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Question 93 of 236 · Books & Authors
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Who wrote the tragedy 'Othello'?

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Answer: Option D — William Shakespeare

Detailed Solution

"Othello, the Moor of Venice" is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written around 1603-1604.

About the play:

Othello is a Moorish general serving the Republic of Venice. He secretly marries Desdemona, the daughter of a Venetian senator.

Iago, Othello's ensign (junior officer), is jealous and resentful because Othello promoted Cassio instead of him.

Iago cleverly convinces Othello that Desdemona is having an affair with Cassio, using a handkerchief as false "proof".

Consumed by jealousy, Othello kills Desdemona. When he learns the truth, he kills himself.

The play explores jealousy ("the green-eyed monster"), trust, manipulation, race and love. Iago is one of the most famous villains in literature.

Shakespeare's four great tragedies:

  • "Hamlet" (about 1600-01): the Prince of Denmark seeks revenge for his father's murder; "To be, or not to be".
  • "Othello" (about 1603-04).
  • "King Lear" (about 1605-06): an old king divides his kingdom among his daughters.
  • "Macbeth" (about 1606): a Scottish general murders the king out of ambition.

Other famous Shakespeare plays:

  • Tragedies: "Romeo and Juliet", "Julius Caesar", "Antony and Cleopatra".
  • Comedies: "A Midsummer Night's Dream", "The Merchant of Venice", "Twelfth Night", "As You Like It", "Much Ado About Nothing".
  • Histories: "Henry V", "Richard III".
  • Late plays (romances): "The Tempest", "The Winter's Tale".

About William Shakespeare (1564-1616):

  • He was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, and is regarded as the greatest writer in the English language.
  • He wrote about 37-39 plays and 154 sonnets.
  • His plays were performed at the Globe Theatre in London.
  • Indian adaptations of "Othello" include Vishal Bhardwaj's film "Omkara" (2006); his "Maqbool" (2003) adapted "Macbeth" and "Haider" (2014) adapted "Hamlet".

Other English dramatists and poets:

  • Christopher Marlowe: "Doctor Faustus".
  • John Milton: "Paradise Lost".
  • Ben Jonson: "Volpone" and "The Alchemist".

Why not the other options?

  • ✗Christopher Marlowe wrote "Doctor Faustus".
  • ✗John Milton wrote "Paradise Lost".
  • ✗Ben Jonson wrote "Volpone".

Quick tip

Remember: Shakespeare's four great tragedies = "Hamlet", "Othello", "King Lear", "Macbeth"; "Othello" villain = Iago; Indian adaptations: "Omkara" (Othello), "Maqbool" (Macbeth), "Haider" (Hamlet).

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Books & Authors — Preparation

This question tests your understanding of Books & Authors, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.

This topic covers famous books and their authors, including ancient Indian texts, works of the freedom struggle, classic and modern literature, autobiographies of famous people, and recently published books by well-known personalities. Questions usually name a book and ask for its author, or the other way round. Ancient and historical books, such as Arthashastra (Kautilya), Indica (Megasthenes) and Gitanjali (Rabindranath Tagore), are tested most often. Autobiographies are another favourite, so learn titles such as 'My Experiments with Truth' (Mahatma Gandhi) and 'Wings of Fire' (A. P. J. Abdul Kalam). Practise the books and authors questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.

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