The Tragedy of Othello

Despite being an English major, and therefore a voracious reader, I had never before read, studied, or seen Othello. My only real knowledge of the play came from its comparisons to the OJ Simpson case and this video.

But, I immediately understood and appreciated why this play is considered one of Shakespeare's finest works. The story drew me in from the very beginning and even brought me to tears at its end. While many critics have argued that Othello is a barbarian from the start, with only a thin veneer of civility standing between him and chaos, I still felt it impossible not to find sympathy for him. My reading centered more on Iago as a cold, diabolical fiend without any sense of remorse, empathy, or humanity, and how his actions and speeches drove Othello to murder.

In some respects, Shakespeare's choice to leave Iago wordless at the end of the play struck me as a cop-out ("Demand me nothing. What you know, you know. From this time forth I never will speak word."). Iago's motivations and reasons for driving Othello to madness are never truly explained. We know he is jealous about being passed over for promotion, but is that his primary motivation for behaving the way he does? Or, is he a psychopath who delights in causing destruction and seeing others in pain?

One character I especially enjoyed, and would have liked to have heard more from, was Iago's wife, Emilia. I was curious whether this was the first time she was really seeing Iago for what he was, or whether she had had inklings during their marriage that he wasn't quite as "honest" as others think him.

Emilia's scene with Desdemona, as the latter unknowingly prepares for her deathbed, was one of the more poignant scenes in the play. It helped slow down the pace and further cemented Desdemona's goodness and innocence, making the following murder scene all the more tragic.

Finally, I learned that I think I enjoy reading Shakespeare's tragedies best, followed by the comedies, and then the history plays. That said, I've got three tragedies left to read, six comedies, and 10 histories.