William Shakespeare's Othello

by Harold Bloom

The masterful depiction of the anguish of uncertainty offered in Othello demonstrates the full scope of Shakespeare's mastery. Language itself proves to be the source of Othello's power and its eclipse.

Genres: Shakespeare, Literary Criticism, Classics

154 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1987

About the author

Harold Bloom was an American literary critic and the Sterling Professor of Humanities at Yale University. In 2017, Bloom was called "probably the most famous literary critic in the English-speaking world." After publishing his first book in 1959, Bloom wrote more than 50 books, including over 40 books of literary criticism, several books discussing religion, and one novel. He edited hundreds of anthologies concerning numerous literary and philosophical figures for the Chelsea House publishing firm. Bloom's books have been translated into more than 40 languages. He was elected to the American Philosophical Society in 1995.
Bloom was a defender of the traditional Western canon at a time when literature departments were focusing on what he derided as the "school of resentment" (multiculturalists, feminists, Marxists, and others). He was educated at Yale University, the University of Cambridge, and Cornell University.

Reviews

[Frederick · Rating 3 out of 5]

The edition I read was published in 1987. I have a feeling the book has since been augmented. This copy was on the shelf at my public library.
This is a collection of essays, by various authors, about William Shakespeare’s OTHELLO.
Harold Bloom edited it and provides an introduction.
The one essay a general reader would enjoy was written by Anthony Hecht. The other essays make interesting points, but the writing is turgid. (Bloom’s introduction is clear.) There are a million books about Shakespeare which are designed to please a thoughtful reader. A thoughtful reader - and I venture to say I fit the category - may understand these essays. I will say I understood parts of most of these essays. Two or three, though, I found impenetrable.
I read it because it struck me recently that OTHELLO, which I first saw on stage during the Carter administration, mirrors our world with increasing frequency. Iago would fit into the power structure snugly.

[Eleni · Rating 3 out of 5]

The discussion about Iago in relation to Catholicism, his discourse level compared to Cassio's, and the piece on the properties on the play were the stand outs for me....