Othello by Edith Nesbit (1907)
In Venice, an ensign named Iago hates his general, Othello, for promoting Michael Cassio to lieutenant instead of him. Iago's friend Roderigo, who covets Desdemona for himself, helps Iago rouse her father, Brabantio, after Othello, a Moor, has secretly married Desdemona. Brabantio accuses Othello of sorcery before the Duke of Venice, but Desdemona declares she loves Othello despite his dark face because she "saw Othello's visage in his mind." The Duke sends Othello to defend Cyprus against the Turks, and Desdemona is allowed to join him there. In Cyprus, Iago gets Cassio drunk, provoking a brawl with Montano that leads Othello to strip Cassio of his rank. Iago advises Cassio to seek Desdemona's intercession, then poisons Othello's mind by suggesting something improper passed between Cassio and Desdemona. Othello begins to suspect his wife. Desdemona drops a strawberry-embroidered handkerchief, a gift from Othello; her attendant Emilia (Iago's wife) picks it up, and Iago steals it from her, planting it in Cassio's lodgings. Cassio, not recognizing it, gives it to his sweetheart Bianca to copy. Iago arranges for Othello to overhear Cassio speaking of Bianca while letting Othello believe he speaks of Desdemona. Othello's jealousy hardens into murderous intent; he commands Iago to kill Cassio within three days and resolves to strangle Desdemona himself, calling it pitiable even as his rage grows. When Lodovico arrives with a letter recalling Othello to Venice and naming Cassio governor, Othello strikes Desdemona in front of the company and rages incoherently. Iago sets Roderigo to murder Cassio, but Cassio survives the attack while Roderigo is wounded; Iago then stabs Roderigo to silence him. At the castle, Othello confronts Desdemona in their bedchamber, accuses her, and smothers her despite her protests of innocence. Emilia discovers the dying Desdemona, who insists no one killed her, then exposes Iago's lies about the handkerchief. Othello, realizing the truth, attacks Iago, who fatally wounds Emilia before fleeing; he is captured and brought back. Rather than be taken to Venice for trial, Othello asks the Venetians to remember him fairly, recounts a past act of justice against a Turk who struck a Venetian, and stabs himself, dying with a final kiss upon Desdemona's face.
By Edith Nesbit · First published 1907 · Genre: Tragedy, Drama, Literary Fiction · 2,970 words
First lines
Four hundred years ago there lived in Venice an ensign named Iago, who hated his general, Othello, for not making him a lieutenant. Instead of Iago, who was strongly recommended, Othello had chosen Michael Cassio, whose smooth tongue had helped him to win the heart of Desdemona. Iago had a friend called Roderigo, who supplied him with money and felt he could not be happy unless Desdemona was his wife.
Similar titles
- A Physiologists Wife by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
- The Three Musketeers by Rudyard Kipling
- Suspense Volume Iii by Henry Seton Merriman
- The Assassin In Modern Battles by Stephen Crane
- The Death Fires Of Les Martigues by Thomas A. Janvier
- The Other Man by Rudyard Kipling
Genres
- Tragedy — The narrative centers on the inevitable destruction of the protagonist through his tragic flaw of jealousy, culminating in multiple deaths including the innocent Desdemona, meeting the essential definition of tragic literature.
- Drama — Structured around dramatic scenes, conflict, and dialogue-driven action despite being presented in prose form rather than as a theatrical script, maintaining dramatic conventions of rising action and climactic resolution.
- Literary Fiction — Explores profound themes of jealousy, racial prejudice, manipulation, betrayal, and the corruption of love through sophisticated character psychology and thematic depth.
- Adaptation — This is a prose retelling of Shakespeare's original play, maintaining the core plot, characters, and thematic structure while presenting them in narrative form accessible to a broader audience.
Tags
jealousy · tragedy · romantic tragedy · manipulation · deception · racism · honor · reputation · Venice · Cyprus · Moor · murder
What this Textopian page supports
Othello is listed on Textopian as a short story by Edith Nesbit, dated 1907 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: Edith Nesbit
- Date: 1907 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Tragedy, Drama, Literary Fiction, Adaptation, Historical Fiction
- Length: 2,970 words
- Structure: 1 section, 66 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Othello by Edith Nesbit
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph