Title: The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice
Author: William Shakespeare
Genre: Classic
ISBN: 978-1472571762
Publisher: The Arden Shakespeare
Publication Date: 1603
Publisher Description: A soldier of great standing and a newly married man, Othello seems to be in an enviable position. And yet, when his supposed friend sows doubts in his mind about his wife's fidelity, he is gradually consumed by suspicion. In this tragedy of strange, ornate beauty and remarkable psychological power, innocence is corrupted, and goodness and happiness are wantonly destroyed.
Literary Atelier Review: As a school girl I studied Othello as one of my A-Level texts so this play has remained with me most of my life. It is one of my core, foundational Shakespeare plays (along with Romeo and Juliet and Macbeth). The Shakespeare we are introduced to in school can often be the Shakespeare which lives within us most and that is certainly the case for me with Othello.
Othello is possibly the Shakespeare play I have watched on stage the most. This means I have been fortunate enough to see so many creative stagings of Shakespeare's great tragedy: from a North African holiday resort, to a modern day pub in West Yorkshire (ever heard iambic pentameter with glottal stops? I have!) and most recently at The Globe's Sam Wanamaker Playhouse an Othello set in the present day with the Metropolitan Police, with a heavy focus on the effects of racism on male mental health. All interpretations of Othello are able to easily make commentary on prejudices and other prescient issues. Good productions really make the audience stop and think.
I will never tire of watching the various interpretations of this tale of a great man destroyed by his gullibility and the most dangerous thing of all: a friend who is actually a foe.