Shakespeare’s Othello

What could possibly bring one of the most powerful, successful men down on his knees? Jealousy? Mistrust? Deceit? … William Shakespeare’s Othello tells a tragic story of how jealousy and mistrust can rob a powerful man of his power. Due to the ever changing context of society throughout history, many more critical interpretations of the play Othello have been formed since the Elizabethan times. Throughout this book, you will find many differing interpretations of Othello. Two interesting interpretations to compare include : the ancient Aristotelian interpretation and the fairly recent feminist interpretation. The Aristotelian interpretation of the play is concerned with whether or not the play is labelled a true “tragedy”. Three factors which determine whether or not Othello fits under the criteria for a true, Aristotelian tragedy include : the plot, main characters and the cause of the “tragic” ending. On the other hand, the more recent, feminist view of Othello is concerned with the social status of women at the time, and the way in which women are portrayed in Othello.

Aristotle, a Greek