Category: Othello

Thank you to Murray Biggs for returning to provide our introduction to Othello:

Murray Biggs was born in England, raised in South Africa, and educated there and at Oxford. In 1986, after ten years’ teaching at MIT, he moved to Yale where he is now a semi-retired professor of English, Theater, and Film. He has published some 30 articles, many exploring the relations between text and performance, and directed over 40 stage productions, mostly with undergraduates, including 16 plays by Shakespeare, three of them twice. He lectures around the country on various aspects of drama.

More personally, Murray is my college professor and dear friend. Deepest thanks to him for providing another introductory video to the Shakespeare 2020 Project.

Many thanks, also, to my friend Joey Bianco of Whim Wham for the animated video elements.

So many resources, so little time. Here are some additional resources to enhance your experience of Othello:

• Othello resources, character map, and infographic from Course Hero.
• Several segments of the Shakespeare Uncovered on Othello are available on the PBS website.
• The Royal Shakespeare Company has excellent resources, synopsis, and information about Othello.
• Actor Hugh Quarshie wrote a fascinating article for the British Library titled “Playing Othello.” (Thanks to group member Shirley McDonald for sending this my way.)
• Video synopses are available on YouTube from Thug Notes, CliffsNotes, and Sommer’s World Literature to Go (featuring Playmobil figures).
• Also on YouTube: a full production from 1981, with William Marshall as Othello and Ron Moody as Iago, and a 2018 Kentucky Shakespeare version.

Thanks for Dan Hainsworth for letting us use his Shakespeare icons, as shown above right.

Enjoy these Othello images from the Folger Shakespeare Library. Find more here.