Analyzing Shakespeare's Othello

A.

William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon in April 1564 to what would now be considered a middle class family. In 1568 his father, John Shakespeare was elected mayor of Stratford. When he was 18 years old Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway who was 26. The couple had three children, a daughter Susanna, and twins Hamnet- a boy and Judith- a girl. Shortly thereafter he left Stratford to seek his fortune in the theatrical world of London. In addition to his duties as an actor he wrote an average of almost two plays a year and was London's most popular playwright of this period. By the end of his career Shakespeare wrote at least 37 plays in which he created characters that have meaning beyond the time and place of his plays. These characters struggle just as people do in real life, some are successful and some end up with painful and tragic failure.

He is commonly thought to be the greatest writer the world has ever known, the finest poet who has written in the English language, and the world's most popular author. His works have helped shape the literature of all English-speaking countries as well as countries such as Germany and Russia. Shakespeare's plays and poems are a required part of education and therefore his ideas on such subjects as heroism, love, and the nature of tragedy have helped shape the attitudes of millions of people.

No other writer's plays have been produced so many times or read so widely in so many countries. Many motion pictures have been made of his plays and composers have written operas, musicals, and instrumental works based on his stories and characters. The world has appreciated many great writers but only Shakespeare has generated such a continuing interest and undying affection.

Othello

In Othello, Othello, a noble black Moor who is a general in the army of Venice, Italy marries Desdemona, a beautiful Venetian girl, who is much younger than he is. Almost immediately after the marriage, Othello is ordered to Cyprus, joined by Desdemona and his aide, Iago, who hates him. In an attempt to destroy Othello, Iago tells him that Desdemona has made love with his lieutenant, Cassio. After convincing Othello of Desdemona's unfaithfulness, Iago preys on Othello's insecurity and his differences with Desdemona- including color, age, Cultural background, and level of sophistication. The love between Othello and Desdemona is so strong that they could have overcome all these differences if not for Iago's insinuations.