Othello, a noble Moor, has in his command Iago, a lieutenant who is insanely jealous of Othello's success and higher rank. Othello elopes with his lover, Desdemona. (3 hours)
The Moorish general Othello is manipulated into thinking that his new wife Desdemona has been carrying on an affair with his lieutenant Michael Cassio when in reality it is all part of the scheme of a bitter ensign named Iago. (25 mins)
This programme offers a close study of the relationships of Othello, Iago and Desdomona, and attempts to define the nature of Othello's tragedy. The main characters' private lives are seen against the background of the state of Venice, and the demands public duties make upon them. Special attention is given to the situation of women in the play. Includes worksheets (30 mins)
There have been numerous interpretations of Othello over the last 400 years. Virginia Mason Vaughan discusses four recent critical approaches: feminist, new historicist, marxist and post-colonial.
Is the world's greatest writer a cheat? Software normally used to outwit exam fraud has disclosed an obscure manuscript that was the source of many of the Bard's most famous lines.
