Othello SparkNotes Literature Guide (SparkNotes Literature Guide Series) by SparkNotes

by SparkNotes

This No Fear Shakespeare ebook gives you the complete text of Othello and an easy-to-understand translation. Each No Fear Shakespeare contains

Genres: Classics, Shakespeare, Plays, Fiction, School, Drama, Literature

Paperback

First published January 1, 1995

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Reviews

[Donald Powell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very entertaining. I am slowly making my way through Shakespeare's plays with this amazing "No Fear" system. The stories are timeless and it is so nice to be able to understand them, with the language of the play on the other side of the page!

[Alina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Îmblânzirea scorpiei (The Taming of the Shrew) este una dintre primele comedii scrise de William Shakespeare undeva în jurul anului 1593 și se încadrează în caracteristicile Commediei dell’arte prin tipologiile de personaje, întorsăturile de situație, peripețiile, tipurile de comic, efectele comice, farsele și glumele înțelese de spectatorii epocii în care a fost scrisă piesa. Comedia se deschide cu un prolog alcătuit din două scene care fac trecerea la piesa propriu-zisă, fapt care demonstrează motivul teatrului în teatru prezent și în alte creații dramatice ale autorului englez. Din păcate, pe parcursul piese se pare că Shakespeare l-a pierdut pe drum pe Christopher Sly, pentru că acest personaj apare foarte puțin în piesă. Deși la prima vedere, cititorul poate crede că prologul nu are nicio legătură cu piesa propriu-zisă, regăsim și în prolog elemente ale commediei dell’arte cum ar fi schimbul de identități, travestiul și farsa.
Pe scurt, acțiunea din Îmblânzirea scorpiei are loc la Padova, care, în timpul vieții lui Shakespeare, avea renumele de cel mai important centru universitar, unde se predau învățăturile lui Aristotel. Lucentio, un tânăr bogat din Pisa, însoțit de servitorul său Tranio, vine pentru a-și desăvârși educația la Padova. Ei aud fără voia lor o discuție despre întâietatea în căsătorie, purtată de Baptisa Minola, un negustor bogat, și alți doi negustori avuți Gremio și Hortensio, ambii îndrăgostiți de Bianca, fiica cea mică a lui Baptista, însă bătrânul dorește să o mărite mai întâi pe Katherina, fiica sa cea mare, al cărei caracter și mod de a se comporta lasă de dorit. De aici încolo încep să se țeasă intrigi și farse care vor fi demascate abia spre final. Pe de o parte, Lucentio se îndrăgostește de Bianca și pune la cale o farsă împreună cu Tranio, pentru a intra în casa lui Baptista, în calitate de profesor de muzică și de poezie. Stăpânul și servitorul își schimbă hainele între ei, astfel Lucentio își ia numele de Cambio, iar Tranio devine Lucentio. Pe de alră parte, Petruchio, un nobil veronez prieten cu Hortensio, este în căutarea unei mirese bogate. Deși Petruchio este avertizat de firea dificilă și cicălitoare a lui Kate, acesta nu este impresionat de defectele fetei, el fiind ferm convins că este un îmblânzitor de scorpii. Și aici avem parte de o deghizare pentru a înlesni accesul lui Petruchio, care dorește să o pețească pe Katherina și de a se căsători cât mai repede cu ea..
Nu are sens să vă povestesc piesa de teatru, însă, spre deosebire de tragediile lui Shakespeare care nu prea mi-au plăcut, țin minte că citeam această comedie și râdeam de una singură. Este atât de savuroasă, întâmplările sunt atât de haioase sau de-a dreptul absurde, încât n-ai cum să nu apreciezi o astfel de operă literară. Se încâlcesc farsele și identitățile într-un mare fel, Kate și Petruchio sunt la fel de impulsivi și de ciuați, încât îmi vine să cred că se potrivesc de minune, deși este vorba de o căsătorie aranjată. De la întâlnirea incendiară dintre Kate și Petruchio, la nunta pripită, la.tratamentul pe care Petruchio i-l aplică fetei, până la sfârșit când nu îmi este clar dacă Kate s-a schimbat vu adevărat sau dacă se preface, comedia te prinde și de multe ori râzi cu lacrimi la ciudățeniile pe care le face Petruchio (un bădăran fără pereche) sau la replicile personajelor. Sincer, cred că fără Petruchio, Kate, Grimio și chiar Tranio, această comedie nu ar mai fi fost la fel de savuroasă, pentru că ei sunt sarea și piperul intrigii. Singurele două lucruri care nu mi-au plăcut au fost prologul, care, mie mi s-a cam inutil și incomplet, iar în al doilea rând tenta misogină a pieei, însă trebuie să înțekegem realitatea și mentalitatea eopcii în care a trăit Shakespeare.

Versiunea extinsă pe http://elitere.ro/shakespeare-si-comm...

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

I give the "translation" 5+ stars - but the melodrama not so much to average to a 4.

The “No Fear” series makes Shakespeare easy to read. The original is on the left page and the modern “translation” on the right. You can read the modern and go back to the original… or read the original and “guess” the modern… it IS likely you will be wrong at least a few times.

What struck me besides the evolution to more informal language was an evolution to a less formal culture. While we still have crimes of passion and poisonous careerism, only the most camp soap operas would end in this way.

While the Othello was able to transcend racism to be a respected military leader, the three women were not able to escape their social roles. Both married women were called “whores” by their husbands who killed them. The onlookers talk about evidence and who will rule Cypress.

[grllopez ~ with freedom and books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably not one you should read to the kids.

[francis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don’t have much to say other than I’m glad I can finally dig into some good Othello memes. Isn’t that all anyone wants out of Shakespeare, at the end of the day?

[Claudiu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Imblanzirea scorpiei mi s-a parut mult la reusita din punct de vedere literar decat Othello, chiar daca nu le poti compara (o comedie vs tragedie). Piesa in piesa, Imblanzirea scorpiei a fost surpriza placuta.

[Özge]

Iago’yu bir kere de kendi dilinden dinleyip sinirlerimi bozayım dedim, amacıma ulaştım:)

Othello’yu tekrar okuma sebebim aslında Adam Phillips’in ‘Kaçırdıklarımız’ adlı eserinde çokça bahsi geçmesiydi, o yüzden bu kitabı okumadan önce bir hatırlatma yapayım dedim kendime. Ama ‘Kaçırdıklarımız’ı okurken de Žižek’in Shakespeare oyunlarının bu sol sayfada arkaik İngilizce ve sağ sayfada günümüz İngilizcesine çevirilerin yer aldığı baskılarla ilgili yorumuna çarptım: Žižek’in bu kitapların verdiği tatminden bahsettiği bir pasaja yer verilmiş ‘Kaçırdıklarımız’da. Yazarlara bahşettiğimiz emsalsizlik ve cevher özelliğinden emin olduğumuzdan, onlara üstün bilgi atfederek aşırı yorum tutumuna kayarak ne yaptıkları konusunda mutlak bilgiye sahip olduklarını varsaydığımızdan, anlamsız görünen herhangi bir şeyi bizim kavrayamadığınızı düşünüp onlarla yakınlık kurmak, suç ortakları olmak için yanıp tutuşurmuşuz ve o yüzden bu anlaması kolay edisyonlara başvururmuşuz. Adam Phillips de orijinal metinlerle yeniden yazımları arasındaki mesafenin gülünçlüğünden dem vurarak değer verdiğimiz üstün cevherin, kavrama mevhumunun yarattığı bu boşluğa yuvarlandığından bahsediyor, kavrama isteğinin itici gücünü ön plana çıkarıyor.

Ne yapayım anlamak kavramak istedim suç mu, o yüzden ben de bu edisyondan okudum anladım kavradım tatmin oldum; arkaik İngilizcesinden zevk alamadığım için hiç üzemeyeceğim tatlı canımı vallahi, kitap da ben de sonuçta asli hedefimize ulaştık ve bunda bir sakınca yok bence çünkü bazen sadece anlamak istersin:))

[Kurtis T · Rating 3 out of 5]

I get that Shakespearian characters are meant to be one dimensional - but really Othello? You just fell for Iago's ruse so simply that you forgot about your long relationships with your friends and wife? Lady Macbeth at least questioned herself - you surely could have blown off some steam in Cyprus and let cooler minds prevail.

Some really beautiful poetry and wordplay here (of course) and the 'No Fear' series again did a great job of making the work accessible. Maybe this just didn't feel as 'timeless' of some of the bard's other works i've read? Othello was the definition of toxic masculinity... so maybe that is a message for the ages?

[Fatema · Rating 5 out of 5]

Iago is such a creep.

[Robert Bonde · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story is bland, but the deeper implications of characters thought processes and their actions speak to the deep power of crawling into someone's head and filling it with lies. This story contains so much turmoil and drama and these are it's redeeming qualities. reading Shakespeare for the plot is not good, and the plot of this book can be explained simply, you know how it ends by act 3, but the relationships between characters redeems it slightly.

[Matt J · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.0/5. Right on, Othellbro.

[Mia Bartley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I LOVE the female characters in this story!!

[Valentina Jitaru · Rating 4 out of 5]

Othello: 4/5✨
Îmblânzirea scorpiei: 2/5✨

[Hana Khan · Rating 4 out of 5]

ngl actually love iago also cassio is really attractive in the movie i am just telling the truth

[Andrei Bordeianu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Othello în regia lui Orson Welles după — trebuie să fie și desert după ditamai felul I și II pe care ni le-a gătit William Shakespeare!

[Salma Ismail · Rating 2 out of 5]

In Act 1, Scene 3 of "Othello," the Venetian council convenes to address Brabantio's accusations against Othello, claiming that the Moor has enchanted his daughter, Desdemona. Othello defends himself by recounting how Desdemona fell in love with him after hearing his stories of bravery and hardship. Desdemona is called to confirm this, and she asserts that her love for Othello was genuine and based on mutual affection. The Duke, recognizing the truth in their relationship, supports Othello, who is soon ordered to lead the defense against a Turkish invasion in Cyprus. Meanwhile, Iago, who harbors resentment for being passed over for promotion in favor of Cassio, begins to plot against Othello, setting the stage for his deceitful schemes as the act concludes with Othello and Desdemona leaving for Cyprus together.

[Kyogo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Othello, one of the Bravest soldiers of Venice with a beautiful wife named Desdemona. With his bravery and skill as a warrior, he is respected and well known. However, not everybody enjoys his prominence, just like one of his subordinates, Lago. For Lago’s plans to dethrone Othello from his position, he uses Othellos other and most importantly Othello’s love for his wife. Othello is tricked by these plots and ends up killing the innocent. As seen by the story, Othello's persistence to succeed has backfired on him ending up; in other words, he has failed to keep an objective view of the world. This story can be a great read but at the same time, it may be a great way to bring consciousness to the importance of balance in our life.

[Shoma · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was amazing. I mean, I love reading Shakespeare's plays but this one was great. We can all learn from the way how the antagonist deceives Othello into thinking that his wife is cheating on him with Othello's lieutenant, in order to get revenge on both of them. Everyone should read this once in their lifetime. The book takes you to the point where you get frustrated reading the book because Othello makes all the wrong choices that become his downfall. We start yelling at the book, saying, "Iago is trying to trick you, don't fall for it!"
It's a great book, but not recommended for those who have trust issues; It may make things worse for you...

[Hanae]

This book is about a guy named Iago and he was constantly overlooked by his general Othello. Othello shows a lot of ways by restraining love in society. He is a black man who is also a great and successful war soldier. He dedicates himself to serving society. The moral of this book was that a person should always reflect on themselves and also the people around them. I like this book and I also liked how in this shakespear book collection there are always two pages one in older English and on the other page the modern-day English so it is nice to compare and contrast the two different scripts.

[myka · Rating 4 out of 5]

this is just men being stupid and violent and then blaming it on the full moon.

i hate how THREE men were so easily manipulated by one and it was so funny to watch them ruin their own lives. my favorite part was emilia finally putting them all to their places. ALSO, THIS QUOTE FROM HER:

"and have not we affections, desire for sport, and frailty, as men have? then let them use us well, else let them know, the ills we do, their ills instruct us so."

the plain english translation was so helpful and entertaining and i might incline to read more shakespeare thanks to sparknotes but honestly i'd give the story itself a solid 3

[Charlie · Rating 3 out of 5]

mir gefiel das ganze recht gut, was mich selbst total überrascht hat - nur der fünfte akt hat meiner meinung nach alles zerstört. dieses konzept jemanden zu töten weil man ihn ‚zu sehr‘ liebt ist mit das bescheuertste was ich je gelesen habe und othello hat ja wohl mal allgemein den schuss nicht gehört?! irgendwie waren alle ziemlich dämlich abgesehen von dem ehepaar iago und emilia. mein persönliches highlight war die charakterbeschreibung von iago: he hates women and is obsessed with other people’s sex life. jeden tag können wir dankbar sein nicht in diese zeit geboren zu werden, zwei femizide innerhalb von 5 Minuten auf dem gleichen bett sind crazy

[Hrick Sengupta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Othello by Shakespeare was amazing. Shakespeare uses a lot of irony, foreshadowing, and symbolism to show Othello's fate. Readers are shown Othello's life in Venice and original thoughts of him from Iago, his "friend". Utilizing foreshadowing, Shakespeare hints at Othello's personality and his pending doom. The play also includes themes of love, betrayal, and friendship. We are shown the value of trust and reputation throughout the play as well. Mood also pops in and makes the scene feel a certain way. For instance, Cyprus is a battlefield with other countries and within themselves. Utilizing all these literary features, Shakespeare tells us about Othello's fate and the betrayal caused.

[Tenzin Dolker · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book explores very influential themes. I believe that Emilia plays a very significant role in sharing these themes throughout the book. She talks about the patriarchy at the time and how unfair it is. Emilia claims that all bad things are due to men because the way their society is shaped makes it so that men are the most influential beings. This makes people look up to men therefore any bad things people due are learnt from men. I also think that this book really highlights the significance of communication because if Othello were to talk it out with Desdemona then he wouldn't have made such rash decisions on a half truth.

[Don · Rating 4 out of 5]

It has been a long time since I have read Shakespeare and this is my first time reading Othello. I did alright reading the old English of Shakespeare but there were a few things I didn't understand and the modern translation on the opposite page helped out but since I was just reading it for fun I didn't use it very often. I felt I had a good grasp of what was being said. As a character I like Othello quite a bit. I liked learning of his back story and if there was a book about that I would read it. As I am sure Shakespeare wanted I hated Iago and worried for Desdemona. This play is one of Shakespeare's tragedies so if you are looking for a happy ending I suggest you find another book. If you enjoy reading plays I recommend this one.

[Luis Lopez · Rating 5 out of 5]

The play Othello was a great to read and act where it not only portrays the manipulative actions Iago does to poison Othello's mind to fully destroy his life by taking everything from him, however also portrays how we can compare this to the modern world we live in where jealously takes people's mind due to either manipulative actions, lying however to make it look truthful, etc. Acting this was super fun to do where playing Othello made me understand what he is portraying before Iago's devilish plan, and after the full effect of what he has done.

[Sofie Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book an interesting book however, the time period and the thinking then made it difficult for me to see it in a 16th century perspective. Other than that, after all it is Shakespeare and it's brilliant with the lines and how he counters issues in his writing. Having the modern English translation side by side is handy because Shakespeare's writing is complex and tricky to understand. Overall, it was an interesting book but I had to read it for English and I don't think I would have personally chosen it.

[Tshering · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book Othello satisfied me a lot. With the tragic story of Othello and Desdemona, this book showcases the hardships that come with a relationship, trust, and betrayal. This book captured the themes of love in which even the strongest bonds can be broken by little accusations. Overall this book was very enjoyable and there were times where I could feel great emotion in those words illustrating the heavy emotions given by this book. I would recommend reading this book.

[Jone May · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a fascinating book not only because its written by Shakespeare but also because it is separated into 2 different Branches of English, One being modern english and the other being Elizabethan english. Elizabethan english is a very interesting and beautiful, and it is also like speaking but in a poetry form. But looking back at this play ''Othello'' has a very deep meaning of many different literary features' that fit in at the best moments.

[Nada Chemssy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This Shakespearean play contains timeless themes still applicable to modern times. I found it cathartic to watch the schemes of a single man lead to the downfall of many, and the vagueness of his motives made him all the more interesting, solidifying him as an unforgiving villain who truly is just evil. It's not like he had any miserable backstory to justify his actions. It was simply the way he was. That's why Iago was personally my favorite character.

[Sara Alexandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

The discussions that this play sparked were such that I will never see a singular dimension to the character of Othello. I fell into tragic love with this play and hope to, one day, see it on the stage in London so that I might feel it all the more intensely. This may be one of my more favourite of Shakespeare’s works.