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Othello

by William Shakespeare

3.86 of 5 stars 3.86 · rating details · 136,397 ratings · 1,944 reviews

Folger Shakespeare Library

The world's leading center for Shakespeare studies

Each edition includes:

Freshly edited text based on the best early printed version of the play

Full explanatory notes conveniently placed on pages facing the text of the play

Scene-by-scene plot summaries

A key to famous lines and phrases

An introduction to reading Shakespeare's

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Paperback, 314 pages

Published December 23rd 2003 by Simon & Schuster (first published 1603)

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May 29, 2008 Madeline rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: shakespeare

Othello, abridged:

OTHELLO: I love my wife!

IAGO: She gave Cassio her handkerchief.

OTHELLO: OMG THAT CHEATING WHORE!

DESDEMONA: Hi honey!

OTHELLO: I KEEL YOU!

DESDEMONA: *dies*

EMILIA: Dude, what is WRONG with you?

OTHELLO: Huh?

IAGO: Yeah, I totally made that whole wife-is-cheating-on-you thing up. PUNK'D!

OTHELLO: OMG I KILLED MY WIFE FOR NO REASON! I KEEL MYSELF!

and...scene.

277 likes · like · see review

Apr 29, 2008 Joshua Parkinson rated it 5 of 5 stars

Will you, I pray, demand that demi-devil
Why he hath thus ensnared my soul and body?
-Othello, end of Act V

When I was about 9 years old, I put a healthy, live mouse into my parents' microwave oven. It was a summer day and I was all alone. I had this devilish feeling inside me. I knew it was wrong, but I had to do it. I grabbed a kitchen chair, dragged it across the floor, stood on it, opened the door, and threw the mouse in. Then I hit start.

At first it was no big deal. The light turned on inside,...more

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May 24, 2010 Greg rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: drama

Here is my copy of Othello with the felty suspicious looking fox bookmark that Karen made for my birthday:

He's protecting this book, and doesn't trust anyone!

Othello would have done well to be a little less trustworthy. Silly Moor.

A bunch of other reviews I noticed have pointed out that this is in some way a great study of sexual jealousy. I think this is an interesting reading of the play, and really more telling of the reader and his or her own feelings / history than the play itself. If this had been a play delving into the psyche and torment of someone in the throes of sexual jealousy would be more like taking Othello and sending making him behave more like Hamlet. I'd say that Othello isn't tormented by sexual jealousy, that would involve some kind of introspection on his part. It would involve a level of imagination that is remarkably absent in Othello. Othello's lack of imagination is one of the traits that allows Iago to manipulate him so perfectly. Othello would need to think to be tormented by jealousy, if he did this then there is a chance that the tragedy of this play would be averted, instead his only reaction is rage.

That isn't to say that the play isn't about jealousy, it is. That is the central motivating factor, but it's not the Jerry Springer who is sleeping with who and now we beat each other up for the viewers enjoyment type of jealousy, but a more subtle kind. It is Iago's jealousy of Cassio that propels the action, and sets into motion the destruction one expects in a Shakespearean tragedy. Iago is the character who suffers the torments of jealousy, because he can reflect on it and has the allowed himself to be so consumed by these feelings that he attempts to bring about the destruction of everyone around him so that everyone can suffer with him. It really should be his play, he's much more interesting than Othello, who reminds me more of one of those little cars from the 80's that you put a penny on the back of and then pulled back on and let them race off in a straight line. Maybe fun to watch, but not terribly interesting or surprising. Is that what I think of this play? No, I really liked it, I just think that there are much more interesting things going on then this review mentions or that saying it's a play about sexual jealousy; neither of which do much justice to the play. (less)

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Jul 29, 2012 Paul rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: true-crime

Interpolation in the original text recently discovered in the Bodleian Library, Oxford, England. Believed to be by Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford. I have rendered the non-Shakespearean text in bold :

OTHELLO
I have a salt and sorry rheum offends me;
Lend me thy handkerchief.

DESDEMONA
Here, my lord.

OTHELLO
That which I gave you.

DESDEMONA
I have it not about me.

OTHELLO
Not?

DESDEMONA
No, indeed, my lord.

OTHELLO
That is a fault. That handkerchief
Did an Egyptian to my mother give;
She was a charmer...more

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Jan 13, 2013 Adam Floridia rated it 4 of 5 stars

1/13/13 4 stars: Moore readings (get it?) inevitably = more appreciation of the irony drenching every line. This time an astute student inspired me to focus more on Desdemona's character than Iago or Othello's. What kind of women is she? She certainly is the seducer in the couple's relationship, and she willfully deceives her father. Until she becomes the accused, she talks back to Othello and exerts her will over him (too her detriment, she won't stop bugging him about Cassio). In the end, thou...more

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Aug 02, 2012 Jonathan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: plays, classic-literature, want

In my opinion, Othello focuses upon one of Shakespeare's great literary devices. The misunderstandings between characters fuel this intelligent plot and provide grounds for Shakespeare to tantalize his audience. We the reader (or the viewer) recognise that of course Desdemona is innocent and that Iago is the mischief maker in the plot. And so to build suspense Shakespeare dangles this information tantalisingly in front of our very noses.

The one problem I have with Othello is the nature of its c...more

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Jul 22, 2011 Alex rated it 5 of 5 stars

The white on black, the black on white
Explosive mix it makes, so easy to ignite
By jealousy venom, inserted drop by drop into suspicious mind,
And vicious fantasies force fatal spring of hate to wind
And there you go ... flame of rage
Burns out lives, while getting out of its mental cage

1. Memorable 5
2. Social Relevance 5
3. Informative 3
4. Originality 5
5. Thought Provoking 5
6. Expressiveness 5
7. Entertaining 3
8. Visualization 4
9. Sparks Emotion 5
10. Life Changing (Pivotal, crucial, determining,...more

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May 12, 2013 Esdaile rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: my-library, renaissance-drama

You need to be a certain age to understand and appreciate this drama of the ravages of jealousy, that "green eyed monster which doth mock the meat it feeds on". I disliked the character Othello when I first saw this play when I was about 14 but I was a couple of years too young to understand. Later, the play becomes harrowing. Two elements need to be taken into consideration to appreciate this play, no three-1)jealousy makes blind and turns a man or woman into a donkey, 2) we should never forget...more

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Feb 24, 2009 Paul Dinger rated it 5 of 5 stars

Iago thinks everyone is evil and to prove it he makes his friend Othello kill his wife. Why? If we knew, Iago wouldn't be so evil. A persistent theme through out the comedies is how is love proven and what is more important, friendship or love. Here these themes are deadly serious, and therein lies the tragedy. Othello does trust his friendship more than Desdomonia, if he didn't wouldn't he see thru this idiot plot? Much is made of Othello's skin color by critics, but really that is just a herri...more

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Dec 04, 2007 Robin rated it 1 of 5 stars

I loathe this play. Othello loves his wife and yet he doubts her by trusting Iago, who he knows is an unsavory fellow? Moron.

11 likes · like · see review

Nov 08, 2012 Kristen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, own, plays

Yeah, I've finally conquered my fear of Shakespeare . . . next up: dogs.

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Jan 18, 2009 Ayne Ray rated it 4 of 5 stars

Hands down the worst pillow fight in history.

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May 21, 2012 Jane rated it 4 of 5 stars

OMG WTF SO TRAGIC

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Mar 16, 2012 Riku Sayuj rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Everyone

Recommended to Riku by: Prof Neerja Pande

Shelves: reviews, favorites

I decided to start my mission to read all 38 of The Complete Plays of Shakespeare with Othello. It turned out to be a good decision to start with the New Cambridge edition.

I was considering this reading as an academic reading of the bard and it generally took me almost 3 hours of constant reading to get through one average sized (10-15 pages) scene! Even after reading every scene three times - once aloud and twice normally - I still never felt I had enough of it, and moved on to the next only du...more

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Apr 09, 2010 LeAnn rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Excellent wretch! Perdition catch my soul But I do love thee! and when I love thee not, Chaos is come again. -- Othello, Act 3, scene 3, 90–95

And in saying, Othello foreshadows the chaos that rapidly descends upon the players -- him most of all. As Othello's violent emotional storm continues to build to its climax, Iago stands in the eye directing it with the cool detachment of the sociopath. Othello's words also foreshadow his soul's doom -- "perdition catch my soul" -- when he fails to hold fa...more Excellent wretch! Perdition catch my soul But I do love thee! and when I love thee not, Chaos is come again. -- Othello, Act 3, scene 3, 90–95

And in saying, Othello foreshadows the chaos that rapidly descends upon the players -- him most of all. As Othello's violent emotional storm continues to build to its climax, Iago stands in the eye directing it with the cool detachment of the sociopath. Othello's words also foreshadow his soul's doom -- "perdition catch my soul" -- when he fails to hold fast to his love for Desdemona. This aside, spoken aloud perhaps where Iago can hear it, is the emotional crux of the play.

But I digress. I should review this edition of Shakespeare's famous play of class and race conflict, of madness and manipulation. Shakespeare Appreciated provides students of the play an excellent means to understand it in depth. On this CD, the play is presented in two versions: a full-length one with commentary and one without. In addition, it claims to be the only source of an unabridged reading of the original story that Shakespeare used as the basis for his Othello, an Italian story titled Cinthio.

The commentary, incredibly useful for its explanation of the social and political events in Shakespeare's England, does wear a bit on the listener's nerves by constantly interrupting to point out all of the sexual references. At some point, I wanted to say, "Yes, yes, we get it already." Or did I? Isn't Iago's continual sexual crudity critical to understanding him (as much as one can understand a sociopath) and the manner in which he inflamed Othello's doubts and suspicions to the point of murder?

Through his constant crude sexual remarks, Iago successfully convinces Othello that his reputation is damaged (another theme in the play.) In this light, we must conclude that Othello's murder of Desdemona is an honor killing. Given Othello's heritage as a Moor, this interpretation is not only intriguing but likely accurate. When at last he kneels over her sleeping body, he hasn't come to strangle her in a fit of passion, but in cold-blooded "justice" for her crime against his name.

It is all the more chilling to consider the long history of this practice and to realize that Shakespeare recognized it as one of a triune of evils that includes racism and class prejudice. It is no coincidence that Iago, who combines all three in himself along with a lack of empathy, is one of the greatest villains in literature.

Shakespeare Appreciated effectively sheds light on the Bard's genius in handling them and explains why Othello holds such power even today.
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Apr 10, 2009 Becky rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: classics, owned, 2009, reviewed

I enjoy Shakespeare, but sometimes I really wonder at him. Of course, he was a genius, but I don't really feel like this was his best work. If it had been filled in a little, and was a bit more fleshed out, it would have been much better in my opinion.

Basic story (And there will be plot spoilers here), love-struck Othello is manipulated by Iago into believing that his freshly-minted bride is cheating on him with his friend. Othello then hires said manipulator to off said friend (now ex-friend)...more

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Oct 01, 2011 BlueSky&Sunshine rated it 5 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed reading the original Othello in high school. I thought it very humorous and clever. You will definitely see a lot of Shakespeare's culture influenced in this story. It's a classic that should be read (the original) at least once in your life. I went to a really and I mean REALLY ghetto school for a bit of my sophomore year and my English teacher said that we wouldn't read most of the classics like in other schools because most people didn't know how to read or found the classics...more

1 like · like · see review

Oct 17, 2007 Seizure Romero added it · review of another edition

Shelves: classics-lit, college

I can't really give this one a fair rating. Amazing, yes; Iago is arguably the most devious bastard in western literature, yes; great depth & complexity of characters-- all of this is true. My problem is that in graduating from high school and subsequently earning an English degree I had to read this play at least six times. For some reason this was every professor's favorite example of Shakespearean tragedy, villainy, character interaction, storytelling, you name it. I have been intellectua...more

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Nov 23, 2008 Chris rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-teach-or-have-taught

"Bloody, bawdy villain!
Remorseless, treacherous, lecherous, kindless villain!"

That's Hamlet the Slow Avenger ranting about Claudius, but the same and bolder could be said of Iago. I know he's the vilest of Shakespeare's villains--which would place him high in the running for vilest world-wide--but at some point those just become words. It's the page-by-page visceral experience of watching him secrete his evil that makes my blood boil. As I reread this, I wanted to throw the book, tear it, set it...more

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Apr 21, 2009 Nazmus sakib rated it 5 of 5 stars

that's a nice work by the great man i think before merry u should read this book it will help u to get happy life forever .in our life there's an yago who always make some bad things so u should know about this yago and love the desdemonia (

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Aug 29, 2007 Lara rated it 5 of 5 stars

Although I haven't actually read it yet, Shakespeare was meant to be seen as performance anyway, right? Othello is my absolute favorite of Shakespeare's play. I was on the edge of my seat almost the entire time- most unusual for a Shakespeare, where normally the ending is looming and obvious.
On a side note, one of my favorite movies is Stage Beauty with Claire Danes, which explores themes of gender and asks questions about behavior in relation to Desdemona and Othello.
Rid yourself of high school...more

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Apr 29, 2010 Courtney added it Recommends it for: no one

Recommended to Courtney by: Miss Roth

Othello Othello is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare. This book deals with jealous, deceit, and murder. Othello is a play written in Shakespeare’s time period of the late 1500’s to early 1600’s. The main problem or topic in this play is Othello is lead to believe that his wife, Desdemona is cheating on him. There is not really a target audience that Shakespeare was trying to reach. After having read Othello, I think it was a well written tragedy for that time period and Shakespeare was a...more

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Mar 22, 2009 Christina rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: topics-in-literature

YOYA CODE: 5Q 4P

A. Pre-Reading/Anticipatory Thoughts:

I read this book for the second time this semester before I taught it to my seniors at KMHS. The first time I read it was for my Shakespeare seminar my last undergraduate year in college. I enjoyed it the first time because the timeless themes apply to today's culture in several ways. Iago's jealousy and motives are based on hearsay; many people today get jealous for lesser offenses than Iago believes Othello and Cassio commit. If we turn...more YOYA CODE: 5Q 4P

A. Pre-Reading/Anticipatory Thoughts:

I read this book for the second time this semester before I taught it to my seniors at KMHS. The first time I read it was for my Shakespeare seminar my last undergraduate year in college. I enjoyed it the first time because the timeless themes apply to today's culture in several ways. Iago's jealousy and motives are based on hearsay; many people today get jealous for lesser offenses than Iago believes Othello and Cassio commit. If we turn on Forty Eight Hours Mystery , Dr. Phil or Unsolved Mysteries, we see stories of spousal murder for insurance reasons and financial advancement. Othello will always have relevance to high school seniors who are beginning to experience jealousy, love relationships, and pressure to conform in increasing amounts.

B. During Reading:

I read this play very slowly with my on-level seniors. Because of the way my CT wanted me to teach the play, we read through EVERY WORD. I was forced to ensure I knew what each word meant because I was expected to delineate the play line by line, act by act, scene by scene to them by standing in front of the room and talking through it. I will NEVER teach Othello this way again because my students were just as bored as I was. Despite my casual attempts to pull them in by stopping and relating the text to their lives outside school, they still had a difficult time going beneath the plot surface because of a study guide I gave that stuck to who? what? when? where? why? type questions. We discussed jealousy as it related to both men and women of Shakespeare's time and today. We went over Emilia's speech when she states: "But jealous souls will not be answer'd so / They are not ever jealous for the cause / But jealous because they are jealous" (3.4.59). I was able to have they students research a jealous character on a television show and analyze the justifications for their actions. All in all, I was able to introduce some elements to them like the play does not have to be about race and racism. It's so much more than that. We talked about the way Shakespeare switches from prose to verse in an effort to entertain and ensure the groundlings understood the plot. I explained the play in terms of reputation, communication, loyalty and prejudice. It wasn't the same kind of racism we struggle with in America. The students traced what Shakespeare might have been trying to tell us from reading this play.

C. After Reading:

I'll have to admit, I liked this play more before I taught it to seniors. While I believe they can connect with some of the major themes and motifs in Othello, I had to grit my teeth all the way through reading EVERY WORD of it in class. I'll admit trying to teach a play dealing with soliloquies, asides and dramatic irony without acting it out almost bored me to tears. The next time I teach this play, (if I am required to because I am now scarred for life) we will act out scenes and I will show clips along the way to reinforce what we discuss in class.

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Feb 21, 2009 Stevie rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: great-books, secular

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. It an interesting tragedy fully of irony, deception, and regret.

Poignant Quotes:

Iago to Brabantio - "...an old black ram is tupping your white ewe"

Duke to Brabantio - "And noble signior, if virtue no delighted beauty lack, Your son-in-law is far more fair than black."

Cassio - "Reputation, reputation, reputation! O, I have lost my reputation! I have lost the immortal part of myself, and what remains is bestial."

Iago scheming - "Dull not device by coldness and delay."

Iago - "Men should be what the...more

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May 09, 2013 Emily L. Moir-Genther rated it 5 of 5 stars

Othello has to be my personal favorite by Shakespeare. I definitely vote Iago as best villain ever. The depths of emotion and betrayal that are explored in this story speak of age old human dilemmas, yet transcend time to still be relevant today.

I love how clever Iago is as he sets everyone up for failure, and I find how misguided and hurt he is to be beautiful. Don't get me wrong, I'm totally over the whole broody male stereo type (i.e. "girl's don't go for the broody guy" or "I don't usually...more

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Apr 25, 2013 Melissa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2013, read-for-school, classics

This is what I wrote for school:

In the play Othello, written by William Shakespeare, Othello the main character is deceived by Iago the villain and mastermind of the tragedy. More importantly he was blinded by his own emotions and feelings to the point of losing his mind. Lies and jealousy lead him to act irrationally and murder his own wife.

Othello never got his own proof nor investigated Iago's accusations towards Desdemona because he put all his trust in Iago. Othello saw Iago as a honest and...more This is what I wrote for school:

In the play Othello, written by William Shakespeare, Othello the main character is deceived by Iago the villain and mastermind of the tragedy. More importantly he was blinded by his own emotions and feelings to the point of losing his mind. Lies and jealousy lead him to act irrationally and murder his own wife.

Othello never got his own proof nor investigated Iago's accusations towards Desdemona because he put all his trust in Iago. Othello saw Iago as a honest and trustworthy man and after Iago start telling him about Desdemona's betrayal, Iago was a 'good friend" to Othello. He believed Iago instead of the woman he promised to love and spent the rest of his life with. Othello was so blinded by his jealousy that he lost his common sense and his jealousy turn into madness, and the desire to kill his own wife and her so called "lover" overcame him.

Iago plan everything very carefully, even though it backfired at the end concluding in a bloody mess and uncovered lies. Iago made sure that he'll always have something or someone to prove his words and backup his plan, so he could have Othello's trust. Iago gave Othello the choice of, "you don't trust me? See for yourself" which gave Iago power to manipulate Othello. Iago always set him up. Like the time Othello thought Cassio was talking about Desdemona when he was actually talking about Bianca.

Othello believed Iagos's accusations because everywhere he looked there was "proof"' (or so he thought). Cassio and Desdemona talking and such. I believed that what really unbind Othello's wrath and jealousy was Desdemona trying to help Cassio get his lieutenancy back and that she supposedly gave cassia the handkerchief. In some way Desdemona too was kind of responsible for all that happened because anybody could have misunderstand her interest in helping Cassio.

Othello was influence From the very beginning by Brabantio's words when he said, "keep an eye on her, moor. She lied to me, she may lie to you". This were strong words that probably affected Othello. Also Desdemona was young and beautiful and from a good family. Othello knew that if she had wanted she could have changed him at any giving moment for someone much younger. All this accumulated and contributed to he tragedy.

At the end, Othello realized that he was just been manipulated by an envious, obsessive liar. He realized that he made a huge mistake by believing Iago and not his lovely wife. He realized that he should have gotten his own proof about Desdemona 's love affair with Cassio, and that he should had trust Desdemona's love for him.(less)

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Apr 17, 2013 Miguel Jiménez rated it 4 of 5 stars

Una muy buena obra de teatro que considero superior —por una buena diferencia— de la tan famosa "Romeo y Julieta".

Me gustó mucho el personaje de Yago, el manejo en general que le dio Shakespeare es excepcional. Toda su maldad, cinismo e hipocresía es muy disfrutable, pues aunque me llegó a dar algo de coraje lo que estaba leyendo, jaja, y que yo no podía hacer nada creo que esto es precisamente lo que hace que se disfrute.

Una obra que refleja a la perfección cómo los seres humanos creemos más lo...more

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Apr 10, 2013 Clement Yeboah rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shakespeare’s purpose for writing Othello is to tell his audience that what goes around comes around. He wants to tell people that whatever you do will either have positive or negative effect depending on what you start in the first place. The story is written to tell readers to know who their real friends are meaning know who you can trust to not put you in a bad position or rely on to never betray you. Iago tricked Othello into killing his wife and betrayed Rodrigo by killing him after promis...more Shakespeare’s purpose for writing Othello is to tell his audience that what goes around comes around. He wants to tell people that whatever you do will either have positive or negative effect depending on what you start in the first place. The story is written to tell readers to know who their real friends are meaning know who you can trust to not put you in a bad position or rely on to never betray you. Iago tricked Othello into killing his wife and betrayed Rodrigo by killing him after promises he made to him. This book is written to show the cruelty of humans because of actions taken major characters in the story. Most importantly telling us that the person we believe not to hurt us end up being the one trying to push us into a fiery pit.
One part of the book which impacts the audience to keep doing what they want to do is the part about the battle. This part is telling us that, society might view you differently but deep inside there’s something great about you. Eventhough he wasn’t respected for his race Othello was still important in the community. For example when they said “Othello, the fortitude of the place is best known to you”. There’s definitely a lasting value for readers because they get to take away the lesson learned by Othello to trust no one with their life and also take away the lesson from Rodrigo that do not let other people decide for you. The lesson to be learned is that as humans, no one is perfect so we shouldn’t look up to no one to make changes in our lives.
This book is very well written based on the content and portrayal of characters. Characters that are supposed to be bad are actually portrayed in the book as a bad person based on what they say or how they act. For example making Iago speak in evil tone of voice “I'll pour this pestilence into his ear” as Iago said. But as I read I saw some part of the book which made it boring. The book had no comedy in it whatsoever which it less interesting. An author must know that readers don’t like boring books and to make your book more interesting to read, they should add a little bit of comedy. But this book can go as far as to win a noble star because of the content it’s written in.
The book was captivating because I could figure this happening in the real world. Unfortunately I couldn’t relate to any of the events that happened in the story because I thought the events that happened in the book were very intense. I could make a connection between one part of the story to my friend. My friend kept trying to tell his about what was troubling him about his grades but they didn’t listen to him just like how Emilia was trying to tell Othello the truth that Desdemona was innocent. For example when Emilia said “I durst, my lord, to wager she is honest, Lay down my soul at stake”. Overall I found the book very dramatic because it had a lot of back to back action to it.
The greatest strength of this book was how the story was told and how every problem in the story had a solution to it. The greatness weakness is the genre of the story. The story could’ve improved more if there was a little humor added to it. But overall I think the author did great in planning events in the story. I would recommend this book to a friend because it will teach him to never make quick decisions based on what someone said. It teaches that every act have a price to it either good or bad.

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Mar 06, 2013 Allison Evans added it

William

Shakespeare's purpose in writing Othello was to entertain. Along with the purpose of entertainment I think Shakespeare wrote to teach a lesson. When reading the book a prevalent theme was that truth always prevails.

The

...more

William

The

theme that was most prevalent in the tragic play was truth always prevails, and jealousy can turn you into an unrecognizable monster. He demonstrated these themes well throughout the play. Especially in the ending scene when he shows the ultimate outcome. The outcome of the tragedy were many senseless deaths fueled by jealousy. Also truth prevails was shown by Iago's lies. And even though Emilia was loyal to him in the end, truth prevailed as the cause of Desdemona's death was found out.

The

style of the book was that it was a play. It was told in an unspecific view because you saw everyone's views. You experienced everything as it happened. When a character entered you would read what they thought, what they said, and what they felt.

as a reader enjoyed reading the play Othello. The only part I disliked was that some of the old English was hard to understand, and hard to follow. I liked the story and how it actually had meaning unlike many of today's novels. There was actually a moral one could find in this story. There is nothing I would change in Othello. The only story I have read that is similar to Othello is Romeo and Juliet and Macbeth all of which have been written by William Shakespeare. I would recommend Othello to anyone who likes Shakespeare's style of writing literature.

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Feb 27, 2013 Stephanie Flood rated it 3 of 5 stars

William Shakespeare wrote "Othello" in 1604 about the time when his knowledge of human nature was in full throttle, written after "Richard II." It explores the wounds of human tragedy, suffering, and the fall of good characters that seemingly deserve happiness. There is much to be gained from analyzing this play, the characters, their motivations and their own actions that lead to such a cruel, dark ending.

First off, this was based off an Italian short story called "Un Capitano Moro" by Giraldi...more William Shakespeare wrote "Othello" in 1604 about the time when his knowledge of human nature was in full throttle, written after "Richard II." It explores the wounds of human tragedy, suffering, and the fall of good characters that seemingly deserve happiness. There is much to be gained from analyzing this play, the characters, their motivations and their own actions that lead to such a cruel, dark ending.

First off, this was based off an Italian short story called "Un Capitano Moro" by Giraldi Cinthio's Hecatommithi that was published in 1565. The source differs a little from the play by being more informative than performing it with dialogue, drama techniques, soliloquies and intensified character actions. The characters somewhat remain the same: Desdemona, a noble woman in love with Othello, the dark-skinned Moor, Iago, the arch villain, Cassio, an honorable lieutenant, Emilia, Iago's wife and Barbantio, Desdemona's father. The reason why the source is mentioned, is that one can gain more insight in the mechanics and understanding of the play comparing Cinthio's version.

Overall, the main themes are entangled in a web of deep, twisting issues still disturbing the peace today: that nothing is as it seems, reputation is an illusion, good people can succumb to temptation and lovers can betray each other with the fall of a hat if jealousy is involved. Jealousy can drive a sane person crazy and an insane person murderous and a sane person murderous as well. A modern interpretation would be that this play is kind of about the illusion of honorable people in society who have hidden natures, but women still fall in love with them, because maybe we all can be easily wooed by appearances, and those that fall for their charms, will be susceptible to the hidden natures that wait. People are human and are also influenced by those that they trust or are wiling to trust. Thus, the fallacies of Iago and Othello both are that they were soldiers of combat and had the capacity for murder inside them, which triggered their intuitive natures to bring out the feelings of revenge on their closest loved ones, when feeling vulnerable or betrayed enough. This could be why Iago and Othello both, do what they do.

Finally, this is a play written over 400 years ago and in the context of England at the time. Again, it's hard to have one view on this. There only one thing to say about all the elements that make this play so colorful. Simply, there are many symbols, allegorical and literary, that expose a foray of themes like: violent love, human wickedness. barbarianism in a civilized society and the meaning of innocence.

P.S. I gave it a three out of five because I enjoy more lyrical writing like that of "Richard II" than the language in this play. But, it's still an interesting read. (less)

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About William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare (baptised 26 April 1564) was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon" (or simply "The Bard"). His surviving works consist of 38 plays, 154 sonnets, two long narrative poems, and several other poems. His plays have been tr...more William Shakespeare (baptised 26 April 1564) was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon" (or simply "The Bard"). His surviving works consist of 38 plays, 154 sonnets, two long narrative poems, and several other poems. His plays have been translated into every major living language, and are performed more often than those of any other playwright.

Shakespeare was born and raised in Stratford-upon-Avon. Scholars believe that he died on his fifty-second birthday, coinciding with St George’s Day. It is an interesting idea that English writer is so closely identified with the Patron Saint of England!

At the age of 18 he married Anne Hathaway, who bore him three children: Susanna, and twins Hamnet and Judith. Between 1585 and 1592 he began a successful career in London as an actor, writer, and part owner of the playing company the Lord Chamberlain's Men, later known as the King's Men. He appears to have retired to Stratford around 1613, where he died three years later. Few records of Shakespeare's private life survive, and there has been considerable speculation about such matters as his sexuality, religious beliefs, and whether the works attributed to him were written by others.

Shakespeare produced most of his known work between 1590 and 1613. His early plays were mainly comedies and histories, genres he raised to the peak of sophistication and artistry by the end of the sixteenth century. Next he wrote mainly tragedies until about 1608, including Hamlet, King Lear, and Macbeth, considered some of the finest examples in the English language. In his last phase, he wrote tragicomedies, also known as romances, and collaborated with other playwrights. Many of his plays were published in editions of varying quality and accuracy during his lifetime, and in 1623, two of his former theatrical colleagues published the First Folio, a collected edition of his dramatic works that included all but two of the plays now recognised as Shakespeare's.

Shakespeare was a respected poet and playwright in his own day, but his reputation did not rise to its present heights until the nineteenth century. The Romantics, in particular, acclaimed Shakespeare's genius, and the Victorians hero-worshipped Shakespeare with a reverence that George Bernard Shaw called "bardolatry". In the twentieth century, his work was repeatedly adopted and rediscovered by new movements in scholarship and performance. His plays remain highly popular today and are consistently performed and reinterpreted in diverse cultural and political contexts throughout the world.

According to historians, Shakespeare write 37 plays and 154 sonnets throughout the span of his life. Shakespeare's writing average was 1.5 plays a year since he first started writing in 1589. There have been plays and sonnets contributed to Shakespeare that were not authentically written by the great master of language and literature.
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Quotes from Othello

“O, beware, my lord, of jealousy;
It is the green-ey'd monster, which doth mock
The meat it feeds on.” — 102 people liked it

“The robb'd that smiles, steals something from the thief; He robs himself that spends a bootless grief.” — 101 people liked it

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