Name: Othello
Author: William Shakespeare

How you explore Othello on Literah

The cast, the places, the objects, the plot, and the author’s own words — each one a card in a feed you scroll on your phone. One at a time, at your pace, in any order you like.

Built for your phone. Literah is designed for mobile, so your worlds travel with you. On a laptop it shows a QR code to carry the world to your phone.
A feed, not a wall of text. 14 characters, 13 places, 8 objects and 6 plot beats, each its own card with its own illustration.
The author’s own words. 56 passages of Othello sit in the feed verbatim, exactly as William Shakespeare wrote them, each with a short reading of what it is doing. The map is ours; the prose is always the book’s.
The same scroll, a better world. The gesture you already give away to feeds, spent on William Shakespeare instead.

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The Cast

Othello

Main · Venetian military command

A commander honored by Venice is undone when love is forced to answer the language of proof.

Locations

Venice

city

Here a marriage must defend itself before fathers, senators, and the law.

Passage

A servant coolly admits loyalty is a mask for ambition and betrayal.

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The Author’s Pen

I Follow But Myself

IAGO. O, sir, content you. I follow him to serve my turn upon him: We cannot all be masters, nor all masters Cannot be truly follow’d. You shall mark Many a duteous and knee-crooking knave That, doting on his own obsequious bondage, Wears out his time, much like his master’s ass, For nought but provender, and when he’s old, cashier’d. Whip me such honest knaves. Others there are Who, trimm’d in forms, and visages of duty, Keep yet their hearts attending on themselves, And throwing but shows of service on their lords, Do well thrive by them, and when they have lin’d their coats, Do themselves homage. These fellows have some soul, And such a one do I profess myself. For, sir, It is as sure as you are Roderigo, Were I the Moor, I would not be Iago: In following him, I follow but myself. Heaven is my judge, not I for love and duty, But seeming so for my peculiar end. For when my outward action doth demonstrate The native act and figure of my heart In complement extern, ’tis not long after But I will wear my heart upon my sleeve For daws to peck at: I am not what I am.

Reading

Iago sorts servants into two kinds, and the sorting is really a confession. First the loyal drudge who loves his own "obsequious bondage" and works like the master's donkey until he is too old and gets thrown out. Against him stand the men who wear "shows of service" while their hearts stay fixed on themselves, and grow rich doing it. Iago plainly places himself in the second camp: he follows Othello only "to serve my turn upon him." The speech tightens as it goes. What began as worldly advice about getting ahead narrows to a flat statement of principle: to show your true feelings openly is to hang your heart out for birds to peck. He ends by unmaking the very idea of a stable self, "I am not what I am," a deliberate inversion of God's "I am that I am."

World Index

The Plot

Iago's Grudge and the ElopementThe Senate and CyprusCassio's DisgraceThe TemptationThe HandkerchiefThe Murder and the Truth

The Cast

OthelloDesdemonaIagoEmiliaCassioRoderigoBrabantioBiancaDuke of VeniceLodovicoMontanoGratianoClownHerald

Locations

Before the CastleBianca’s LodgingBrabantio’s HouseCastle HallCastle in CyprusCyprusCyprus Castle RoomsCyprus HarborCyprus Street at NightFinal Bedchamber in the CastleThe SagittaryVeniceVenice Council Chamber

Objects of Note

Cassio’s LieutenancyLetters and Orders from VeniceOthello’s SwordRoderigo’s PurseThe HandkerchiefWedding Sheets and Marriage BedWillow SongWine

Core Concepts

Language creates worldsLove turns into possession when fear takes commandPublic honor cannot erase social othernessReputation is a fragile public selfSeeing is not knowingTrust becomes dangerous when falsehood wears the face of honestyWomen’s truth is clear before it is believed

The Author's Pen

Awake Brabantio ThievesStraight Satisfy YourselfI Must Be FoundKeep Up Your SwordsThe Main ArticleA Round Unvarnished TaleShe Loved Me For DangersA Divided DutyBrabantio’s Parting WarningPut Money In Thy PurseIago Plots Against OthelloProceed To The AffairsNews That the Wars Are DoneThe Divine DesdemonaMost Happy NowEnsnared in CourtshipA Proclamation of TriumphCassio Refuses Another CupCassio Stripped of OfficeReputation Lost and RecoveredDesdemona Can Restore YouTurning Virtue Into PitchHonest Iago's AdviceDesdemona Pleads for CassioI Do Believe Twas HeShow Me Thy ThoughtBeware of JealousyProof Before DoubtOthello's Occupation GoneOcular Proof DemandedCassio's Dream ConfessionEmilia Finds the NapkinTrifles Strong As ProofsLove Yielding to HateThe Handkerchief’s PerditionDesdemona Denies JealousyThe Handkerchief RefusedThe Stolen HandkerchiefHandkerchief And ConfessionThey Laugh That WinsIs This The Noble MoorAre Not You a StrumpetWhat CommittedRoderigo Accuses IagoDesdemona’s Willow SongWives Have Sense Like ThemPut Out The LightA Guiltless DeathEmilia Names the HandkerchiefEmilia Calls It MurderIago Will Speak No WordSpeak Of Me As I AmEvery Way Makes My GainThe Tragic Loading of This BedIago Keeps His Word

Plot point 01

Iago's Grudge and the Elopement

Passed over for promotion, Iago swears to destroy the Moor — and rouses a senator against Othello’s secret marriage to his daughter.

Objects of Note

The Handkerchief

Othello believes a lost scrap of cloth over his own wife's word.

The Cast

Desdemona

Main · Venetian nobility

A woman who speaks plainly and faithfully is trapped in a world trained to mistrust her voice.

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Othello

William Shakespeare

The cast, locations, objects of note, core concepts, and selected passages in the Author’s Pen - at your own pace.

One of 128 classics in the Literah library

The Othello feed, as it appears in your mobile

The plot of Othello

The story beat by beat, as Literah maps it.

Iago's Grudge and the Elopement
The Senate and Cyprus
Cassio's Disgrace
The Temptation
The Handkerchief
The Murder and the Truth

The author's pen in Othello

The passages themselves, William Shakespeare's own words, as Literah maps it.

I Follow But Myselfch. 1
Awake Brabantio Thievesch. 1
Straight Satisfy Yourselfch. 1
I Must Be Foundch. 1
Keep Up Your Swordsch. 1
The Main Articlech. 1
A Round Unvarnished Talech. 1
She Loved Me For Dangersch. 1
A Divided Dutych. 1
Brabantio’s Parting Warningch. 1
Put Money In Thy Pursech. 1
Iago Plots Against Othelloch. 1
Proceed To The Affairsch. 1
News That the Wars Are Donech. 2
The Divine Desdemonach. 2
Most Happy Nowch. 2
Ensnared in Courtshipch. 2
A Proclamation of Triumphch. 2
Cassio Refuses Another Cupch. 2
Cassio Stripped of Officech. 2

The characters of Othello

Who is who, as Literah maps it.

Othellomajor
Desdemonamajor
Iagomajor
Emiliamajor
Cassiomajor
Roderigosupporting
Brabantiosupporting
Biancasupporting
Duke of Venicesupporting
Lodovicosupporting
Montanosupporting
Gratianominor
Clownminor
Heraldminor

The locations in Othello

Where it happens, as Literah maps it.

Venicecity
Brabantio’s Househouse
The Sagittarylodging
Venice Council Chambercouncil chamber
Cyprusisland
Cyprus Harborharbor
Castle in Cypruscastle
Castle Hallhall
Before the Castlegarden
Cyprus Castle Roomsroom
Bianca’s Lodginglodging
Cyprus Street at Nightstreet
Final Bedchamber in the Castlebedchamber

The core concepts in Othello

What the book keeps returning to, as Literah maps it.

Trust becomes dangerous when falsehood wears the face of honesty
Seeing is not knowing
Public honor cannot erase social otherness
Women’s truth is clear before it is believed
Reputation is a fragile public self
Love turns into possession when fear takes command
Language creates worlds

The objects of note in Othello

The things that carry meaning, as Literah maps it.

The Handkerchief
Othello’s Sword
Roderigo’s Purse
Cassio’s Lieutenancy
Letters and Orders from Venice
Wedding Sheets and Marriage Bed
Willow Song
Wine

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How you explore Othello on Literah

The plot of Othello

The author's pen in Othello

The characters of Othello

The locations in Othello

The core concepts in Othello

The objects of note in Othello

Explore Othello. And 127 more.

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