Shakespeare and a Drink

Like Shakespeare’s other major tragedies, Othello focuses on the nature of evil, but it differs from them in that there’s not much in the way of politics or of divine judgement or justice.

Its lack of a secondary plot and its small cast add an element of directness and immediacy that only Macbeth shares. There are much poetry and imagery of nature and of monsters. The imagery is rich and complex.

What’s Venice like? Why is Othello a Moor? What’s going on inside Iago? Why does Othello fall for Iago’s lies about Desdemona? What sort of person is she? And above all…what’s eating Othello??!?!