Reviews - Othello Annotated

4.05k reviews for:

Othello Annotated

William Shakespeare

3.78 AVERAGE

lammeyb's review against another edition

3.0

dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

lilykh13's review against another edition

5.0

shakespeare out here single-handedly defeating sexism and racism

camilaquintero's review against another edition

5.0

dark emotional reflective tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

the best shakespeare play ever. actually understandable and the characters are so 3 dimensional. one of my favorite works of literature ever and teaches you so many lessons about jealousy, revenge, love, and betrayal.

professor_dinosaur's review against another edition

4.0

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

fatema_04's review against another edition

4.0

funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

ec_newman's review against another edition

4.0

It's so harrowing, because you know what's coming. It doesn't take long for the outcome to be visible, (pretty typical of shakespeare), but like R&J, I still hope it won't happen.

Othello is an idiot, yes, for listening to Iago and not trusting his wife, but in some ways, it makes sense. He's fought with Iago and there is a bond between brothers at arms that transcends the intimacy of a marriage. Also, he and Desdemona don't really know each other all that well. To me, it seems that due to Othello's outsider-ness, he struggles with self-loathing as different as he is from those he lives near. Had he been okay with himself and who he was, he might have believed the best of his wife, and not his 'friend'.

Friendship wins out over marriage in this play. Not just with Othello and his trusting of Iago over his wife, but Emilia's defiance of her husband at the end, in order to 'save' her friend, Desdemona's reputation. She is fierce and I really love her as a character.

Iago...is brilliant. Evil as all get out (jealousy and envy don't just relate to Othello), but so smart about how he goes around to enact his plans for revenge. His ability to twist those around him (Roderigo and others)...just brilliant. A smart villain is far more interesting than a tortured hero. Sorry, Othello.