I kissed thee ere i killed thee. No way but this, killing myself, to die upon a kiss." Othello, a soldier in the service of the Venetian Republic, is tricked by his villainous ensign, Iago, into believing that his beloved wife Desdemona is an adulteress. In a fit of emotional imbalance, Othello murders her in the most ungracious manner. What happens when he comes to know that she is innocent? One of the four great Shakespearean tragedies, Othello represents the dark side of man. This tangible drama of intense emotion has been a source of various literary and non-literary adaptations and continues to be performed in theatres."

In a period of ten years, Shakespeare wrote a series of tragedies that established him, by universal consent, in the front rank of the world's dramatists. Critics have praised either Hamlet or King Lear as the greatest of these; Ernst Honigmann, in the most significant edition of the play for a generation, asks: why not Othello? The third of the mature tragedies, it contains, as Honigmann persuasively demonstrates, perhaps the best plot, two of Shakespeare's most original characters, the most powerful scene in any of the plays and poetry second to none. Honigmann's cogent and closely argued introduction outlines the reasons both for a reluctance to recognise the greatness of Othello and for the case against the play.This edition sheds new light on the text of the play as we have come to know it, and on our knowledge of its early history. Honigmann examines the major critical issues, the play in performance and the relationship between reading it and seeing it. He also explores topics such as its date, sources and the conundrum of `double time'.'Honigmann's extensive knowledge illuminates this play at every turn, making this the best edition of Othello now available.'Brian Vickers, Review of English Studies

Othello is a popular text for study by secondary students the world over. This edition includes illustrations, preliminary notes, reading lists (including websites) and classroom notes.

As You Like It is a popular text for study by secondary students the world over. This edition includes illustrations, preliminary notes, reading lists (including websites) and classroom notes.

Othello, the Moor of Venice is a tragedy by William Shakespeare believed to have been written in approximately 1603, and based on the Italian short story 'Un Capitano Moro' ('A Moorish Captain') by Cinthio, a disciple of Boccaccio, first published in 1565. The work revolves around four central characters: Othello, a Moorish general in the Venetian army; his wife Desdemona; his lieutenant, Cassio; and his trusted ensign Iago. Because of its varied themes - racism, love, jealousy, and betrayal - Othello is widely felt to remain relevant to the present day and is often performed in professional and community theatres alike. The play has also been the basis for numerous operatic, film, and literary adaptations. [Iago] Out of my scattering, and unsure observance; It were not for your quiet, nor your good, Nor for my manhood, honesty, or wisedome, To let you know my thoughts. Oth. What dost thou meane?