Othello
1604
Tragedy
Shakespeare's tragedy of jealousy, set in Venice and Cyprus. Othello, a Moorish general in the Venetian army, secretly marries Desdemona, the daughter of a senator — an interracial match that scandalises her father even after she testifies she chose it freely. Passed over for promotion, Othello's ensign Iago sets out to destroy him, using a stolen handkerchief and a masterclass in insinuation to convince Othello that Desdemona is unfaithful with his lieutenant Cassio. The general who can face down an armed mob unmoved is undone by sexual jealousy — "the green-eyed monster" — and strangles his innocent wife before the truth comes out and he takes his own life. Iago, one of the great villains of the stage, is caught but never explains himself.