ABSTRACT

Originally published in 1988. Selections here are organised chronologically looking at both theatrical commentary and literary criticism. The organisation brings out the shifts in emphasis as each generation reinvents Shakespeare, and Othello, by the questions asked, those not asked, and the answers given. Chapters cover the theme of heroic action, Iago’s motivation, guilt and jealousy, and obsession. Some entries from the world of theatre delve into the portrayal of the Moor, Desdemona and Iago from the 1940s on. Authors include A. C. Bradley, William Hazlitt, Ellen Terry, Konstantin Stanislavsky, Helen Gardner and Edward A. Snow.

chapter |6 pages

From A Treatise on the Passions

chapter |20 pages

Mr. Kean's Iago

chapter 5|14 pages

From Shakespearean Tragedy

chapter |8 pages

Desdemona

chapter |10 pages

Desdemona's Handkerchief

chapter |20 pages

The Noble Moor

chapter |12 pages

Barbarism and The City