3 h 12 minAudiobook14 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at cost
Audiobook edition · 3 h 12 minPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
What if the person you trust most knows exactly how to turn your love into fear?
In William Shakespeare’s tragedy Othello, the Moor of Venice, a respected general marries Desdemona without her father’s knowledge. Othello wants to protect their love and his good name. But his ensign, Iago, hides hatred behind a reputation for honesty—and knows how to make suspicion sound like concern.
From a nighttime street in Venice to the island of Cyprus, the pressure builds. Desdemona speaks up for Cassio, Othello’s young lieutenant, while Iago plants doubts about her loyalty. A treasured handkerchief becomes caught in his schemes. Love, trust, and judgment are at stake in a world shaped by rank and prejudice.
What you’ll discover
- A leader and outsider Meet Othello, admired for his command yet vulnerable where love and belonging meet.
- Hatred behind an honest face Hear Iago explain himself to the audience while those around him trust his words.
- A marriage under scrutiny Watch Othello defend his love before the Duke as Desdemona’s father brings his charge.
- One small token Follow a cherished handkerchief as Iago draws it into his web of suspicion.
- A voice worth hearing Listen to Emilia speak bluntly about marriage while danger gathers close to her.
Who will love it
Readers who enjoy love under pressure, villains who speak to the audience, and vivid language will love this play. It also suits anyone fascinated by jealousy and trust.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A passed-over ensign decides to ruin his general
- Othello wins the Senate with the story of his love
- A storm, a wedding feast and a drunken brawl
- One planted doubt grows into a jealous storm
- Proof built from a handkerchief drives Othello to rage
- Honesty is a mask, and reputation is its coin
- Jealousy, race and the outsider in a close world
- How the play is built: speech, images and an audience in the plot
Who’s who
- OthelloA Black general in Venetian service, proud, honest and trusting, who wins Desdemona with the story of his life and is sent to defend Cyprus.
- DesdemonaBrabantio's daughter, who chooses Othello freely and follows him to Cyprus, and who pleads kindly for Cassio without seeing the danger.
- IagoOthello's ensign, passed over for promotion, who hides his hatred behind a show of honesty and plots to destroy his general.
- CassioOthello's newly chosen lieutenant, charming and loyal, who has a weak head for wine and a great concern for his good name.
- EmiliaIago's wife and Desdemona's attendant, plain-spoken and sharp, who loves her mistress and does a small favour for her husband without knowing why.
- RoderigoA rich Venetian gentleman in love with Desdemona, who hands his money and his will over to Iago in hope of winning her.
- BrabantioA Venetian senator and Desdemona's father, who cannot accept his daughter's choice and accuses Othello of witchcraft.
- BiancaA woman of Cyprus who loves Cassio and sees his kindness as a promise, and who gets pulled into Iago's plans.
Formats and delivery
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- Hardcover
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- Large print hardcover
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Othello, the Moor of Venice
by William Shakespeare · 1622
A general trusts his ensign, whose insinuations about Cassio begin to poison a marriage in Cyprus.
Medium level2–5 hours to readEnglish
Excellent
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In short
Two men stand under a window in the dark of a Venetian night and shout that thieves are robbing a senator. The thief, they say, is Othello, who has taken the senator's daughter.
Othello, the Moor of Venice at a glance
- Reading time
- About 1 h 55 min1 h 30 min fast, 2 h 20 min slow
- Length
- 27,700 words
- Pages
- 79 pages119 in large print
- Library level
- Medium longer sentences, everyday words
- First published
- 1622by William Shakespeare
Reading time at 238 words a minute (fast 300, slow 200). How long the classics take to read · Updated
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
A passed-over ensign decides to ruin his general
The play opens in a Venetian street at night. Roderigo, a rich and lovesick gentleman, complains to Iago. Iago answers with a grievance of his own. Othello has chosen Michael Cassio as his lieutenant, and Iago, who fought beside Othello, was left as a mere ensign.
He serves Othello, he admits, only to serve himself. From this moment the audience knows that the man everyone calls honest is the opposite.
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Also in the Shakespeare Tragedies Book Set: Four Plays
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Which edition is right for me
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas of the whole book in about 14 minutes. A good first look, or a refresher.
Details
- First published
- 1622
- Language
- English
- Reading time
- 2 h 5 min
- Level
- Medium level
Cite this edition
Shakespeare, William. Othello, the Moor of Venice. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/othello-the-moor-of-venice.
Shakespeare, W. (2026). Othello, the Moor of Venice. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/othello-the-moor-of-venice (Original work published 1622)
Shakespeare, William. Othello, the Moor of Venice. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/othello-the-moor-of-venice.
@book{shakespeare2026othello,
author = {Shakespeare, William},
title = {Othello, the Moor of Venice},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/othello-the-moor-of-venice},
note = {First published 1622}
}
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What is Othello about?
It is a tragedy about Othello, a Venetian general, and his wife Desdemona. Iago, an ensign who feels wronged, makes Othello believe she is unfaithful, and trust, love and honour begin to fall apart in Cyprus.
Who is Iago and why does he hate Othello?
Iago is Othello's ensign. He is angry that Othello chose Cassio as lieutenant and also says he suspects Othello of an affair with his wife. He gives several reasons, and the play leaves his true motive open.
What is the handkerchief in Othello?
It is the first gift Othello gave Desdemona, said to be woven with magic by a prophetess and given by his mother. Iago uses it as false proof of her unfaithfulness, so it comes to stand for trust.
The author
William Shakespeare
1564–1616 · English playwright and poet
William Shakespeare was an English playwright and poet, born in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1564. He worked in London as an actor and playwright. He wrote plays, including Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, and Macbeth, and published sonnets in 1609. He died in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1616.
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