The Oxford Shakespeare: Othello: The Moor of Venice (The Oxford Shakespeare) [Paperback]

William Shakespeare (Author), Michael Neill (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0199535876 | ISBN-13: 978-0199535873 | Publication Date: June 15, 2008 | Edition: Reissue

Along with Hamlet, King Lear, and Macbeth, Othello is one of Shakespeare's four great tragedies. What distinguishes Othello is its bold treatment of racial and gender themes. It is also the only tragedy to feature a main character, Iago, who truly seems evil, betraying and deceiving those that trust him purely for spite and with no political goal. This edition, the first to give full attention to these themes, includes an extensive introduction stresses the public dimensions of the tragedy, paying particular attention to its treatment of color and social relations. Designed to meet the needs of theatre professionals, the edition includes an extensive performance history, while on-page commentary and notes explain language, word play, and staging. Collated and edited from all existing printings, this entirely new edition uses modern day spelling to make readings smoother. Appendices are included which explain the dating problems many have found in the play, describe the music that has traditionally accompanied it, and provide a full translation of the Italian novella from which the story derives. Like all editions of the Oxford Shakespeare in the Oxford World Classics series, Othello includes a full index to the introduction and commentary. It is illustrated with production photographs and related art, and features a durable sewn binding for lasting use. The Oxford Shakespeare offers authoritative texts from leading scholars in editions designed to interpret and

About the Series: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the broadest spectrum of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, voluminous notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.

Editorial Reviews

Review

`The new Oxford Othello is quite simply a major achievement, a volume alive with exemplary editorial and critical thought. It sets a landmark in Shakespeare studies and fully deserves to become the preferred edition for many years to come.' TLS

About the Author

Michael Neill has also edited Shakespeare's Anthony and Cleopatra for the Oxford Shakespeare.

Product Details

• Paperback: 512 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA; Reissue edition (June 15, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0199535876
• ISBN-13: 978-0199535873
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #98,237 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon in April 1564, and his birth is traditionally celebrated on April 23. The facts of his life, known from surviving documents, are sparse. He was one of eight children born to John Shakespeare, a merchant of some standing in his community. William probably went to the King's New School in Stratford, but he had no university education. In November 1582, at the age of eighteen, he married Anne Hathaway, eight years his senior, who was pregnant with their first child, Susanna. She was born on May 26, 1583. Twins, a boy, Hamnet ( who would die at age eleven), and a girl, Judith, were born in 1585. By 1592 Shakespeare had gone to London working as an actor and already known as a playwright. A rival dramatist, Robert Greene, referred to him as "an upstart crow, beautified with our feathers." Shakespeare became a principal shareholder and playwright of the successful acting troupe, the Lord Chamberlain's Men (later under James I, called the King's Men). In 1599 the Lord Chamberlain's Men built and occupied the Globe Theater in Southwark near the Thames River. Here many of Shakespeare's plays were performed by the most famous actors of his time, including Richard Burbage, Will Kempe, and Robert Armin. In addition to his 37 plays, Shakespeare had a hand in others, including Sir Thomas More and The Two Noble Kinsmen, and he wrote poems, including Venus and Adonis and The Rape of Lucrece. His 154 sonnets were published, probably without his authorization, in 1609. In 1611 or 1612 he gave up his lodgings in London and devoted more and more time to retirement in Stratford, though he continued writing such plays as The Tempest and Henry VII until about 1613. He died on April 23 1616, and was buried in Holy Trinity Church, Stratford. No collected edition of his plays was published during his life-time, but in 1623 two members of his acting company, John Heminges and Henry Condell, put together the great collection now called the First Folio.