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Othello



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Related Articles

 Shakespeare's Iago Compared with the Original
 The Character and Motives of Iago
 Othello's Motives

 Play Construction and the Suffering and Murder of Desdemona
 Desdemona's Realism
 Desdemona's Dying Assertion

 Othello as Tragic Hero
 Stage History of Othello
 Othello: Plot Summary

 Iago's Power Over Othello
 Othello's Jealousy
 The Moral Enigma of Shakespeare's Othello

 Othello: Q & A
 Quotes from Othello
 How to Pronounce the Names in Othello

 Iago Character Introduction
 Othello Character Introduction
 Desdemona Character Introduction

 Othello's Suicide and Morality
 The Relationship Between Iago and Emilia
 Iago and Roderigo

 Roderigo, Emilia and Shakespeare's Secondary Characters
 Shakespeare's Use of Introductory Scenes
 The Play of Othello as a Whole: Its Rank Among Shakespeare's Plays

 Iago's Motives: The Relationship Between Othello and Iago
 Shakespeare and Race: The Relationship Between Othello and Desdemona

 Othello: Essay Topics
 Shakespeare's Sources for Othello
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 Shakespeare Quotations (by Play and Theme)
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In the Spotlight

Quote in Context

And what's he, then, that says I play the villain?
When this advice is free I give and honest,
Probal to thinking, and, indeed, the course
To win the Moor again
                                           Othello (2.3), Iago

"Iago is the perfect villain. He neither respects moral beauty as seen in Desdemona, nor the grand nobleness of the mighty-souled Othello. All things pure and noble in their nature are looked upon as far beneath his "learned spirit." As Mr. Hudson says, Iago is "severely introversive," and is only satisfied by dipping what is good into his own vileness and bringing it forth reeking in the filth of his own evil nature. The purest of all sentiments is, in his mind, a mere "lust of the blood and a permission of the will." It is utterly foreign to his nature; indeed, we cannot even conceive of lago's loving anything." [Fanny Ragland] Read on...

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Othello Stage History

Come on, come on; you are pictures out of doors,
Bells in your parlors, wild-cats in your kitchens,
Saints m your injuries, devils being offended,
Players in your housewifery, and housewives' in your beds.
                     Othello (2.1), Iago, on women

One performance of Othello, produced in 1660, starred an actress by the name of Margaret Hughes in the role of Desdemona. This production is of particular importance because it marked the first time a woman was accepted on the English stage. Before this, all the characters, whether male or female, were played exclusively by men. Read on...

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