Othello
Author: William Shakespeare
Publication: 1604
Number of pages: / pages
Title:
The title Othello refers to the protagonist of the book.
Author:
William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616) was an English poet, writer and actor. He is considered
one of the most influential writers of all time. He grew up in Stratford-upon-Avon, a city in
central England. At the age of eighteen he married Anne Hathaway with whom he had three
children. In April 1953, Shakespeare published his long narrative poem Venus and Adonis.
The edition was a great success with nine reprints. The most famous plays that William
Shakespeare wrote are Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth and King Lear. After 1601 he
wrote less and less. Partly due to a new generation of writers who introduced a new style.
The setting of the story:
The story takes place in Venice, Italy, in the late half of the 1500s. During this period Venice
was at war with the Ottoman empire, which the story references to when talking about the
threat of an attack on Cyprus.
Narrator and point of view:
The literary work Othello is a play, so there isn’t a narrator, the whole work is shown as a
dialogue. But, in some parts thoughts of the characters are given which gives a clearer
impression of their individual perspectives.
There are multiple individual scenes where antagonist Iago shares his plan with the
audience, without the other characters knowing, meaning there is foreshadowing.
Characters:
Protagonist – Othello: He is the hero of the story. He’s a Moor, which is someone with dark
skin. He plays a large role in Venetian society as soldier and leader and the Venetian
government has a great amount of respect for him. But, because of his race he is seen as a
true outsider and is discriminated against by many who use racial slurs to humiliate him. He
is married to Desdemona, daughter of the Venetian senator.
Antagonist – Iago: He is a true villain, who hates Othello and tries to ruin Othello’s life by
convincing him that Desdemona is having an affair with another man. He manipulates others
whilst making them believe that he is an honest man. Iago’s hatred for Othello is hard to
pinpoint, though it may be due to jealousy of Othello’s success, his racial background, or
simply the fact that Iago is a psychopath. Also, Othello was the one who appointed Cassio
with the job Iago wanted.
Other characters:
- Cassio = gets hired for a job that Iago wanted, which causes Iago’s jealousy and anger
towards him.
- Desdemona = she is very innocent and makes sure to stand up for herself when
necessary
- Brabantio = He is the father of Desdemona and acts very racist against Othello
Author: William Shakespeare
Publication: 1604
Number of pages: / pages
Title:
The title Othello refers to the protagonist of the book.
Author:
William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616) was an English poet, writer and actor. He is considered
one of the most influential writers of all time. He grew up in Stratford-upon-Avon, a city in
central England. At the age of eighteen he married Anne Hathaway with whom he had three
children. In April 1953, Shakespeare published his long narrative poem Venus and Adonis.
The edition was a great success with nine reprints. The most famous plays that William
Shakespeare wrote are Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth and King Lear. After 1601 he
wrote less and less. Partly due to a new generation of writers who introduced a new style.
The setting of the story:
The story takes place in Venice, Italy, in the late half of the 1500s. During this period Venice
was at war with the Ottoman empire, which the story references to when talking about the
threat of an attack on Cyprus.
Narrator and point of view:
The literary work Othello is a play, so there isn’t a narrator, the whole work is shown as a
dialogue. But, in some parts thoughts of the characters are given which gives a clearer
impression of their individual perspectives.
There are multiple individual scenes where antagonist Iago shares his plan with the
audience, without the other characters knowing, meaning there is foreshadowing.
Characters:
Protagonist – Othello: He is the hero of the story. He’s a Moor, which is someone with dark
skin. He plays a large role in Venetian society as soldier and leader and the Venetian
government has a great amount of respect for him. But, because of his race he is seen as a
true outsider and is discriminated against by many who use racial slurs to humiliate him. He
is married to Desdemona, daughter of the Venetian senator.
Antagonist – Iago: He is a true villain, who hates Othello and tries to ruin Othello’s life by
convincing him that Desdemona is having an affair with another man. He manipulates others
whilst making them believe that he is an honest man. Iago’s hatred for Othello is hard to
pinpoint, though it may be due to jealousy of Othello’s success, his racial background, or
simply the fact that Iago is a psychopath. Also, Othello was the one who appointed Cassio
with the job Iago wanted.
Other characters:
- Cassio = gets hired for a job that Iago wanted, which causes Iago’s jealousy and anger
towards him.
- Desdemona = she is very innocent and makes sure to stand up for herself when
necessary
- Brabantio = He is the father of Desdemona and acts very racist against Othello
