Othello in context by Discovering Literature – British Library

Explore more Discovering Literature articles

discovering_literature — 2024-09-11 08:31:56 UTC

Explore 100 of our best loved articles, perfect for teachers of Years 10–13.

Racism, misogyny and ‘motiveless malignity’ in Othello

discovering_literature — 2024-09-11 08:32:20 UTC

The causes of the tragedy of Othello are more complex and disturbing than they might at first appear, Kiernan Ryan contends.

Misunderstanding in Othello

discovering_literature — 2024-09-11 08:32:28 UTC

Othello is a tragedy that proceeds from misunderstandings and miscommunication. Many of these errors are bound up with Iago's deception, but Michael Donkor looks at other, additional causes in the play.

Othello in context: teacher's resource pack. Part 1

discovering_literature — 2024-10-14 15:19:21 UTC

Migration stories and travellers' tales

Othello in context: teacher's resource pack. Part 2

discovering_literature — 2024-10-14 15:19:33 UTC

Othello's migration to Venice

Othello in context: teacher's resource pack. Part 3

discovering_literature — 2024-10-14 15:19:42 UTC

Desdemona and the role of women

Strangers in the city: the cosmopolitan nature of 16th-century Venice

discovering_literature — 2024-10-14 15:20:48 UTC

Othello shows us the cosmopolitan nature of renaissance Venice, as Dr Farah Karim-Cooper reveals.

Character analysis: Iago in Othello

discovering_literature — 2024-10-15 15:53:25 UTC

Alexandra Melville provides a close reading of the villainous character of Iago in Act 2, Scene 1 of Othello.

An introduction to Shakespearean tragedy

discovering_literature — 2024-10-15 15:56:29 UTC

Despite their dazzling diversity, the tragedies of Shakespeare gain their enduring power from a shared dramatic vision, argues Kiernan Ryan.

Explore more articles on Shakespeare and Renaissance writers

discovering_literature — 2024-10-21 14:51:26 UTC

Examine rich subject matter from Juliet's eloquence to Macbeth's witches.

Professor Emma Smith's Approaching Shakespeare podcasts

BL_Learning_7 — 2025-10-27 10:16:50 UTC

Each lecture in this series focuses on a single play by Shakespeare, and employs a range of different approaches to try to understand a central critical question about it.