William Shakespeare & Othello
Shakespeare remains the most popular of Elizabethan dramatists, and the most commonly taught in high school. Little is known about his actual life and many theories abound about who he actually was. You will be reading his play Othello because it not only pairs nicely with Marlowe's Doctor Faustus (Marlowe was killed in a bar with a knife to the stomach and was believed to be a spy; he was a rival of Shakespeare's), but it addresses a host of interesting issues and will allow for a great illustration of the difference between Elizabethan and Restoration drama. Remember that plays during this period were entertainment! We tend to treat them as literary masterpieces (and they are), but they were also fun to attend. Plays were performed, not read as we read them now. Consider how that might effect your interpretation. I've also included Samuel Johnson's essay on Shakespeare. Johnson was a 17th-century, well-known critic and he both praises and assesses Shakespeare's works. Consider whether you agree. These are the pages:
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