Othello

2. Is the play a tragedy or comedy, a melodrama or a farce? If a comedy, is it primarily romantic or satiric? Does it mingle aspects of these types of drama? How important to experiencing the drama is the audience's awareness of the classification of the play?

Shakespeare seems to be most well-known for his tragedies, and Othello would certainly fall in that category. Because I began reading this play with that concept in mind, I immediately had an idea of how it would end. While Shakespeare's works are universally considered classics, I also see them as fairly predictable. My prediction of the ending is this: that Othello and Desdemona will somehow die as a result of Othello's hubris, or fatal flaw. He will become so consumed with rage or jealousy, fueled by Iago's villainous actions, that he will in turn be the reason for his and Desdemona's unfortunate ends. Besides the predictability of the main characters, I have found the character of Iago to be contrastingly complex and erratic. His scheming nature and selfishness have been two of the most pivotal factors in advancing the plot. I am interested to see how his character will fare throughout the storyline.