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'''''Othello''''', subtitled "the [[Moor]] of [[Venice]]," is a famous [[William Shakespeare|Shakespearean]] [[drama]] centering on the eponymous character, the fictional North African chief military officer of the City of Venice.  At the outset of the drama, Othello - a deeply respected and loyal man - is engaged to be married to Desdemona, the daughter of political leader of the city.  This union would result in an interracial marriage, an extremely rare occurrence in Shakespeare's day, and the characters in the play grapple intermittently with the problem of [[racism]], accordingly.

'''''Othello''''', subtitled "the [[Moor]] of [[Venice]]," is a famous [[William Shakespeare|Shakespearean]] [[drama]] centring on the eponymous character, the fictional North African chief military officer of the City of Venice.  At the outset of the drama, Othello - a deeply respected and loyal man - is engaged to be married to Desdemona, the daughter of political leader of the city.  This union would result in an interracial marriage, an extremely rare occurrence in Shakespeare's day, and the characters in the play grapple intermittently with the problem of [[racism]], accordingly.

However, the main story centers upon a plan by Iago, a friend of Othello, to sabotage Othello's sterling reputation, and destroy his life, by making Othello believe that Desdemona has been unfaithful to him.  Iago's desire to harm Othello emerges almost ''ex nihilo'' – [[Samuel Taylor Coleridge]] famously termed it "motiveless malignity" – and thus a main theme of the play is the "problem of evil":{{fact}} What makes a man evil, and what ''is'' evil?  One of Shakespeare's greatest [[tragedy|tragedies]], the play's plot often forms the basis for cinematic "modernizations."

However, the main story centers upon a plan by Iago, a friend of Othello, to sabotage Othello's sterling reputation, and destroy his life, by making Othello believe that Desdemona has been unfaithful to him.  Iago's desire to harm Othello emerges almost ''ex nihilo'' – [[Samuel Taylor Coleridge]] famously termed it "motiveless malignity" – and thus a main theme of the play is the "the destructive power of jealousy". This, combined with the minor themes of deception and love leads the viewer to the question, "What can make a man do evil things?", and what ''is'' evil?  One of Shakespeare's greatest [[tragedy|tragedies]], the play's plot often forms the basis for cinematic "modernizations."

[[category:Literature]]

[[category:Literature]]

[[Category:Plays of Shakespeare]]

[[Category:Plays of Shakespeare]]