Othello

In Othello, one of William Shakespeare's plays, Shakespeare creates powerful drama from a marriage between the exotic Moor Othello and the Venetian lady Desdemona that begins with elopement and mutual devotion and ends with jealous rage and death. Shakespeare builds many differences into his hero and heroine, including race, age, and cultural background. Yet most readers and audiences believe the couple's strong love would overcome these differences were it not for Iago, who sets out to destroy Othello. Iago's false insinuations about Desdemona's infidelity draw Othello into his schemes, and Desdemona is subjected to Othello's horrifying verbal and physical assaults.

Othello was performed at court in 1604 and scholars believe Shakespeare wrote it that year or the year before. It was pubilshed as a quarto in 1622, and a somewhat fuller text was included in the 1623 First Folio. Giraldi Cinthio's Hecatommithi was the chief source.

Productions at the Folger

• Othello (Folger Theatre, 2011)

Helen Hayes Awards

Nominations: "Outstanding Lighting Design, Resident Production" for Andrew F. Griffin

• Othello (Folger Theatre, 2002)

Helen Hayes Awards

Nominations: "Outstanding Sound Design, Resident Production" for Scott Burgess

Early editions

First Folio

LUNA: First Folio: 2s3v - 2v6r

Hamnet: STC 22273 Fo. 1 no. 68

Second Folio

LUNA: Second Folio: 2v1v - 2y4r

Hamnet: 22274 Fo. 2 no. 07

First Quarto

LUNA: First Quarto

Hamnet: STC 22305 Copy 1

Second Quarto

LUNA: Second Quarto

Hamnet: STC 22306 Copy 1

Modern editions

Othello can be read online with Folger Digital Texts and purchased from Simon and Schuster.

The Folger Luminary Shakespeare App can be purchased on iTunes.

Hamnet link to Folger Edition: PR2753 .M6 2004 copy 2 v.27

Notes

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