A trusted officer quietly poisons a general's mind against his loyal wife, one suggestion at a time
Jealousy as a weapon
Othello, a celebrated general in the service of Venice, has secretly married Desdemona, the daughter of a senator. His ensign, Iago, smiles at both of them while nursing a deep grudge after being passed over for promotion in favor of Cassio. Sent to defend Cyprus, the newlyweds and their officers become pieces in Iago's patient, ruthless game.
Who will enjoy it
Readers and students who want a gripping, fast-moving tragedy about trust, envy and manipulation.
What you will get
Shakespeare's tightest and most suspenseful tragedy, with one of literature's most fascinating villains and a portrait of jealousy that still feels painfully modern.
Othello Facts: Pages, Genre and Setting
Genre
Classics · Play · Jealousy · Tragedy
Length
368 pages · ≈ 11 h
More about this book
Othello is a Moorish general, admired for his courage and dignity, who has risen to lead the armies of Venice. He has married Desdemona in secret, and her father, Brabantio, is furious, but the Venetian senate needs Othello to defend Cyprus against a Turkish fleet and supports the match. Desdemona insists on going with him. Iago, Othello's ensign, publicly professes loyalty while privately hating him, partly because Othello made the young Michael Cassio his lieutenant.
On Cyprus, Iago begins to work. He gets Cassio drunk and into a fight, which costs him his position. Then he encourages Cassio to ask Desdemona to plead for him, while hinting to Othello that the two are closer than they should be. With the help of a handkerchief, Othello's first gift to his wife, and the foolish Roderigo, who wants Desdemona himself, Iago builds a case out of nothing. His wife, Emilia, unknowingly plays a part. Othello, honest and unused to deceit, is slowly overwhelmed by doubt, and the play moves toward its devastating final scene.
Tense from start to finish and best read with the notes at hand. About 368 pages in the Folger edition.
Hamlet
The Tragedy of Macbeth
Romeo and Juliet
King Lear
The Tragedy of Julius Caesar
The Tempest
A Streetcar Named Desire
A Tale of Two Cities
Frankenstein
Jane Eyre
All Quiet on the Western Front
The Heart of the Matter