Customer Reviews
The Green Eyed Monster - By: L. Davidson, 09 Jan 2008 
I decided to read "Othello" after enjoying "Hamlet",another one of Shakespeare's celebrated tragedies. I must admit that I did not enjoy "Othello" quite as much however. It's plot is quite complicated; labyrinthine at times, & much of it's language is obscure & hard to follow . The play concerns itself with the endeavours of the thoroughly malevolent & evil Iago to destroy the Moorish Venetian general Othello, his boss. He does so by poisoning Othello against his innocent wife Desdemona. He convinces him that his wife is having an affair with Othello's deputy (and Iago's rival) Cassio. Othello takes the bait & duly obliges Iago by becoming filled up with hatred of his wife which eventually leads to a tragic ending & a series of untimely deaths . The play lasts a little too longin my opinion.I never could quite figure out Iago's motivations for being so cruel, murderous & hurtful; was it pure sadism, racism, envy, frustration or a combination of all of these that turned him into such a destructive force ? The reader never quite knows. Othello ,on the other hand, clearly emerges from the play as an "honourable murtherer" , a noble dupe & a tragic fool. This Penguin Popular Classic edition is acceptable enough but I found the the notes & commentary to be somewhat limited.
Othello; William Shakespeare - By: , 07 Aug 2004 
A copy of one of the most influencial plays that Shakespeare constructed.
Great play, great edition. - By: eeleymatt@hotmail.com, 30 Jan 2002 One of Shakespeare's finest tragedies. As relevant today as it was 400 years ago. Iago is one of Shakespeare's greatest characters, his motivations endless & yet impossible to justify.
The best critical edition for pre-postgraduate students - By: Daniel P Lester, 26 Feb 2001 I don't quite know why this forum has become an opportunity for children to bandy simplistic reviews of what is universally acknowledged one of Shakespeare's greatest tragedies... Many of our greatest literary minds have spent their entire lives without fully comprehending the subtleties of Shakespeare's vision! What you really need to know is that this particular edition of Othello is one of the most usefully annotated of any available. Pitched to assist all but the most advanced of Shakespeare students & phrasedin language anyone can easily comprehend, it assistsin the development of a profound & sympathetic understanding of the play. Highly recommended.
Fantastic, so relevant to today. - By: , 23 Dec 2000 
Despite the difficult language, Othello has to be one of the most moving tales of tragedy available ever, with such a complex web of spins. Iago is the 'baddie', & is fantastic at his role bringing the end to many lives,in more ways than just by death itself. Othello is every part the "valiant Moor", & Desdemona, his bride, is every feminists nightmare, along with every romantics heroine.
What should be recognised is thatin Othello, we see so many aspects of life today, racism & sexism probably standing out the most. Othello is a fascinating read because of this, how Shakespeare could have understood racism as he doesin his age is beyond the imagination. Also, the crudeness of the character of Iago, & the pathetic Roderigoin some parts is enough to make the censors go wild, along with its political incorrectness, is great! And allin the name of education & culture.
