Othello

"Take note, take note, O world,

To be direct and honest is not safe."

the text's introduction to the play (first)

have a look at Prof. Don King's notes on the play

Alvin Kernan's essay "Othello: An Introduction" (be prepared to discuss the essay in class), available on reserve in the library in Kernan's in A. Harbage, Shakespeare: The Tragedies [RES: Personal Copy]; be prepared to discuss Othello's character, the setting, and the movement from Venice to Cyprus.

after thinking about the motivation behind Iago's actions, read the three different assessments of Iago's character in the critical commentaries by Bradley, Gardner, and Spivack (class handout). With which assessment[s] does your understanding of Iago's character most closely agree?

Questions

For now, use these study questions from Prof. J. M. Massi!

Resources

Insightful articles on Iago include the following:

- Leah Scragg, "Iago--Vice or Devil?" Shakespeare Survey, 21 (1968), esp. 61-64.

- Bernard Spivack, "Iago Revisited," in Alfred Harbage, Shakespeare, The Tragedies, pp. 85-92 [RES: Personal Copy].

You might wish to look at one of these relevant articles:

- G. R. Hibbard, "Othello and the Pattern of Shakespearean Tragedy," Shakespeare Survey, 21 (1968), 39-45 [Ref: PR 2888 .C3]

- Michael Neill, "Changing Places in Othello," Shakespeare Survey, 37 (1984), 115-32 [Ref: PR 2888 .C3]

- E. E. Stoll, "Source and Motive in Macbeth and Othello," in Shakespeare: Modern Essays in Criticism, ed. Dean [RES: PR 2976 .D4]

If you would like to read about the Elizabethan Englishman's attitude toward and knowledge of foreigners, particularly Moors, you may wish to consult one of these articles:

- G. K. Hunter, "Elizabethans and Foreigners," Shakespeare Survey, 17 (1964), 37-53 [Ref: PR 2888 .C3]