Othello, directed by Vishal Bhardwaj, was based on a story that was already known. However, Shakespeare's creation doesn't just stay within the boundaries of the story. There is an invisible food for thought hidden between the lines. Just knowing the story won't fully acquaint a gentleman; reading his plays is a special experience.
Sunil Gangopadhyay wrote in his poem, "There is a pain sleeping beside love." This pain is called jealousy. Right or wrong, appropriate or inappropriate, it doesn't matter. Jealousy is a fact. (In this review, by jealousy, I mean sexual jealousy. Shakespeare also meant the same.) There comes a time when the burning of love and the burning of jealousy occur together. The two flames cannot be distinguished and identified separately. The color of jealousy is said to be green, which is perhaps not correct. The color of jealousy is actually red.
Jealousy is taken as the main theme of the play Othello throughout the ages. There is another aspect in this play that is almost equally important but less discussed. Let's say a few words about the more discussed aspect first.
There is a character named Iago in the play who is adorned with the title of the villain. Although I think Iago is just a fictional part of our minds. No matter how much we consider ourselves to be virtuous people, smiling with a false smile, sitting carefree, we don't realize that each of us inside knows the villain very well. We know but turn our faces away. We look at the bird, the creator, the flower, the sky... with a sad gaze until that sky falls on our heads.
Iago plants the seeds of jealousy in the heart of his friend Othello through deceit and cunning. Did Othello not know that he was making a mistake in his judgment? Did he not know that he was going crazy with the sting of jealousy? Of course he knew. But jealousy is a strange thing. It reaches a conclusion first. Then the search for the reason begins. Finally, he will surely find the "reason". If necessary, he will manufacture the reason. But still, the reason is what he wants! The jealousy inside his heart waits for the fire to burn, and the person sacrifices himself in that fire.
Othello: Think on thy sins.
Desdemona: They are loves I bear to you.
Well, now let's come to the second important aspect, which is racism. The hero of the play, Othello, is a black man. He is referred to as a "moor" in the play. In those days, the word "moor" meant almost the same as the word "African" today. Although Othello is a respected person in society, still, for his sake, words like "black man", "black moor", "black ram", "thick-lips" are used.
Othello's wife, Desdemona, is a white woman from a noble family. One of the main objectives of racism is to bend the psychological state of a person. Those who have to become victims of racism, at one point, they actually start to think of themselves as inferior. They start to think of themselves as inadequate. Even today, interracial marriages are considered taboo. (I am writing this review sitting under the roof at dawn. Suddenly, a small chirping bird is heard in my ear. I read in Robert Sapolsky's writing that the chirping of birds, no matter how sweet it sounds to our ears, is actually their jealousy-induced cry.) Anyway, what I was saying... Even today, if this is the situation, then in a society four hundred years ago (Othello was written in 1603 AD), how could the social impact of this play be normal?
To estimate how it could be normal, let's take an example from today's society, not from that time. When apartheid was in force in South Africa, there was a legal provision called the "Immorality Act". If a black person showed the courage to have a love affair with a white person, then that black person was given appropriate punishment according to this act. Now, in 1987 (only 35 years ago!), when apartheid was in the middle of its existence in South Africa, a production of the play Othello was staged at the famous "Market Theatre" in Johannesburg.
Johnny Depp, a black man, played the role of Othello. Joanne Winberg, a white woman, played the role of Desdemona. After the play was over, the actor who played Othello was arrested. The reason for the arrest? "In front of the white audience, you kissed and hugged Desdemona on stage! The audience's faces were filled with disgust and nausea! How did you get such courage?? Come on, let's have some fun!"
Now two questions have arisen in my mind, and I am still looking for their answers. One, how was it possible to stage the play Othello in a society that was extremely racist at that time? What was Shakespeare's true intention after writing the play Othello? Was it just the demonstration of the poison called jealousy? Or something else? Two, was Shakespeare trying to show that as a black man, Othello was a person with a low self-esteem, and was the lack of his self-respect the real reason behind his jealousy? Could Desdemona, who was on his palm, not be digested by him? Can a person only digest what he is capable of digesting? If something is achieved outside of his capability, does it show that his digestion is messed up?
Othello: Her name, that was as fresh as Dian's visage, is now begrimed and black as mine own face.
My words have come to an end (there were many more words, but where is the space?), and before turning the page, I must say a few words about the edition that I read. I read this play from the "No Fear Shakespeare" edition. The specialty of these editions is that the original play is given on the left page, and the modern English "translation" of that play is on the right page. For those who are "specially ignorant" like me about the Elizabethan era English language and pre-modern English literature, these editions are a form of blessing. Needless to say, the play can be read twice at the same time. For this reason, it took me a long time to finish it.

  The spark of light held with both hands
Sometimes trembles like your secret in my heart,
There is also jealousy inside, like a referee
Sharp-tongued
Like a Jedi among boys
Looking here and there, but still the heart doesn't agree

There is a pain sleeping beside love.

\\n  I had rather be a toad and live upon the vapor of a dungeon than keep a corner in the thing I love for others’ use.\\n

This play recently reemerged in my life when I was taken to see its performance in Madrid. Despite not understanding much due to the elaborate and rapid Spanish, I still found enjoyment in it. (The performance, among other things, featured extensive semi-nudity, men on dog leashes wearing gas masks, and M.I.A.’s “Paper Planes.”) Inspired, I decided to watch the BBC Television Shakespeare version, with Anthony Hopkins (appearing suspiciously dark) in the titular role.
\\t\\t
The first time I read this play, I recall being somewhat confused. Othello seemed stiff and unappealing, Desdemona overly sickly sweet, and Iago’s actions lacked a discernible motive for achieving seemingly pointless ends. This time around, I believe I have made some progress.
\\t\\t
Othello naturally links itself in my mind with Julius Caesar. In these plays, the titular characters, both generals, are distant, cold, and simplistic, and are ultimately overshadowed by other characters. In Julius Caesar, Brutus takes the lead, grappling to live morally in an immoral world; in this play, we have Iago, who transforms heroes into villains and innocence into carnage.
\\t\\t
Who can focus on Othello when Iago is on stage? He is entrancing. Shakespeare appears to accomplish the impossible by making one of his own characters the author of the play. Iago orchestrates everything: he sets the plot in motion, manipulates the players’ emotions, controls when, where, how fast, to whom, for what reason, and what it all means. He is both playwright and stage manager, an artist whose intelligence is so crafty that he can paint directly on reality itself.
\\t\\t
The truly terrifying aspect of Iago is that he can make you believe him too, even when you know better. His lies are so utterly convincing, his psychological interpretations so sharp, and his attributions of motive and cause so plausible that I found myself questioning whether Desdemona actually slept with Cassio. Nobody in the play has a chance against such a wandering and beguiling genius. Even Othello, brave, noble, and commanding, is helpless in Iago’s clutches.
\\t\\t
The mysterious element about Iago is what drives him. At the beginning of the play, he attributes his hatred for Othello to rumors of Othello sleeping with his wife. Later, Iago claims he is resentful because Cassio was made Othello’s lieutenant. Yet his plan is not merely to tarnish Cassio’s reputation – the self-interested thing to do – but to corrupt and then destroy Othello’s soul – which benefits Iago not at all, or at least not in worldly terms.
\\t\\t
What seems to motivate him is not jealousy, envy, or egotism, but pure spite: the desire for revenge regardless of justice or self-interest. Revenge for its own sake. This is both terrifying and compelling because spite is such an exquisitely human emotion. It is an emotion that appears to have no practical benefit or rational justification; yet who has not felt the pangs of spite, the malicious joy in hurting someone who has hurt you? It is spite that prompts Milton’s Satan to fight against infinite power; and it is spite that spurs Iago on to destroy Othello, at great personal risk, for no personal benefit other than the joy of seeing Othello suffer for promoting Cassio instead of himself.
\\t\\t
As Harold Bloom notes, this tragedy is remarkable for having not even a moment of comic relief. It is unyielding in its horror. We witness innocent character after innocent character fall victim to Iago; we see Othello, a flawed but good man, descend into madness; and finally, we see Desdemona, the paragon of faithful love, smothered in her bed. Desdemona’s death scene is particularly difficult to watch. She does not cry out for help. She does not even protest her innocence as strongly as we might hope. Instead, she begs for one more day, one half-hour, one moment of life, and is denied.
\\t\\t
We don’t even have the satisfaction of seeing Iago pay for his crimes or having him explain himself. “Demand me nothing. What you know, you know. From this time forth I never shall speak word.”
\\t\\t
An interesting question is whether Othello and Desdemona’s marriage would have faced a crisis even without Iago. They are a particularly ill-fated couple. Othello is a man of war, shaped by camp life, accustomed to absolute power; he solves his problems with force; he destroys those who challenge or disobey him. Desdemona is love personified, faithful, kind, gentle, and completely without malice. She is attracted to Othello for his adventurous life; Othello is attracted to her admiration for him. The story of their courtship – Othello regaling her with his war stories, and she giving him hints of her interest – makes it seem as if Othello is only attracted to his own reflection in her. This is consistent with a man who refers to himself in the third person.
\\t\\t
Othello’s obvious unsuitability for married life makes him an easy target for Iago. Desdemona’s guileless purity makes her the perfect victim. Iago’s only mistake is that he underestimates his own wife – an odd, but telling mistake. Is there a moral to this story? I’m not sure. But I’ll be avoiding people named Iago.

Shakespeare wrote this play four centuries ago! How did he come up with such a dramatic plot, this dialogue, and the technical maturity of the theatrical work? It's a wonderful artistic work from which hundreds, and I'm not exaggerating if I say thousands, of artistic works have been inspired, from musical compositions to paintings, songs, films, stage plays, television works, and more. The gentle, loving hero Othello was given a noble position and a beautiful wife, Desdemona, despite his dark skin and Moorish origin. However, his height and skills made him the leader of the Venetian army and its knight, defending it against the Ottomans. His trusted advisor Iago resents him for choosing Cassio as his deputy, believing himself to be more worthy. So, he devises a diabolical plan to plant the seeds of doubt in Othello's heart about his beloved and his deputy, convincing him of their betrayal. The play ends with Othello strangling Desdemona with his own hands on their marital bed, only to later discover her innocence and kill himself as well.

".... A man who did not reason in his love. But rather wasted it.... A man who threw a pearl (a foolish, ignorant Indian) with his hand. Guilty of all his tribe.... A man if his eyes shed tears. Even if the tears were not from grief. Like the trees of the Arabs shed their healing resin.."

From my perspective, the hero is not Othello or Desdemona, but rather Iago, who sows all the seeds of evil and manipulates all the characters in the play with perfect cunning and bold intelligence to serve his ultimate goal, whether he learned wisdom from them or ignorance from ignorance. I listened to the play from the treasures of the second program of the Egyptian Radio on YouTube.

This play is a masterpiece that continues to captivate audiences even after all these years. Shakespeare's ability to create complex characters and a gripping plot is truly remarkable. It makes us question our own judgments and the nature of jealousy and betrayal. The language used in the play is also beautiful and poetic, adding to its overall charm. Whether you are a fan of theater or not, Othello is a play that is well worth experiencing.

A masterpiece!

I have chills just thinking about it. I firmly believe that Othello is a play that truly showcases Shakespeare's genius.

The story is a complex web of love, jealousy, and betrayal. The characters are so vividly drawn that they seem to come to life on the stage.

Othello, the noble Moor, is a tragic hero whose downfall is brought about by his own insecurities and the manipulation of the villainous Iago.

The language in the play is simply beautiful. Shakespeare's use of words and phrases creates a powerful and emotional impact.

Every line seems to be carefully crafted to convey the characters' thoughts and feelings.

Overall, Othello is a timeless classic that continues to captivate audiences today. It is a must-see for anyone who appreciates great theater.

He is the original bad boy. Standing out and apart, the Moor, as he is called, is not his father's choice for his daughter. But Desdemona does what she wants. Rebellion is part of her nature, just as duty is ingrained in this great soldier. Their courtship is a whirlwind and occurs before the play begins. They run off together, marry, and return to her home.

Here is where the play begins. It isn't a drama with multiple twists and turns. It doesn't have a gazillion characters to keep track of. Perhaps for this reason, Othello is not commonly taught in schools. It wouldn't work in exams with short word answer questions of the "who did what and when" type. Othello is a simple story really. A friend comes between a happy couple with tragic consequences.

Who has not made mistakes? This is what it leads me to ask. Certainly no one who has loved or been loved. Othello's mistake is grave and a warning. Take care who you listen to and trust to believe. We should always be cautious in our relationships and not be too quick to believe the words of others. Othello's downfall serves as a reminder that even the strongest of loves can be destroyed by doubt and misinformation.

I truly loathe this play.

Othello, who claims to love his wife deeply,竟然 doubts her by blindly trusting Iago, a man he knows full well is an unsavory and untrustworthy fellow.

How could he be so stupid? It is simply mind-boggling.

Othello's actions are those of a moron, unable to see through Iago's devious plans and lies.

His lack of judgment and his susceptibility to Iago's manipulation lead to the tragic downfall of himself and those he loves.

The play is a study in human folly and the consequences of allowing jealousy and doubt to consume one's mind.

It is a cautionary tale that serves as a reminder of the importance of trust and the need to be vigilant against those who would seek to undermine it.

Overall, I find this play to be a frustrating and disappointing exploration of these themes.

I did not have an affinity for this work during my youth. I often ruminated on the blatant unfairness of it all. How could the 'gorgeous' white lady, Desdemona, be killed when she was entirely blameless? Moreover, as an African myself, it incensed me that a black man, 'the Moor', could rise to such a significant position in Europe hundreds of years ago, only to lose it all after the horrifying'slaying' of his wife, Desdemona. It was a case of palpable injustice to my young mind. As the years passed, I could scarcely bring myself to read the play in its original form again.

However, over the years, two aspects of this superb play always remained firmly lodged in my mind. Firstly, it reminded me of an African proverb, "Eyinkule l'ota wa, ile ni aseni n'gbe", which means "The enemy lurks somewhat in the backyard, but the arrant betrayer resides right inside one's house". Indeed, that is precisely "the honest Iago" within the context of this drama. Secondly, I found Agatha Christie's CURTAIN - the last Hercule Poirot mystery - to be utterly brilliant. Yet, the entire work, with its real villain, is based on the character of Iago. In other words, this Christie masterpiece was primarily inspired by Shakespeare's Othello. Of course, CURTAIN is a mystery work, and it is only at the end that we realize who the villain is. In this play, Othello, one winces from the very beginning when we understand how dangerous and evil Iago is, despite Othello's unwavering trust in him. As Iago says to Roderigo, "The Moor howbeit that I endure him not, Is of a constant, loving noble nature, And I dare think he will prove to Desdemona, A most dear husband...". Hence, Iago knows that Othello, despite being 'different', is a rather good man who loves his wife deeply. But despite this knowledge, he coldly and malevolently proceeds to destroy them both. We are well aware of how he goes about this, ultimately driving Othello into a jealous, murderous rage. Yet, even as Othello prepares to kill his charming wife, he is still very much in love with her and filled with guilt, as he states, "...and mak'st me call what I intend to do A murder, which I thought a sacrifice". It is truly a tragedy. Desdemona dies, and Othello takes his own life. What Iago has done is so heinous that it upset me for a long time. The conclusion of the play thus seems rather tame as Lodovico says: "To you lord governor (Gratiano) remains the censure of this hellish villain (ie Iago) The time, the place, the torture. O, enforce it!". Hmm...

I have always held a deep admiration for this play, considering it as Shakespeare's most theatrical tragedy. However, I also have the perception that it often leans perilously close to being a melodrama. Shaw astutely remarked that Othello is written "in the style of Italian opera." Indeed, it shares with Verdi and Donizetti the same powerful emotions and the same distinct demarcation of good and evil, which endow Lucia and Trovatore with their intense emotionality, yet also their lack of essential seriousness. During this particular reading, nevertheless, I began to have an epiphany that Othello is far more than just the greatest of melodramas. The key to truly appreciating its profound depth lies in the concept of the public mask.

Othello is a man who invariably dons a mask in public. It is the mask of a thoroughly professional military leader, one who is so noble that he seems impervious to emotions that might make others petty or untrustworthy. Iago, too, wears a similar mask. His is the mask of a thoroughly professional military subordinate, appearing frank and blunt, and seemingly incapable of dishonesty.

Othello's mask conceals a veritable snake's nest of fears. These fears are born from the insecurity of being a black man in a foreign white society. Iago's mask, on the other hand, hides the fact that he is a sociopath, driven by jealousy and rage.

Othello is unable to see the reality of the evil lurking beneath a mask that, in some respects, is analogous to his own. Instead, he misinterprets each sincere gesture of his devoted wife as evidence of the diabolical mask of a consummate adulteress. This is Othello's fatal error, and both Desdemona and Othello himself pay a heavy price for it.

I read Othello right after finishing Macbeth and I clearly lean towards the Moor of Venice, although I say it without too much enthusiasm. I don't take a liking to the author. I won't deny his historical relevance in literature and in the theater, he will surely have it, but those are not arguments that serve me to enjoy a reading. Nor can I deny his skill in handling the language, in the way he plays with it, but his works seem to me to overemphasize the obvious and that at some point, more in Macbeth than in this one, his plot or the situations he presents have rather appreciable flaws.

Shakespeare's plays are often regarded as masterpieces, but for me, they lack the charm that makes a reading truly engaging. In Othello, the story of the Moor's downfall due to jealousy is well-known, yet it fails to grip me. The characters, while complex, don't seem to come alive on the page. Maybe it's because of the language, which, although beautiful, can be a bit of a barrier for modern readers. Or perhaps it's the way the plot unfolds, with its predictable twists and turns.

Nevertheless, I recognize the importance of Shakespeare's works in the history of literature. They have influenced countless writers and continue to be studied and performed today. But for me, they remain more of a historical curiosity than a source of enjoyment. I prefer books that speak to me on a more personal level, that make me feel something deep inside. Maybe one day, I'll come back to Shakespeare and see him in a different light, but for now, I'll stick to my own literary preferences.

Over breakfast this morning, Not and I came up with a new and rather unique game.

It's named Insensitive!™ and the rules are straightforward. In twenty-five words or less, one has to write a summary of a book, movie, or play that manages to offend as many socio-economic groups as possible.

My first contribution is as follows. Not will share hers in the appropriate time.

Othello

An Italian woman with learning difficulties and daddy issues gets entangled with a mentally unstable military person and becomes yet another casualty of black-on-white domestic violence.

This summary contains 24 words. I'm not entirely certain exactly how many groups are being referred to in an Insensitive!™ manner, but it surely has to be at least seven.

This game is quite an interesting and perhaps a bit controversial way to look at different works of art and literature. It makes one think about how certain portrayals can have a significant impact on various groups in society.

We'll see what Not comes up with and continue to have fun with this game while also being aware of the potential sensitivities involved.

Courtesy of Sarah Caudwell

Julia once took me to see it. Afterward, I said I thought it was rather silly. The Othello character is supposed to have done extremely well in the army and be a whiz at strategy and such. In that case, he wouldn't be the kind of fool who thought his wife was having an affair just because she lost her handkerchief. But Julia didn't agree. What she actually said was that I was a semi-educated flibbertigibbet whose powers of dramatic appreciation would be stretched to the limit by a Punch and Judy show.

You see, Julia's view was that a man who had spent his whole life in the army was precisely the sort of man to become obsessed with pure womanhood and so on. Because he wouldn't have the opportunity to discover that women were more or less like anyone else, and he'd start getting all idealistic about them. So as soon as he found out that Desdemona wasn't perfect - I mean, the first time she spilled coffee or dropped cigarette ash on the carpet - he'd start feeling disillusioned and think she'd betrayed his ideals. And after that, making him think she was having an affair with someone else would be absolutely child's play. It was just what happened to my uncle Hereward.

Who could have known that a simple handkerchief could lead to such a great deal of trouble? It seems almost不可思议 that such a small and seemingly insignificant object could set off a chain of events that would result in so much pain and destruction.

This story is truly a tragedy, filled with betrayal, jealousy, and deception. However, I must admit that I am at least somewhat happy with Iago's fate. After all, he is the one who is responsible for all of the chaos and heartbreak. In the end, he gets what he deserves, and that provides a small measure of satisfaction.

All things considered, while the ending may not be completely happy, it is at least a somewhat satisfactory conclusion to this tragic tale. It serves as a reminder that our actions have consequences, and that we should always think carefully before we act.