Othello William Shakespeare

One of the most celebrated and widely performed tragedies of “Shakespeare” encompassing the feelings of love, hatred, deceit, and social ills prevalent in the Elizabethan society and the present world without any marked change, “Othello” was written in 1603 and first performed in 1604. The Tragedy of “Othello” explores the questions of racial prejudice and jealousy. The story talks about “Othello”, a black general suspecting his wife, “Desdemona”. He is led to believe that she has committed adultery and is no more loyal to him.

The plot primarily revolves around two characters: “Othello”, a general of black descent recruited in the Venetian army, and “lago”, his military officer. “Othello”, a brave commander, wins successes on the battlefield but falls prey to treacherous machinations of “lago” at home and kills his innocent wife, “Desdemona” because of his error of judgment. Realizing his mistaken jealousy, he commits suicide.

“William Shakespeare”, similar to his other tragedies, has used blank verse, interspersed with occasional prose, in “Othello”. It is a combination that gives him the flexibility to achieve his desired impacts on the audiences. This play originally tests the ability of the language how much it can hide the truth. Sometimes, it uses grand and, occasionally, ordinary style, indicating the double meanings of the language. “Shakespeare” shifts from verse to prose and vice versa to change the impacts of what he wants his audience to listen to and understand.

The dramatic climax is achieved when the machinations of “lago” reach a logical end. While the denouement justifies the tragic hero’s error of judgment and the villain’s best archetypal role in performing his villainy, the dramatic irony keeps the audience stick to their seats and wait for the next moment. The play employs a host of literary terms and stylistic devices to win the audience’s attention to create this suspense.