Othello facts for kids
The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare around 1603. It was first performed on 1 November 1604 at Whitehall Palace in London. More recently, Othello was shown on Masterpiece Theater on PBS. The opera Otello of Giuseppe Verdi is based on this play.
Outline
At the start of the play Othello, a Moorish general in the army, promotes Cassio to lieutenant. Iago, his ensign, is angry and jealous, so he plots against Cassio by making him look bad and making Othello uncertain about keeping him as his lieutenant. Iago also tells Othello that his wife, Desdemona, is deceiving him by having a relationship with Cassio. Cassio is demoted and Iago is promoted to lieutenant. Othello kills Desdemona and is then told by Iago's wife, Emilia, that Iago plotted against him. He goes after Iago, and injures him but does not kill him. He then dies by his own hand next to his wife after telling Emilia to say sorry to Cassio for what he has done.
Characters of Othello
- Othello
- Iago
- Roderigo
- Montano
- Cassio
- Brabantio
- Desdemona
- Bianca
- Emilia
Images for kids
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Ira Aldridge as Othello, Henry Perronet Briggs (c. 1830)
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Desdemona and Othello, by Antonio Muñoz Degrain, 1880
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Othello costume. Illustration by Percy Anderson for Costume Fanciful, Historical and Theatrical, 1906
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Title page of the first quarto (1622)
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Portrait of Abd el-Ouahed ben Messaoud ben Mohammed Anoun, Moorish ambassador to Queen Elizabeth I in 1600, sometimes suggested as the inspiration for Othello.
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Artist William Mulready portrays American actor Ira Aldridge as Othello. The Walters Art Museum.
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Poster for an 1884 American production starring Thomas W. Keene
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"Othello" Chechnya National theatre Director Roman Markha (2021)
See also
In Spanish: Otelo para niños
