Prolific English dramatist and national poet William Shakespeare (1564–1616) was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. He lived in London for 25 years and wrote most of his plays there. The author of 37 plays and 154 sonnets, Shakespeare is considered the greatest writer in the English language and a dramatist without equal. Adept at both tragedy and comedy, the bard of Avon encompassed an incredible range of human emotions as well as mystery, magic, and romance in his plays. He wrote tragedies, comedies, and historical plays, and also performed on stage with the actors of the Lord Chamberlain’s Company. The wordsmith left an indelible mark on the English language and invented several words which are in use today. Shakespeare’s widely-adapted tragedies include Macbeth, Hamlet, King Lear, and Othello and his comedies include All’s Well That Ends Well, As You Like It, The Comedy of Errors, The Merchant of Venice, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
“Look to her, Moor, if thou hast eyes to see: She has deceived her father, and may thee.” Othello (The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice) by English dramatist and national poet, William Shakespeare, was written in 1603–1604 and published in the First Folio of 1623. This five-act tragedy begins when the celebrated black general of Venice, Othello, appoints Cassio as his chief lieutenant instead of the soldier, Iago. Blinded by jealousy and resentment, Iago plots Othello’s downfall. He falsely accuses Othello’s wife Desdemona and Cassio of having a love affair. Iago gets ample help from Roderigo, who resents Othello’s fame as much as Iago, to carry out his evil plan. The villainous Iago manipulates everyone around him and exploits Othello’s sexual jealousy for his own gains. Because of the play’s enduring themes of racism, love, jealousy, betrayal, revenge, and repentance, Othello has been widely performed. It continues to appeal to theatre-goers across the world and has been adapted for the opera and the screen several times.
