Critical Study : Othello

Introduction - Edited by Ryan Chiu 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 …

…women should be inferior to men. The ancient, Aristotelian interpretation (which is perhaps one of the oldest interpretations of Othello throughout time since 300 BC) is concerned with defining Othello as a tragedy due to the criteria of a "complex plot" and a "tragic flaw" of the protagonist who falls from grace. As the context of the world today is changing ever so quickly, more and more interpretations/readings of this tragic text will change accordingly.