For the church class A Survey of Bible Doctrine, I suggest that you read William Shakespeare’s Othello as we study hamartiology (doctrine of sin). For those who are interested, when we conclude the study of the doctrine we’ll look at the play to see how literature helps us understand the truth of the Bible. Below are a list of resources to use and questions to consider when reading the play.

Reading the Play

  • Public library. The text of the play is available from any public library. Be sure to get an edition that contains good notes.
  • The Riverside Shakespeare. I have a very good edition of the play that I would be willing to lend to the first person to ask.
  • Online editions. Many websites offer editions of the play—some good, some not so good. Any of the following would be fine, though none of them contains notes:
  • DVD of Othello. The Groton Public Library has a DVD recording of Othello presented by the BBC and Ambrose video. The entire series of Shakespeare’s plays by the BBC is well-done. You may prefer to watch the play than to read it, though you may comprehend more by reading it.

Understanding the Play

  • SparkNotes for Othello. SparkNotes are like Cliffs Notes on steroids, and they’re free online. Reading every word in the notes will probably take forever, but if you just read the play and act summaries, you will probably get a better understanding of the plot and themes. (These are the notes that my English major friends use.)
  • Magill OnLiterature. Those of you who have access to the electronic resources of a university library can probably access the various tools of Magill OnLiterature, such as their character summaries and plot summaries. These are what I used until I discovered SparkNotes.
  • Shakespearean criticism. If you want a better understanding of the play as a whole, consider reading some Shakespearean criticism. You can look at this list of criticism available online, or you can dig some up on your own. But the single most helpful essay would probably be A. C. Bradley’s lecture on Othello.

Analyzing the Play

When reading the play, try to think critically and ask questions of the play, particularly about the theme of sin. These questions may be of some help to you:

  • Who is the major representative of sin in the play? In what ways does he reveal what the Bible teaches about sin?
  • What motivates Iago?
  • What methods does Iago use?
  • Why does everyone trust Iago?
  • What effects does Iago have on everyone? On Othello in particular?
  • What punishment does Iago receive? Why?
  • Does Iago succeed?
  • What is Othello’s tragic flaw?
  • Why does Othello listen to Iago and not Desdemona?
  • Does this play help you to understand the doctrine of sin?

Note: Please do not devote an inordinate amount of time to this study. Though reading Othello—indeed, reading any good literature—will help you understand the Bible better, be careful not to substitute the study of literature for the study of the Bible.

If you have any questions related to this study, please feel free to call me or to e-mail me.