Whose tragedy is this?
The full title of Othello, The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice, suggests that the play is
ultimately all about Othello… but is it? The villain Iago is arguably the most complex character
and Shakespeare gives him some of the best soliloquies in the play. Does that make Iago the
real star of the play? Alternatively, by focusing on the false friendship between Othello and
Iago it is easy to forget that Desdemona becomes a pawn in Iago’s plot and ultimately loses
her life for it. Does her unnecessary and premature death make her the real tragic character in
the play? Based on your interpretation of the play, write an argumentative essay in which you
explain which character you feel is most significant (or the true “star”) in the play