

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:107%;
font-family:&quot;Open Sans&quot;,sans-serif" lang="EN-US">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 who 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 that 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, wordplay, 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.</span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:107%;
font-family:&quot;Open Sans&quot;,sans-serif" lang="EN-US">&nbsp;</span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:&quot;Open Sans&quot;,sans-serif" lang="EN-US">About
the Author</span></b></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:&quot;Open Sans&quot;,sans-serif" lang="EN-US">William
Shakespeare</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:
107%;font-family:&quot;Open Sans&quot;,sans-serif" lang="EN-US"> was born on 26 April 1564 in
Stratford-upon-Avon, United Kingdom. He was an English playwright, poet, and
actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and
the world^s greatest dramatist. He is often called England^s national poet and
the "Bard of Avon". He died on 23 April 1616, in Stratford-upon-Avon,
United Kingdom.</span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:&quot;Open Sans&quot;,sans-serif" lang="EN-US">Michael
Neill</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:107%;
font-family:&quot;Open Sans&quot;,sans-serif" lang="EN-US"> (Editor) is a Professor of English at the
University of Auckland in Australia. He has also edited Shakespeare^s Anthony
and Cleopatra for the Oxford Shakespeare.</span></p>

