Manga Classics: Othello - Modern English Edition (Paperback) (5) (Manga Classics: Shakespeare

by William Shakespeare, Michael Barltrop, Crystal S Chan

A brilliant general in the service of Venice, Othello is also the new husband of the adoring - and young - Desdemona, whose innocent hero worship has blossomed into love. But can a beautiful girl, so much younger than her husband, truly be faithful? Othello's trusted ensign Iago seems to think not. Can Othello trust him? Can Othello trust anyone? Manga Classics presents Shakespeare's classic story of love, hate, vengeance, and betrayal, with FULL ADAPTED MODERN ENGLISH text for easy reading.

Genres: Manga, Classics, Young Adult

420 pages, Paperback

Published April 19, 2022

About the author

William Shakespeare was an English playwright, poet, and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon" (or simply "the Bard"). His extant works, including collaborations, consist of some 39 plays, 154 sonnets, three long narrative poems, and a few other verses, some of uncertain authorship. His plays have been translated into every major living language and are performed more often than those of any other playwright. Shakespeare remains arguably the most influential writer in the English language, and his works continue to be studied and reinterpreted.
Shakespeare was born and raised in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire. At the age of 18, he married Anne Hathaway, with whom he had three children: Susanna, and twins Hamnet and Judith. Sometime between 1585 and 1592, he began a successful career in London as an actor, writer, and part-owner ("sharer") of a playing company called the Lord Chamberlain's Men, later known as the King's Men after the ascension of King James VI and I of Scotland to the English throne. At age 49 (around 1613), he appears to have retired to Stratford, where he died three years later. Few records of Shakespeare's private life survive; this has stimulated considerable speculation about such matters as his physical appearance, his sexuality, his religious beliefs, and even certain fringe theories as to whether the works attributed to him were written by others.
Shakespeare produced most of his known works between 1589 and 1613. His early plays were primarily comedies and histories and are regarded as some of the best works produced in these genres. He then wrote mainly tragedies until 1608, among them Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, Othello, King Lear, and Macbeth, all considered to be among the finest works in the English language. In the last phase of his life, he wrote tragicomedies (also known as romances) and collaborated with other playwrights.
Many of Shakespeare's plays were published in editions of varying quality and accuracy during his lifetime. However, in 1623, John Heminge and Henry Condell, two fellow actors and friends of Shakespeare's, published a more definitive text known as the First Folio, a posthumous collected edition of Shakespeare's dramatic works that includes 36 of his plays. Its Preface was a prescient poem by Ben Jonson, a former rival of Shakespeare, that hailed Shakespeare with the now famous epithet: "not of an age, but for all time".

Reviews

[Kirsten Moody · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars.

I love these manga classics.
It really helps bring the story to life with the full original text.
A tragic story, with brilliant art work.

[Katie Kaste · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the manga version of Othello. The classic tale of betrayal and jealousy. This play is slightly problematic, in the large sense. I have read Othello since high school and I thought this might have been an entry point into manga. It just doesn’t seem to be for me. I did try to enjoy this, but it was a struggle for me. The art style was fine but isn’t for me. I will try something else with manga before I give it all up, but it seems to not be a medium I don’t enjoy.

[Geo Hendrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read the authors note about how he wrote/drew the story.
This was very helpful to me, it may be helpful to you too.
It was in modern English.
While I was reading I remembered from High school about Shakespeare having lots of people die.
So I would try to guess who should die and who would live. It was fun!
Good Read

[Ryk Stanton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Othello is my favorite Shakespeare play.

This was a good effort to present the text in a new art form but too many characters looked a bit too generic for my tastes. Still, definitely usable in class to help students understand the play.

[Aurélien Parlouer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good adaptation, both in text and in illustrations.