Othello: Amazon.ca: William Shakespeare, Stephen Orgel: Books

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Book Description

"I feel that I have spent half my career with one or another Pelican Shakespeare in my back pocket. Convenience, however, is the least important aspect of the new Pelican Shakespeare series. Here is an elegant and clear text for either the study or the rehearsal room, notes where you need them and the distinguished scholarship of the general editors, Stephen Orgel and A. R. Braunmuller who understand that these are plays for performance as well as great texts for contemplation." (Patrick Stewart)

The distinguished Pelican Shakespeare series, which has sold more than four million copies, is now completely revised and repackaged.

Each volume features:
* Authoritative, reliable texts
* High quality introductions and notes
* New, more readable trade trim size
* An essay on the theatrical world of Shakespeare and essays on Shakespeare's life and the selection of texts

Inside This Book (Learn More)
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First Sentence
Of the four tragedies commonly thought to be Shakespeare's greatest and the most distinguished examples of this form in the English language - Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, and Macbeth - Othello is the most tightly constructed and the narrowest in scope. Read the first page

Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover

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Customer Reviews

6 Reviews

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4.7 out of 5 stars (6 customer reviews)

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4.0 out of 5 stars "I am not what I am", Oct 21 2003

By

MrSherlockHolmes - See all my reviews

This review is from: Othello (Paperback)

I first had to read this book in my senior high school years. We must have read the play at least three times, watched the movie (with Lawrence Fishburne) twice and read some of the accompanying notes. The first time we went thru it, the thing that struck me was the deceptiveness of Iago. He stands out in the book as the embodiment of true evil because of his ability to manipulate and deceive. His presence fills every scene he is in and Shakespeare doesn't give us the chance to see any redeeming qualities of this man.

Character studies are only one way to look at Othello. There are countless books on the market that dissect the play, exploring it from all angles, explaining the themes that Shakespeare explores, whether it be inter-racial marriage, jealousy or the evil nature of Iago and I would recommend you search these 'aids' out if you are doing a study of Othello for your English class.

Apart from Shakespeare's literary genius, most of his stories also have a moral behind them. The ones that stood out the most in Othello were the need for trust in a relationship and the dangers of jealousy unchecked. If you haven't ever read this play, or made the excuse that the language is daunting, you are truly missing out on a masterpiece of English literature.

I consider this play one of Shakespeare's great tragedies along with Hamlet and Julius Ceasar but the only really tragic thing about Othello is reading the play and coming away from it without learning anything new about life. Now that would be a tragedy indeed!

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5.0 out of 5 stars Perhaps Shakespeare's Greatest Tragedy, Jan 10 2002

By

Nath3001 (Lansing, MI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Othello (Paperback)

I have read Othello, Hamlet, Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, and Julius Caesar, and I consider Othello to be Shakespeare's greatest tragedy that I have read to this point. The villain, Iago, is unlike any other villain. His character seems to be pure evil and is, in my mind, the most intense villain created by a writer known for his intense villains. I believe this play has a more enduring value than other Shakespeare works and can still be enjoyed by all today. It puts a clear boundary between good and evil unlike any other Shakespeare tragedy. The play centers on Iago's attempt to ruin Othello after he is passed up for a higher position in Othello's forces for a young, inexperienced soldier, Michael Cassio. He hatched an elaborate plan of evil and Othello falls perfectly into his trap. It is painful to read the play, with the knowledge of Iago's plan, if you develop sympathy for the unsuspecting Othello as he gets closer and closer to the final trap. I find it unbelievably ironic that so small an article as a handkerchief could start off such a chain of death and sadness at the end of the play, but I won't spoil the rest for those who have not read it. If you have not read Othello, please do. It is a brilliant, passionate, tragic, timeless work by perhaps the greatest writer ever.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Shakespeare's Othello is the Ultimate Tragedy, Jan 9 2002

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Cheryl (Okemos, MI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Othello (Paperback)

Shakespeare's Othello is an interesting and dramatic tragedy. If you like imagery and irony, you will like Othello. Shakespeare uses the power of imagery skillfully to develop themes throughout the play. For example, recurring animal imagery is used to sharpen the contrast between people and beasts, showing how Iago and Othello begin to act more like beasts than human beings. Irony also adds much to the plot of Othello to make it interesting and exciting for the reader. Much of the irony used is dramatic irony because the reader knows of Iago's plot, while the characters in the play have no idea what is about to unfold. The relationship between men and women in Othello is another aspect of the play that makes it interesting to read. Iago's wife Emilia, for example, is very cynical towards men, probably from years of living with Iago. Othello and Desdemona's relationship is also intriguing. In the beginning of the play, Othello and Desdemona are seemingly deeply in love with each other. Othello, however, is rather easily convinced that his wife is cheating on him and becomes angry to the point where he cannot forgive Desdemona. He decides to kill her. As she is being murdered, Desdemona tries to protect her husband's innocence in her own murder. Another interesting aspect of the play which makes it stand out from other Shakespearean plays is the race of the main character. Othello is black and a Moor, or Muslim. This fact brings up issues to be explored in the play. Shakespeare shows the characters being separated not only by status and rank but also by their place of origin and their religion. Overall, Shakespeare's Othello is dramatic, well-written, and thoroughly explores how evil a human being can become.

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Most recent customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Shakespeare's Othello is the Ultimate Tragedy
Shakespeare's Othello is an interesting and dramatic tragedy. If you like imagery and irony, you will like Othello. Read more

Published on Jan 9 2002 by Cheryl

5.0 out of 5 stars Shakespeare's Othello is the Ultimate Tragedy
Shakespeare's Othello is an interesting and dramatic tragedy. If you like imagery and irony, you will like Othello. Read more

Published on Jan 9 2002 by Cheryl