What is the play really about? Does Othello really love Desdemona? Why does Iago hate Othello so much? How important is Othello's colour? What does Othello tell us about human happiness? How important is the age difference between Othello and Desdemona? How is Iago so successful? Is Othello too easily jealous? Is Othello's marriage ever consummated? What view of character emerges from Othello? In what light does the play show us male attitudes to women? Why is Othello's "Had it pleas'd Heaven" speech so important? Can Othello be seen as a racist play? Does Othello regain his nobility in the final scene? In the 400 years since Othello was written, thousands of critics have expended millions of words arguing about it. The aim of this short guide is to put these arguments into perspective. Drawing on more than thirty years of experience teaching and writing about Shakespeare, Graham Bradshaw outlines, in a clear and enjoyable way, the most interesting critical opinions. Taking these opinions into account, he also offers his own incisive and convincing view of the play.
This book is a must-read for any students of Shakespeare and for any theatregoers who want to enhance the pleasure they get from seeing Shakespeare's astonishing works in performance.