The Tragedy of OthelloBy William Shakespeare

As usual, Othello is just an idea Shakespeare adoptedThe plot of Shakespeare's Othello

is largely taken from Giraldi Cinthio's Gli Hecatommithi, a tale of love, jealousy, and betrayal.

However, the characters, themes, and attitudes of the works are vastly different, with Shakespeare's play being a more involved study of human nature and psychology.

Setting

Begins in Venice, Italy and transitions to the island of Cyprus

Printed in 1622

Othello: IntroductionOthello is a general, a military leader, in Venice hundreds of years ago.

But he is an outsider because he is from another country—and of another race.

Othello: IntroductionWhen Othello secretly marries the young, beautiful and noble Desdemona,

her father, Brabantio, wants Othello to be arrested.

But Desdemona loves Othello and doesn’t care that he is an outsider.

Othello: IntroductionAt the same time, the men in the army under Othello can’t be trusted.

Cassio means well but is open to bad influences.

Iago pretends to be Othello’s friend, but secretly resents Othello for passing him over for promotion.

Othello: IntroductionIago is determined to get revenge.

He decides to attack Othello in his most vulnerable spot…

his love for Desdemona.

Othello: IntroductionWill Othello be able to see through Iago’s schemes?

Or will jealousy and revenge turn to murder?

Othello: BackgroundOthello is from North Africa, while Desdemona is from Venice, Italy.

Their marriage is a meeting of cultures and races.

Othello: Background

Shakespeare included Moorish characters in other plays: The Merchant of Venice and Titus Andronicus. He used them to represent outsiders.

Othello is sometimes referred to as “the Moor.” Moors are people with mixed Berber and Arab groups living in northwestern Africa.

Othello: BackgroundRacism is an important concept in Othello,

as is the idea of judging others on the basis of their appearance rather than what’s in their hearts.

Desdemona often speaks about her faith.

Othello: Background

Othello often uses animal imagery.

The way a character speaks in Shakespeare’s plays signals the way his or her mind is working. It can also tell you a lot about the character.

Background InfoOthello also touches upon a major

issue in Europe of this time periodThe intermingling of Muslim religion and culture with the West

Othello is considered to be a prime example of Aristotelian drama

It focuses upon a very small cast of characters, one of the smallest used in Shakespeare, has few distractions from the main plot arc, and concentrates on just a few topics, like jealousy.

Background Info

Iago

The character of Iago is a variation on the Vice figure found in earlier morality plays

He deviates from this model because of his lack of a clear motivation.

Why is it so popular? One reason for the overwhelming

popularity of the play throughout the ages is that it focuses on two people who defied society in order to follow their own hearts.

Topics Appearance vs.

reality Race Pride Magic

Order vs. chaos Good vs. evil Honesty Self-knowledge

Othello: Discussion Starters

Discuss (1)What groups are sometimes treated as

outsiders in the United States today? • Why are they seen by others as outsiders?•How do others react to them?

Othello: Discussion Starters

Discuss (2)Othello depicts many problems that arise

from jealousy and greed.• Do these emotions still cause problems today?•If so, what problems have you seen them create?