2. Introduction: Part II

About this Lecture

Lecture

In this module, we continue our introduction to the play, focusing in particular on: (i) the similarities between Othello and the new king of England, James I; (ii) the idea of Othello as a warrior-hero and his ideal-but-impossible union with the perfect, virginal Desdemona; (iii) the deftness of touch with which Shakespeare transforms the play from a comedy to a tragedy; and (iv) the extent to which Othello (a man who “loved not wisely but too well”) measures up to Renaissance ideals of kingship.

Course

In this twenty-one part course, Professor John McRae (University of Nottingham) explores Shakespeare’s Othello. We begin with a broad introduction to the historical, political and intellectual context of early 17th-century England, before going through the play scene-by-scene, providing close reading and detailed analysis, with commentary on character, plot, themes and motifs, language, symbolism, and more.

Note: We used the Arden edition of the play (Third Series, Revised Edition, ed. E. A. J. Honigmann). Students using a different version of the play may encounter slight differences in both the text and line numbers.

Lecturer

John McRae is Special Professor of Language in Literature Studies and Teaching Associate in the School of English at Nottingham University, and holds Visiting Professorships in China, Malaysia, Spain and the USA. He is co-author of The Routledge History of Literature in English with Ron Carter, and also wrote The Language of Poetry, Literature with a Small 'l' and the first critical edition of Teleny by Oscar Wilde and others.