Othello: A Critical Reader

Othello has long been, and remains, one of Shakespeare's most popular works. It is a favourite work of scholars, students, and general readers alike. Perhaps more than any other of Shakespeare's tragedies, this one seems to speak most clearly to contemporary readers and audiences, partly because it deals with such pressing modern issues as race, gender, multiculturalism, and the ways love, jealousy, and misunderstanding can affect relations between romantic partners. The play also features Iago, one of Shakespeare's most mesmerizing and puzzling villains.
This guide offers students and scholars an introduction to the play's critical and performance history, including notable stage productions and film versions. It includes a keynote chapter outlining major areas of current research on the play and four new critical essays. Finally, a guide to critical, web-based and production-related resources and an annotated bibliography provide a basis for further research.
/////////////////////////// 1. Critical Backstory / Richard Harp and Steven Hrdlicka -- 2. `Let Me the Curtains Draw': Othello in Performance / Christopher Baker -- 3. Othello: The State of the Art / Imtiaz Habib -- 4. New Directions: Othello, the Moor of London: Shakespeare's Black Britons / Matthew Steggle -- 5. New Directions: King James's Daemonologie and Iago as Male Witch in Shakespeare's Othello / Robert C. Evans -- 6. New Directions: Othello, the Turks and Cyprus / Raphael Falco -- 7. New Directions: Othello and His Brothers / Lisa Hopkins -- 8. Teaching Othello: Materials and Approaches / Alison V. Scott.