Manga Classics Othello

This is a very sad and tragic story. Othello is a loved and well-respected general who marries the beautiful Desdemona. Iago hates Othello and wants to destroy him. But Othello doesn’t realize Iago hates him. Iago sets up a situation to make it seem like Othello’s lieutenant Cassio is Desdemona’s lover. His lies and deceit cause Othello to become enraged with jealousy until, ultimately, he kills his beloved and completely innocent wife. Iago’s lies are eventually discovered, but not before he kills his own wife and his supposed friend. Cassio is direly wounded and Othello, upon realizing Iago’s deception, kills himself.

The illustrations in this telling are finely drawn, but frequently include what is happening in someone’s imagination, making it hard to tell if the pictures are about reality or just projections. The extensive use of pure black makes it hard to see what is going on, but well reflects the tone of the play. It is probably preferable to see the play performed, as it is hard to know if the illustrations’ interpretation is accurate to how the characters in the play would show actions or expressions, but this is still a good format to introduce you to Othello with all of Shakespeare’s original text.