Othello (SparkNotes No Fear Shakespeare)
No Fear Shakespeare gives you the complete text of Othello on the left-hand page, side-by-side with an easy-to-understand translation on the right. Each No Fear Shakespeare contains The complete text of the original play. A line-by-line translation that puts Shakespeare into everyday language. A complete list of characters with descriptions. Plenty of helpful commentary.
Paperback, 320 pages
Published
July 3rd 2003
by Sterling
(first published 1603)
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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...sc...more
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...sc...more
view all 13 comments
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...more
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...more
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 b...more
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 b...more
Every writer, no matter how common or terrible, must start out with some sort of hero, mustn't they? Some reason that they went into the writing biz to begin with- at least some work that inspired them to write whatever it is they feel is a good use of their time on earth.
I've decided that many of the soap opera writers of this world must have found their calling with their first reading of Othello.
For real you guys, there is some serious Days of Our Lives shit going dow...more
I've decided that many of the soap opera writers of this world must have found their calling with their first reading of Othello.
For real you guys, there is some serious Days of Our Lives shit going dow...more
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. Visualizat...more
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. Visualizat...more
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...more
I loathe this play. Othello loves his wife and yet he doubts her by trusting Iago, who he knows is an unsavory fellow? Moron.
Hands down the worst pillow fight in history.
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" -- wh...more
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" -- wh...more
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...more
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...more
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 intellectually ...more
"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 ...more
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 ...more
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 (
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...more
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...more
Courtney
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Recommends it for:
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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
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 C...more
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 C...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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Othello was one of the last books I read seriously in my senior English class. Maybe I should explain. My teacher became seriously ill and was out for most of the year. This lead to my class slacking off for most of the year. That isn't to say I didn't read anything, because I did. Anyway- I'll be discussing my take on this and so forth because this review is basically pointless due to everyone and their pet has written reviews on everything Shakespeare.
So, what do I remember fr...more
So, what do I remember fr...more
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 ne...more
When I studied this Shakespeare tragedy in high school, my teacher said four little words that changed how I view fiction: “Iago is the protagonist.” Impossible, I thought. After all, the play is about Othello’s downfall—his name is even in the title. The action revolves around him, and his actions create the most suspense. His rage and jealousy are compelling character flaws; the reader roots for him to overcome them, to recognize Desdemona’s innocence and Iago’s treachery. And on top of it all...more
Othello, one of the great masterpieces of Shakespeare, sets its background in Venice. The same setting from The Merchant of Venice interests me a lot. In Othello, same issues of racism emereges, affecting the pesonality of the characters and decisions, leading the plots to a different way. Othello, the black Moor, is blind, ignorant, and self-esteem problems due to his ethinicity(which is totally opposite from the beginning of the story). Comparing the situation with Shylock, from The Merchant o...more
If I am to sum up the main events of Othello in, say, merely five sentences, Othello would not sound very interesting at all. In fact, it might sound quite silly. I'll admit, I'm not an enthusiast of Shakespeare, given the contrast in language in his writing and my belief that he makes humans look amazingly pathetic.
However, as I delved deeper and deeper into the text, I found it more and more accessible. Having a single powerful black man in a white society is quite interesting to b...more
However, as I delved deeper and deeper into the text, I found it more and more accessible. Having a single powerful black man in a white society is quite interesting to b...more
Big fan of this one... thanks, Shakespeare. I loved reading this investigation of race and gender differences and seeing Iago's pure evil at work. I imagine high school students would enjoy watching Iago trap Othello in his web.
In my grad school class this summer, we spent a good chunk of time talking about the handkerchief in relation to an article by Andrew Sofer. Here's my response to it...
I have difficulty buying into the argument that the handkerchief is “magical.” ...more
In my grad school class this summer, we spent a good chunk of time talking about the handkerchief in relation to an article by Andrew Sofer. Here's my response to it...
I have difficulty buying into the argument that the handkerchief is “magical.” ...more
We started reading Othello in my World Literature class. It was winter and we were studying tragedies. Honestly, I wasn't quite sure what to expect. Would Othello be as melodramatic as Romeo & Juliet? Would it be as disturbing as Oedipus Rex? Would it be as dissatisfying as Waiting? Of all the literary genres I have read, tragedies are still among the least explored. I knew nothing of them though I had experienced my own. However, looking back now I was a bit more apprehensive than I should have...more
Julius Caesar and MacBeth will always be my faves, but Othello was certainly interesting. It helped that I had read Grisham's "Playing for Pizza," which has a scene that thoroughly describes the story. So I kept having deja vu until I made the connection.
My lit class had debates over the characters of Othello (btw, this is the ONLY way to read Shakespeare-with a group of people). Why does Othello resist consummating the marriage? Is he trying to defy the stereotypes that hound him beca...more
My lit class had debates over the characters of Othello (btw, this is the ONLY way to read Shakespeare-with a group of people). Why does Othello resist consummating the marriage? Is he trying to defy the stereotypes that hound him beca...more
Me sorprendió la fineza de la obra —aunque ayudó mucho el que sea la obra de Shakespeare que más fácilmente he seguido y una excelente traducción. Cada uno de los elementos presentados era de gran belleza y de vital importancia para la obra, incluso en los papeles menores, como fue la lumínica aparición de Blanca (/Bianca), que me llevó a pensar en el siguiente escalón del deus ex machina "euripidiano".
A su vez las metáforas (siempre difíciles de trasladar a otra lengua [sino imp...more
A su vez las metáforas (siempre difíciles de trasladar a otra lengua [sino imp...more
What a play. About the only person connected with it who doesn’t die is the stage manager and we’re not sure about that person! Iago has to be one of the most evil and clever villains of all literature. The play is gripping in the suspense of how Iago will carry out his evil jealousy, and astonishing in the cleverness of his mischief.
Othello is the head of the army of Venice. He is a moor, a black man of North African roots. He is the beloved of the Duke of Venice, and has won the bea...more
Othello is the head of the army of Venice. He is a moor, a black man of North African roots. He is the beloved of the Duke of Venice, and has won the bea...more
Othello
By William Shakespeare
Paperback, 368 pp.
Washington Square Press, 2004. (first published 1603)
Othello is on of shakesperes best play which has been intepreted over and over again. The story of Othello is very romantic, passionate and full of drama. It exceeded my expectations. This play by william shakespere includes all forms of literary devices. Although, in my perspective, it heavily focuses on irony. If you want to read something that has great suspense an...more
By William Shakespeare
Paperback, 368 pp.
Washington Square Press, 2004. (first published 1603)
Othello is on of shakesperes best play which has been intepreted over and over again. The story of Othello is very romantic, passionate and full of drama. It exceeded my expectations. This play by william shakespere includes all forms of literary devices. Although, in my perspective, it heavily focuses on irony. If you want to read something that has great suspense an...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| othello-tragedy | 2 | 18 | Jan 14, 2012 02:20pm | |
| More about the Moor | 14 | 28 | Dec 24, 2011 08:18pm | |
| Othello & Titus Andronicus | 2 | 20 | Dec 20, 2011 10:59am | |
| Scriptorium : Cual sera el topico de discusion de otelo? | 5 | 3 | Jun 11, 2011 01:13pm | |
| Macbeth Two | 1 | 21 | Oct 10, 2008 01:55pm |
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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. Hi...more
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“The robb'd that smiles, steals something from the thief; He robs himself that spends a bootless grief.”
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“How poor are they that have not patience! What wound did ever heal but by degrees?
Iago”
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Iago”
