Shakespeare is known for his countless tragedies and plays, such as Romeo and Juliet. Among these famous works is Othello, a tragedy featuring themes of truthfulness and manipulation. This story is about the Moor of Venice, named Othello himself, who appoints a man named Cassio as lieutenant. Enter our antagonist, Iago, who despises both of these figures and wishes to take them both down for his own selfish reasons, including winning a position of authority for himself and to dispel widely spread rumors. This story features a wide array of characters with different personalities, such as the innocent and lovestruck Desdemona and the easily gullible Roderigo. Not only does Othello feature romantic themes but also themes of cruelty, such as betrayal and breaking the trust of those who easily fall for lies. Othello, in this case, leads to his own downfall by easily placing his trust in people around him and letting those people take advantage of him.
I’d give this story a 4 out of 5; the thoughts and actions from the cast were interesting and kept me at the edge of my seat, anticipating what was to come next. The odds always seemed to work in Iago’s favor, and as the reader it was cruel to see how his witful plans worked out, and how they lead to devastating results. The story got a bit boring in the middle acts but quickly picked up near the end of the story (where most of the betrayals occur). I felt like some minor characters were forgettable or could have had a bigger role, or wish they would have appeared a bit more (such as Desdemona’s father). Without spoiling, the ending of Othello left me a bit sad on the inside, and I wish some characters got a better ending than they deserved (that being said, some characters did get what they deserved).
I’d give this story a 4 out of 5; the thoughts and actions from the cast were interesting and kept me at the edge of my seat, anticipating what was to come next. The odds always seemed to work in Iago’s favor, and as the reader it was cruel to see how his witful plans worked out, and how they lead to devastating results. The story got a bit boring in the middle acts but quickly picked up near the end of the story (where most of the betrayals occur). I felt like some minor characters were forgettable or could have had a bigger role, or wish they would have appeared a bit more (such as Desdemona’s father). Without spoiling, the ending of Othello left me a bit sad on the inside, and I wish some characters got a better ending than they deserved (that being said, some characters did get what they deserved).