The Tragedy of Othello
The Tragedy of Othello is a play by William Shakespeare, set in Venice and Cyprus during the 16th century. The play follows the story of Othello, a Moorish general in the Venetian army, and his beloved wife Desdemona. Othello is manipulated by his jealous ensign, Iago, who plots to ruin Othello's life by convincing him that Desdemona is unfaithful. Othello's jealousy leads him to murder Desdemona, and in the end, he realizes the truth and kills himself. The play is a tragedy of love, jealousy, and betrayal.
By William Shakespeare · First published 1603 · Genre: Tragedy, Drama, Romance · 16 chapters · 27,325 words
First lines
[Enter Roderigo and Iago]. RODERIGO: Tush, never tell me! I take it much unkindly That thou, Iago, who hast had my purse As if the strings were thine, shouldst know of this.
IAGO: 'Sblood, but you will not hear me. If ever I did dream of such a matter, Abhor me.
What this Textopian page supports
The Tragedy of Othello is listed on Textopian as a play by William Shakespeare, dated 1603 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Play
- Author: William Shakespeare
- Date: 1603 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Tragedy, Drama, Romance, Historical Fiction
- Length: 27,325 words
- Structure: 16 chapters, 1,554 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Tragedy of Othello by William Shakespeare
- 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
Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering The Tragedy of Othello?
- How does this play by William Shakespeare fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Tragedy first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
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Genres
- Tragedy — The title of the book is 'The Tragedy of Othello', indicating that the primary genre of the book is tragedy.
- Drama — The book is written by William Shakespeare, who is known for writing plays and dramas.
- Romance — The book follows the story of Othello and Desdemona, a couple in love, and their tragic story.
- Historical Fiction — The book is set in the 16th century, and is based on historical events and characters.
Tags
1500-1600 · Early modern and Elizabethan · Early modern and Elizabethan, 1500-1600 · English drama · Novel · Plays · Tragedy · bianca · brabantio · cassio · desdemona · dost
Contents
- SCENE I: Venice, a street
- Scene I: a Seaport in Cyprus; an Open Place Near the Quay
- Scene I: Cyprus, a Street
- Dramatis Personae
- SCENE I: Cyprus
- Scene I: Before the Castle
- Scene Ii: a Room in the Castle
- Scene Ii: a Street
- Scene Ii: a Room in the Castle
- Scene Ii: Another Street
- Scene Ii: a Bedchamber in the Castle; Desdemona in Bed Asleep; a Light Burning
- Scene Iii: Another Room in the Castle
- Scene Iii: a Hall in the Castle
- Scene Iii: the Garden of the Castle
- Scene Iii: a Council Chamber; the Duke and Senators Sitting at a Table; Officers Attending
- Scene Iv: Before the Castle