I’ve always been captivated by this story that intertwines sexual obsession, political intrigue, and ambition. It also delves into themes of greed, jealousy (the infamous green-eyed monster!), and interracial romance.

Othello, the Moor, and the devious Iago are among the most heinous characters in Shakespearian drama. Othello’s naivete and trusting nature are tragically exploited by Iago’s malicious schemes. On the other hand, Desdemona is the epitome of innocence. Even in her relationship with Othello, including their fateful wedding night, and her friendship with the ill-fated Michael Cassio, she remains pure-hearted.

It was the first time I completed reading this play. My only previous encounter with it was through the 1995 film starring Laurence Fishburne, Irene Jacob, and Kenneth Branagh. However, reading the original text was a truly enjoyable experience. I am now hopeful that my students will be able to relate to the complex characters and themes presented in this classic work of literature.

I actually found this play easier to read, and therefore digest, more than I had originally anticipated.

Othello is a play I touched on years ago, but never intensively studied like Romeo and Juliet or Macbeth. For me, this was somewhat better than those plays.

The plot is all built around a false accusation, and the tragedy that unfolds thereafter. Surprisingly, the plot is not as complex as I expected, so it made it a little easier to enjoy. I have to say, Othello is highly gullible. He took a little doubt, and it blew up into some huge event that quite honestly, need not have taken place.

I totally understand what Shakespeare was attempting here. He was showing us the power of the mind and those tiny thoughts that can niggle at us, especially when we think we've kept them at bay. I cannot say I loved the character of Othello, though. He seemed slightly weak and overly naive to me, and that kind of irritated me.

There is no happy ending present here, and I can't tell you that you'll be walking away truly satisfied, but this play certainly deserves its rightful praise. It delves deep into the human psyche, exploring themes of jealousy, trust, and betrayal. The characters are vividly drawn, and the language is rich and powerful. Despite its flaws, Othello remains a classic piece of literature that continues to captivate audiences to this day.

Everyone who has read "Othello" will never forget it. Its theme is also about the occurrence of tragic events for someone who loses his good fortune in his own hands. This was one of the best plays I read from Shakespeare, and now I want to touch on the point of why Shakespeare is a great poet.

Shakespeare and Mental Therapy

A few years ago, I read in the newspaper "Jame Jam" that foreign researchers have reached interesting results regarding the effect of three plays by Shakespeare on mental patients, which have a positive impact on their brains when reading those works. And "Othello" was one of the three plays.

To understand how this play has such an effect, first, the concept of schizophrenia must be defined. Ariki Fromm says: "Schizophrenia is a state of absolute self-shift, and the schizophrenic person has severed all his connections with the external reality and has created himself as a substitute for reality. He is completely full of himself and has become "God and the world" for himself. It is exactly with this perception that Freud, for the first time, shows the way to understand the nature of schizophrenia."

A person like Othello is also a schizophrenic. He prioritizes his mental delusions over reality. Based on the words that are suggested to him by his evil and jealous friend "Iago", he suspects his innocent wife "Desdemona".

The reality was that Desdemona, the daughter of a nobleman, had consented to marry against the will of her family, which was not customary in society: to become the wife of a black man. But Othello forgets this important reality, that is, the sacrifice and love of Desdemona, and based on his delusion, he kills his wife.

The profound effect of this play can be seen at the end. A schizophrenic, by reading such a horrible tragedy, may finally come to the conclusion that his suspicions, like the suspicions of Othello, are devoid of reality and try to improve himself.

\\n  \\n    Book Review\\n  \\n

I award 4+ out of 5 stars to Othello, a tragic play penned by William Shakespeare in 1603. Crafting a comprehensive review of this Shakespearean masterpiece could potentially consume weeks and days to achieve perfection. However, I've already come across several excellent reviews on Goodreads, and the world doesn't necessarily require yet another interpretation from a middle-aged white guy. Nor does it need my opinion on what the play implies about a person's ethnic background, skin color, or personality traits. But what the world does need to hear from me, at least if I'm going to post a review, is why I liked it. And I'll try to keep it relatively short, as most of us have likely studied this play in high school or college, read it independently, or watched a TV/film adaptation at some point. If you haven't, shame on you! Stop reading right now, go find a copy, and then come back so we can chat.



Putting aside all sarcasm, my commentary on Othello will purely focus on my thoughts regarding three characters: Desdemona, Othello, and Iago. It's your classic non-classic triangle. A battle between good and evil. Issues of trust within a marriage. All these themes have been explored countless times in literature. What truly captivates my attention in this play, which is over 400 years old, is the connection between Desdemona and Othello. A pure love that is tortured by all the games people play.



Desdemona is an enigma. She is a beautiful woman, a Greek goddess in every sense. She seemingly has it all. But she still falls victim to another's clutches. We've all been in a similar situation. None of us are strong enough to resist with absolute certainty that our lover, partner, significant other, or spouse is truly perfect. Doubt will always infiltrate our minds. Sometimes it's just a momentary flicker. Other times, we stalk the person until we are convinced of their chastity. :)



Othello is brilliant. He is strong and faithful. He wields power. But he is also weak. Just like all of us. We allow ourselves to get into these positions, all because of experience, hearsay, and tunnel vision. He is flawed, but he represents every single one of us.



Iago, of course, is the villain. Perhaps he simply has his own needs and desires. Maybe he is attempting to achieve his own objectives in some strange way. But he serves as the foundation for so many future evil characters.



Reading this story in play format might be challenging by today's standards. But Shakespeare made it shine during his time, and for me, it still does so now.



I love this story for all the hidden gems it contains. It has more complexities than most of his other works, although many would argue that it's a basic story of love, betrayal, revenge, and confusion. At first glance, that may be true. But when you delve deeper, you'll discover all the treasures.



I promised to keep it short, but I seem to have gone overboard. But hopefully, your eyes aren't watering from boredom. Please read it. And let's have a conversation, friends.



\\n  \\n    About Me\\n  \\n

For those who are new to me or my reviews, here's the lowdown: I read A LOT. I write A LOT. And now I blog A LOT. First, the book review goes up on Goodreads, and then I transfer it over to my WordPress blog at https://thisismytruthnow.com, where you'll also find TV & Film reviews, the revealing and introspective 365 Daily Challenge, and plenty of blogging about the places I've visited all over the world. And you can find all my social media profiles to get the details on the who/what/when/where and see my pictures. Leave a comment and let me know what you think. Vote in the poll and ratings. Thanks for stopping by.

God, I fear that love is violence.

Love, which is supposed to bring warmth and happiness, sometimes seems to have a dark side.

It can be possessive, controlling, and demanding, causing pain and suffering to those involved.

I have seen how love can turn people into monsters, making them do things they would never have thought possible.

It can make us blind to the flaws of the one we love, leading us to tolerate behavior that is unacceptable.

Or it can make us so desperate to hold on to that love that we are willing to sacrifice our own happiness and well-being.

I wonder if there is such a thing as true love that is free from all forms of violence.

Maybe it is just a myth, an ideal that we strive for but can never truly achieve.

But even if that is the case, I still hope that we can all learn to love in a way that is kind, gentle, and respectful.

Because in the end, that is what love should be all about.

Shakespeare is a great playwright and Ivan Mačabeli was not a bad translator. My words do not clarify anything and my stars do not add value. Exactly for this reason, regarding this work (except for "Othello", "Macbeth" and "King Lear"), I have singled out several small facts:

a) Most of the characters are very hasty before this fact is established (eg "I came, I saw", "I will come", "now I will come") and it is immediately completed. As it seems, either the actors were so strange then that until the end, this verbal line was necessary or it was so skeptical that it was not enough only visually.

b) The room like Iago's that exists and completely imitates it, or if you are Othello's jealous assistant, how should I think, that the desire to discover the consequences of jealousy and Rinit will not be the reason for this.

c) Gloucester, who is blind, must die, the son who deceives him must be punished, he who is in the minotaur, cries, he also gives it there, the changed son deceives (otherwise it is different), from this height that he jumps, you are not a bubble, how will he fall unfortunately and he who jumps, ah, this scene is so melancholy that it is sad and it is like the scene in "The Idiot" where Ippolit shoots himself with a pistol at the start and despite the non-existence of white blood, everyone is in a panic.

d) The main reason for Shakespeare's tragedies is either his communication or the lack of communication. If the soul is condemned throughout the entire theater, it goes beyond the established limit, it turns on itself, and it should not be directly expected - "the theater has started, I must go" by shouting. Or if the son is more attached to himself and is clearly in danger, because of the desire to be captured - "it's dangerous" the whole thing should not be added - "where you see, go there" - by orders (then later when they go to the minotaur, it will already be difficult).

e) After reading King Lear, the word "galaction" becomes much more emotional.

f) In Shakespeare's plays, the most important thing he likes is that if someone is a spoiler from others, who comes here, it is always more important - who remains alive.

Before starting this work, I really didn't expect to like it. Surprisingly, I enjoyed it a great deal and this was mainly due to my favorite character, Iago, one of the most diabolical characters in Shakespeare and, to my taste, one of the best villains I have read about.

Although the play is named after Othello, Iago is the true star here. He is a deceiver. As a multifaceted villain, there are periods in the play when the audience may be tempted to root for him (his machinations are complex enough to be a form of art in themselves), but the end of the play closes any sympathy for Iago. Although he usurps the spotlight from Othello, his plans only lead to the darkest extremes.

The story is fast-paced and complex, with many cases of misunderstandings. Its complex double-crossing reminds me more of Shakespeare's comedies than his tragedies, but that is part of the charm. The dramatic irony was very high in this play, which made it quite entertaining because basically everyone was completely oblivious to Iago's motives and his unknown roles in his brilliant plan.

Overall, "Othello" is a captivating and thought-provoking work that showcases Shakespeare's mastery of character development and storytelling.

The reputation based on truth is nothing but empty lies that are obtained most often without merit and are lost for no reason.

Reputation is a concept that holds great significance in our lives. However, when it is built on false pretenses, it becomes a fragile and fleeting thing. People may strive to gain a good reputation through various means, but if it is not founded on truth and integrity, it will eventually crumble.

Empty lies can easily spread and create a false image of a person or thing. This false reputation may bring temporary benefits, but it will not last. In the end, the truth will always prevail, and those who have built their reputation on lies will be exposed.

Therefore, it is essential to always be true to ourselves and others. We should strive to build a reputation that is based on our real qualities and actions. Only then can we be sure that our reputation will stand the test of time and bring us true satisfaction and respect.

Wow, that's all I can say.

In this historical period, it was extremely risky for Shakespeare to choose a black hero as the main character in a play. And I really loved the way the theme of racism was dealt with. When Othello was utilized for their purposes in the war effort, he was highly respected. But once they no longer needed him? He was reduced back to being called a'moor' and a'slave'.

I wouldn't claim that he is completely innocent either, as he also does some truly horrible things in the play. I really liked the two female characters, Emilia and Desdemona. I wouldn't say they are the perfect examples of strong women, but they aren't helpless by any means. They know their own worth.

I think the play does an excellent job of展示 the good and bad in all people. The evil villain, on the other hand, was definitely evil and extremely manipulative. I love reading about manipulative villains because I find them to be the most believable, and I was completely convinced by his motivations as well. The writing was so beautiful in certain places. Shakespeare truly has a remarkable way with words.

All in all, I was fully engaged from start to finish.

This review and others can originally be found on Olivia's Catastrophe: https://oliviascatastrophe.com/2020/0...

Quite frankly, I have to admit that I am not an ardent lover of Shakespeare.

There are indeed certain aspects of his writing that I find appealing. However, often when I rate his works highly, a part of me feels that it is somewhat obligatory.

But that is definitely not the case with Othello. This play is easily a five-star read and by far his best work.

I really don't want to simply sum up this book in a short review because I truly want everyone to go and read it if they haven't already.

I will say that this is the epitome of drama. It is character-driven, with all the conflicts being interpersonal rather than historical.

The way the secrets are built up in the writing is truly masterful.

To be honest, I am actually embarrassed to have said that I didn't like Shakespeare before reading this.

Now, after experiencing the brilliance of Othello, I have a newfound respect and appreciation for his works.

I really love how Shakespeare's plays end.

His works are filled with such rich and complex characters, and the way the stories unfold and reach their conclusions is truly captivating.

I often find myself imagining what it would be like if in the real world, everyone's actions had consequences in the same way as in his plays.

Maybe then, people would think twice before doing something wrong or unethical.

Shakespeare's plays serve as a reminder that our actions have an impact, and that we should strive to make the right choices.

Whether it's through love, hate, revenge, or forgiveness, his plays explore the human condition in a way that is both profound and thought-provoking.

I will always be a fan of Shakespeare and his amazing works.

Honest, honest Iago...we now have him as President John-boy Walton, honest faced, the ideal actor for Iago. The Italian who invented criminology, Cesare Lombroso, founded it on exactly the wrong premise, that you could tell a criminal by looking at his face, a crime to look at. But NO: Criminals, especially murderers, have charming faces. Othello looks at Iago, and sees him as honest, straightforward, admirable.

In the US, Othello is always played by an African-American, very often very successfully--so successfully that I used to counter with the question, What is a Moor? Because of the success of portrayal by Black actors, I came to pursue my pedantic critique, and suggest that Othello is, as the subtitle asserts, a Moor--of Muslim inheritance, and an admirable Muslim, of mixed Berber background perhaps, perhaps not. He advances sheerly on his own merits. (Ah ha! Sounds possibly \\"American,\\" or at least un-Jacobean!)

March 2016 I saw a London version (Into the Dark by Polly Len Heinkel) with monologs tying Othello to racist lynchings in the American South. Well, there are links, but Iago's hatred may be more about O's success than his race--and possibly more about Christian-Moorish dislike. Meanwhile, Iago is a friendly, confidential type--like John-Boy Walton (actor Richard Thomas). (Toby played this way in London, at Drayton Arms Theatre.) Directors err to make Iago evil-seeming so we don't credit his wise words. Most of Sh's villains speak very well (say, R3, or Goneril and Regan, Edmund). In Iago's case, Othello, who is no fool, sees him as \\"honest Iago.\\" Many criminals seem trustworthy, including serial rapists and murderers. They draw victims into their confidences. Iago does. If he appears evil, Othello appears a fool. He isn't.

Othello is a military man. (The curse of our American posture after WWII.) Although early in the play he disdains to draw his weapon against an amateur militia, later on his naivete leads him to retreat to his weapon as symbol of the strength he may no longer possess--shades of the NRA. He and Desdemona are pursued by the Venetian Renaissance NRA, Brabantio's \\"consorteria\\": When B says, \\"Call up my Kinsmen,\\" he's summoning his militia--common throughout Italy in the tower societies. He is tried at a crisis point in the Republic, when they need his services more than ever, but Desdemona's testimony frees him.

These are just surmises. That's why I call Malvolio the Bard's only American, though possibly also...the Muslim-American married to the White lady? The only article I have published on Othello was in my youth, on tone of voice in Othello, especially the variety of \\"O's.\\" This was in California English, in the 70s.