DRAMAS OF THE

WORLD

PREPARED BY: PADUA LYLE

MARIE V.
BSED-Y3
THE AUTHOR
• William Shakespeare was a renowned English
poet, playwright, and actor born in 1564
William Shakespeare in Stratford-upon-Avon. His birthday is most
commonly celebrated on 23 April. (see When was
Shakespeare born), which is also believed to be
the date he died in 1616.
• Shakespeare was a prolific writer during the
Elizabethan and Jacobean ages of British theatre
(sometimes called the English Renaissance or the
Early Modern Period). Shakespeare’s plays are
perhaps his most enduring legacy, but they are not
all he wrote. Shakespeare’s poems also remain
popular to this day. 
• When he was eighteen, Shakespeare married Anne
Hathaway, who was twenty-six.
• Altogether Shakespeare's works include 38 plays, 2 narrative
poems, 154 sonnets, and a variety of other poems. No original
manuscripts of Shakespeare's plays are known to exist today.
• Shakespeare died in Stratford-upon-Avon on 23 April 1616 at the
age of 52. He is buried in the sanctuary of the parish church, Holy
Trinity.
Genre
• Othello is a tragedy because it tells the story of a noble,
principled hero who makes a tragic error of judgment,
leading to a devastating climax in which most of the
characters end up either dead or seriously wounded.
SETTING
• Othello is set in Venice, presumably sometime in the latter
half of the sixteenth-century. Venice was at war with the
Ottoman empire between 1570 and 1573, so the play’s
reference to the threat of an attack on Cyprus could
reflect a setting sometime during this period. Venice was
well-known as an early example of what might later be
called a multicultural city, boasting a much greater
diversity of ethnicities and religions amongst its
inhabitants than most other European cities could.
• Othello is identified as “Moor”.
PLOT SUMMARY
• Exposition
Othello and Desdemona marry and attempt to build a life together no matter
what differences they have in age, race and experience. their marriage was
sabotage by the envious Iago who convinces Othello that Desdemona is
unfaithful.
• Rising action
Iago tells the audience of his scheme, arranges for Cassio to lose his position
as lieutenant and gradually insinuates to Othello that Desdemona is unfaithful.
• Climax
The Climax occurs at the end of act III, when Othello kneels with Iago and vows
not to change course until he has achieve bloody revenge.
• Falling action
Iago Plants the handkerchief in Cassio's room and later arranges a
conversation with Cassio, which Othello watches and sees as “proof” that
Cassio and Desdemona have slept togeher. Iago unsuccessfully attempts to kill
Cassio, and Othello smothers Desdmona with a pillow.
• Resolution
After she dies Emilia figures out that Iago is responsible for all the whole mess.
when she shares this to Othello and his men, Iago kills her Othello broken by
grief and guilt, stabs himself almost everyone dies.
CHARACTERS
• Othello
The play’s protagonist and hero. A Christian Moor and general of the armies of
Venice, Othello is an eloquent and physically powerful figure, respected by all
those around him. In spite of his elevated status, he is nevertheless easy prey
to insecurities because of his age, his life as a soldier, and his race. He
possesses a “free and open nature,” which his ensign Iago uses to twist his love
for his wife, Desdemona, into a powerful and destructive jealousy.
• Desdemona
The daughter of the Venetian senator Brabanzio. Desdemona and Othello are
secretly married before the play begins. While in many ways stereotypically
pure and meek, Desdemona is also determined and self-possessed. She is
equally capable of defending her marriage, jesting bawdily with Iago, and
responding with dignity to Othello’s incomprehensible jealousy.
• Iago
Othello’s ensign (a job also known as an ancient or standard-bearer), and the
villain of the play. Iago is twenty-eight years old. While his ostensible reason for
desiring Othello’s demise is that he has been passed over for promotion to
lieutenant, Iago’s motivations are never very clearly expressed and seem to
originate in an obsessive, almost aesthetic delight in manipulation and
destruction.
• Michael Cassio
Othello’s lieutenant. Cassio is a young and inexperienced soldier, whose high
position is much resented by Iago. Truly devoted to Othello, Cassio is extremely
ashamed after being implicated in a drunken brawl on Cyprus and losing his
place as lieutenant. Iago uses Cassio’s youth, good looks, and friendship with
Desdemona to play on Othello’s insecurities about Desdemona’s fidelity.
• Emilia
Iago’s wife and Desdemona’s attendant. A cynical, worldly woman, she is
deeply attached to her mistress and distrustful of her husband.
• Roderigo
A jealous suitor of Desdemona. Young, rich, and foolish, Roderigo is convinced
that if he gives Iago all of his money, Iago will help him win Desdemona’s hand.
Repeatedly frustrated as Othello marries Desdemona and then takes her to
Cyprus, Roderigo is ultimately desperate enough to agree to help Iago kill
Cassio after Iago points out that Cassio is another potential rival for
Desdemona.
• Bianca
A courtesan, or prostitute, in Cyprus. Bianca’s favorite customer is Cassio, who
teases her with promises of marriage.
• Brabanzio
Desdemona’s father, a somewhat blustering and self-important Venetian
senator. As a friend of Othello, Brabanzio feels betrayed when the general
marries his daughter in secret.
• Duke of Venice
The official authority in Venice, the duke has great respect for
Othello as a public and military servant. His primary role within the
play is to reconcile Othello and Brabanzio in Act I, scene iii, and
then to send Othello to Cyprus.
• Montano
The governor of Cyprus before Othello. We see him first in Act II, as
he recounts the status of the war and awaits the Venetian ships.
• Lodovico
One of Brabanzio’s kinsmen, Lodovico acts as a messenger from
Venice to Cyprus. He arrives in Cyprus in Act IV with letters
announcing that Othello has been replaced by Cassio as governor.
• Graziano
Brabanzio’s kinsman who accompanies Lodovico to
Cyprus. Amidst the chaos of the final scene, Graziano
mentions that Desdemona’s father has died.
• Clown
Othello’s servant. Although the clown appears only in two
short scenes, his appearances reflect and distort the action
and words of the main plots: his puns on the word “lie” in
Act III, scene iv, for example, anticipate Othello’s confusion
of two meanings of that word in Act IV, scene i.
SYMBOLISM
 The Handkerchief
• The handkerchief symbolizes different things to different characters. Since
the handkerchief was the first gift Desdemona received from Othello, she
keeps it about her constantly as a symbol of Othello’s love. Iago manipulates
the handkerchief so that Othello comes to see it as a symbol of Desdemona
herself—her faith and chastity. By taking possession of it, he is able to
convert it into evidence of her infidelity.
• It alSo sybolizes virginity and fidelity.
 The Song “Willow”
• The song’s lyrics suggest that both men and women are unfaithful to one
another. To Desdemona, the song seems to represent a melancholy and
resigned acceptance of her alienation from Othello’s affections, and singing it
leads her to question Emilia about the nature and practice of infidelity.
CONFLICT
• External Conflict
man vs. man. In the novel Iago is the main source of conflict. he tells
Desdemona's father Brabantio, that his daughter has married a black man,
othello. This causes major conflict. Brabantio is very prejudice and when he
confronts Othello he is disrespectful towards him. Othello stays calm and
prevents the situation from escalating. Iago causes Othello to kill his wife and
himself all by lying and manipulating him.
• Internal conflict
the root of all the conflicts in the story spring from Iago's inner hatred and
jealousy that he develops over not being chosen as Othello's lieutenant. Iago
then plants seeds of jealousy and negativity in the minds of other characters.
Iago lies to Othello and tells him that his wife, Desdemona, has cheated on him
with Cassio. this leaves Othello jealous, mentally torn, and uncertain.
THEME
• Jealousy
Jealousy motivates the central conflicts of Othello: Iago’s resentment of
Othello, and Othello’s suspicion of Desdemona. Iago is immediately
revealed as a jealous character: in the first scene, he complains that
Cassio has been promoted instead of him even though “I am worth no
worse a place” (1.1.). He also later implies that his hatred of Othello is
rooted in jealousy, since there are rumors of Othello having slept with
Emilia. As Iago explains, even the hint of this possibility enrages him: “I
know not if’t be true / But I for mere suspicion in that kind / Will do as if for
surety” (1.3.). It seems that his jealousy is so intense that he does not
need proof of this infidelity before punishing Othello for it. Appropriately,
Iago decides to seek revenge by using jealousy as a weapon against
Othello.
• Deception and Treachery
In Othello, Othello simultaneously believes he is being deceived by
characters who are honest while failing to see the deceit and
treachery of characters who are tricking him. Othello refers to Iago
as “honest” multiple times, showing that he is totally blind to the way
Iago is tricking and manipulating him. Othello is so deceived by
Iago, he believes Iago is actually incapable of not telling the truth
Othello’s inability to correctly identify who is and is not deceiving him
makes him act rashly and ultimately lead to violence and tragedy.
THANK YOU