Othello

American  

[oh-thel-oh, uh-thel-oh] / oʊˈθɛl oʊ, əˈθɛl oʊ /

noun

1. a tragedy (1604) by Shakespeare.

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Othello Cultural  

1. A tragedy by William Shakespeare. The title character, a Moor, or dark-skinned Muslim, is a general commanding the forces of Venice. The villain Iago convinces Othello that Desdemona, the general's beautiful and faithful wife, has been guilty of adultery; at the end of the play, Othello smothers Desdemona. A famous line from the play is Othello's description of himself as “one that loved not wisely but too well.”

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Example Sentences

On the way to Othello they could hop on poor Robinson Crusoe for not saying ‘Mr. Friday’ on the island.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 27, 2025

“I played Othello at 22. I am about to play Othello at 70,” he said, referring to the 2025 Broadway production of the tragedy co-starring Jake Gyllenhaal.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 12, 2024

Later in 1963, Laurence Olivier offered her the part of Desdemona opposite his Othello, at the National Theatre.

From BBC • Sep. 27, 2024

She was cast in Laurence Olivier's "Othello" in 1965 after the director recruited her to be part of his National Theater Company.

From Salon • Sep. 27, 2024

“Why don’t you let them see Othello instead?”

From "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley