The Tragedies of William Shakespeare » Summary of Shakespeares Othello
Summary of Shakespeare’s Othello: The Dark Path from Love to Destruction
This summary of Shakespeare’s Othello captures the essence of one of his greatest tragedies, a play that masterfully examines themes of love, jealousy, and betrayal. It’s a story where trust becomes a double-edged sword, leading Othello, a Moorish general, to a tragic downfall at the hands of his scheming ensign, Iago.
Isn’t it fascinating how easily people can be deceived by those they trust most? In this article, we’ll dive into the plot, examine key characters, and discuss why Othello is, as George Brandes calls it, the “tragedy of jealousy.”
Key Characters in Shakespeare’s Othello
- Othello – The tragic hero, Othello is a Moor and the general of the Venetian army. Though highly respected, his insecurities about being different—an outsider—make him vulnerable to manipulation. Othello, unfortunately, puts his faith in Iago, a man whose heart is as black as midnight. His trust leads him to the tragic murder of Desdemona, his beloved wife.
- Iago
Othello by William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare's The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice,or simply Othello, is a tragedy written in approximately One of Shakespeare's most tightly woven works, it explores themes of racism, betrayal, love, revenge, and forgiveness, and has spawned multiple film, literary, and operatic adaptations.
Shakespeare based his play on the story Un Capitano Moro (A Moorish Captain,) written by the Italian novelist and poet Cinthio. The term "moors" refers to Muslim inhabitants of the Arab west but was attributed to Arabs, Berbers, North Africans and Muslim Europeans.
The play begins with a jealous complaint, as Roderigo, a rich Venetian gentleman laments to his friend Iago about the secret marriage of Othello and Desdemona. Roderigo had asked Desdemona's father for her hand in marriage, but Othello's secretly married her, leaving Roderigo alone and upset.
Iago is Othello's ensign, and though trusted by Othello, he is jealous and spiteful as well. He believes he has been unfairly overlooked for promotion as Othello gave the young Michael Cassio a title above him. As both men lament their misfWhen Was Othello Written?
William Shakespeare is believed to have written his tragedy Othello between and Actually, it is impossible to determine the exact year. So, scholars use the date of Othello’s first performance as the main evidence for their educated guess.
Detailed answer:
In the times of William Shakespeare, plays were meant to be staged and performed as soon as they were finished. The copies of a play included dialogues and stage directions and were meant to be used only by actors. Therefore, nowadays, it is impossible to name the exact date when Othello was written. However, we know that it was first performed on November 1, This fact allows scholars to believe that the famous play was written in It was published as a book only in by Thomas Walkley.
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Othello’s premiere took place at the court of King James I. The event happened in the banqueting house at Whitehall under the name The Moor of Venice. The play’s events are set in Cyprus during the times of war that occurred between and as one of the stages of a bigger confli
Othello
Play by William Shakespeare written circa
This article is about the Shakespeare tragedy. For the title character, see Othello (character). For the board game, see Reversi §Othello. For other uses, see Othello (disambiguation).
The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice, often shortened to Othello (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare around Set in Venice and Cyprus, the play depicts the Moorish military commander Othello as he is manipulated by his ensign, Iago, into suspecting his wife Desdemona of infidelity. Othello is widely considered one of Shakespeare's greatest works and is usually classified among his major tragedies alongside Macbeth, King Lear, and Hamlet. Unpublished in the author's life, the play survives in one quarto edition from and in the First Folio.
Othello has been one of Shakespeare's most popular plays, both among playgoers and literary critics, since its first performance, spawning numerous stage, screen, and operatic adaptations. Among actors, the roles of Othello, Iago, Desdemona, and Emilia (Iago's wife) are regarded as highly demanding and desirable. Critical attention has focused on the nature of the p
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