U.G. PLAY ''OTHELLO'' BY WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

 

U.G. PLAY ''OTHELLO'' BY WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

                   Introduction 

Othello is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare, probably in 1603, set in the contemporary Ottoman–Venetian War fought for the control of the Island of Cyprus, since 1489 a possession of the Venetian Republic. The port city of Famagusta finally fell to the Ottomans in 1571 after a protracted siege.

''OTHELLO'' BY WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

William Shakespeare’s Othello takes place in 16th-century Venice and also Cyprus. Othello is a noble black warrior in the Venetian army. He secretly marries a beautiful white woman Desdemona who is the daughter of a prominent senator named Brabantio. When he eventually finds out and is completely furious he decides to disown Desdemona.

Iago has a secret jealousy and resentment towards Othello because a soldier named Lieutenant Cassio has been put in front of him and also suspects that Othello has been cheating with his wife. Waiting on revenge, Iago plans a devious comeback to plant suspicions in Othello’s mind that Desdemona has been having an affair with Cassio. On one night He starts street fight with Cassio. Everybody gathers and Othello founds him in drunken state on time of duty, and is then dismissed from his post.

Desdemona takes up Cassio’s case with her husband, which only increases his suspicions that the pair are lovers. While all of this is happening Iago manages to find a treasured handkerchief from Desdemona that was given to her by Othello. He somehow gets the handkerchief on Cassio so that Othello sees it and he finally concludes that the possession is proof of the affair. Due to the jealousy, he orders Iago to murder Cassio. Then Othello decides to strangle Desdemona.

Immediately afterwards her innocence is revealed, and Iago’s treachery exposed. In a fit of grief and remorse Othello kills himself and Iago is taken into custody by the authorities.