her relationship with the Prince. This would be true if either of the sisters were in love with him. However, they seem far more interested in his status as a royal rather than in him as a person.
Unlike Gaston's attraction to Belle in Beauty and the Beast (1991), the Prince could be anyone, and the stepsisters would still fight for his attention. Not because they love him, but because of what he can provide. For example, royal status, money, and power.
When Cinderella leaves behind her glass slipper, the Prince searches for the woman whose foot will fit into it. When the stepmother realises that the Prince is looking for Cinderella, she sabotages her chance by locking her away in the attic. Her envy also compels her to lie to the King's advisor about not having any other daughters. She believes that her biological daughters are more deserving of attention and status, even though neither of them can fit into the slipper.
The stepmother and stepsisters see Cinderella as a reflection of everything they lack and everything that they wish they were. Their mistreatment of her is not simply cruelty. It's a reaction to their own perceived inadequacies.
When the Green-Eyed Monster Strikes
Understanding how to portray jealousy and envy in your stories can help you create emotionally charged, realistic conflict. Exploring these emotions authentically also allows you to develop deeper, more relatable characters whose complex motivations push them towards meaningful growth or destruction.
Since jealousy and envy are such universal human feelings, acknowledging them in your writing can showcase moments of vulnerability. This can lead to a powerful emotional connection where people can empathise and confront the green-eyed monster within themselves.
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