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- Annotated Full Text
- Literary Period: Renaissance
- Publication Date: 1604
- Flesch-Kincaid Level: 6
- Approx. Reading Time: 2 hours and 14 minutes
“Have you prayed tonight, Desdemona?” This is one of the most haunting and memorable lines of Shakespeare’s Othello. The titular and main character’s engagement in murder, jealousy, and betrayal could easily portray him as the villain; however, in Othello Shakespeare creates one of literature’s best villains, Iago. Fuel oil prices. Iago is Othello’s ensign in the Venetian military and most trusted advisor. He decides to bring about the general’s destruction, and embarks on a plot to make Othello believe his wife has been unfaithful with Cassio, Othello’s favorite lieutenant. Does Iago do this out of envy? Racist sentiments? Indignation? In the few soliloquies we are given to explain Iago’s reasoning, Shakespeare denies the audience any concrete motive as to why Iago might enact his heinous scheme. This sociopathic plot and manipulation of an honest general has been controversial on the stage since its first performance in 1604. The interracial relationship between Desdemona and Othello was seen as scandalous until as late as the mid 1920s, and for this reason Othello was typically played in blackface to prevent a black man from kissing a white woman on stage. Though times have changed to prevent offensive practices such as black face, Othello remains a popular play in professional and community theater alike for its social commentary and portrayal of the darkness within reach of human capabilities.
- Annotated Full Text
- Literary Period: Renaissance
- Publication Date: 1604
- Flesch-Kincaid Level: 6
- Approx. Reading Time: 2 hours and 14 minutes
Table of Contents
- Act I
- Act II
- Act III
- Act IV
- Act V
Analysis
Study Guide
Teaching Resources
NEW: through July 1, 2020.In Othello, William Shakespeare creates powerful drama from a marriage between the exotic Moor Othello and the Venetian lady Desdemona that begins with elopement and mutual devotion and ends with jealous rage and death. Shakespeare builds many differences into his hero and heroine, including race, age, and cultural background. Armored core verdict day xbox 360 2017. Yet most readers and audiences believe the couple’s strong love would overcome these differences were it not for Iago, who sets out to destroy Othello. Iago’s false insinuations about Desdemona’s infidelity draw Othello into his schemes, and Desdemona is subjected to Othello’s horrifying verbal and physical assaults.