OTHELLO:
A play for our times, all times
By Ben J. Martin.
Othello was written, as a play by William Shakespeare (The Bard) between 1600 and 1606 so why is it still relevant? Well Othello is still relevant because of what the Bard based it on. Othello is a tragedy based on universal truths, emotions that we all feel at some point in our lives. But this is not the only reason why ‘The tragical Rembrandt’, as one critic called it, oh no since the start of the slave trade Othello’s political significance has changed and with it the way directors direct the play.
About these universal truths, what are they? Well a universal truth is an emotion we al feel such as love, hate, jealousy and so on. In Othello, the universal truths of love and jealousy are at the core of the play. The start of Othello is the marriage of a beautiful Venetian woman, daughter to a senate named Desdemona to a navel officer, the Moor (Othello). These was a marriage of love but with Othello’s ancient, Iago was using his jealousy of the newly promoted, newly wed Othello to plot against him and in doing so he uses a Venetian gentlemen by the name of Roderigo who wanted to marry the beautiful Desdemona how ever what has all this got to do with modern society. Well every one on the planet has been jealous and everyone has been in love. Therefore, I guess that is why people still go to see Othello. But that still leaves the political side of the play but how can politics remain the same for three hundred and four years, well the truth is politics hasn’t and neither has Othello’s political significance.