Comparing Shakespeare's "Othello" and Nelson's "O"

William Shakespeare’s Othello & Tim Blake Nelson’s “O” each demonstrate the issues of their respective contexts through the chosen mediums of both composers. Shakespeare’s Othello uses the medium of theatre to present ideas such as jealousy, appearance versus reality and racism through a variety of literary techniques while also encompassing the conventions of a classic Shakespearean tragedy. These ideas remain universally relevant in Blake Nelson’s modern day adaptation “O” which parallels the ideas conveyed in Othello through its cinematic techniques. Both texts, through these universal ideas conveyed, also demonstrate values relevant to both contexts such as honesty, truth and honour.

Shakespeare composed Othello during the Golden Age of the Elizabethan Era where society was strongly patriarchal and hierarchal and religion was strongly value. The foreign European setting as well as characteristics of tragedy through the medium of theatre is used by Shakespeare to convey the issues and values of the time without directly insulting English society, compelling the responder to compare them with modern day issues and values. Tim Blake Nelson “O” parallels similar values of Othello’s context through the modern adaptation in the film medium. The adaptation, “O”, through modern day contextual characteristics such violence, stereotypes, competition and equality, both race and gender wise, are used to give a more relevant paradigm of the values and issues brought up in Othello, which the modern day responder can easily relate to.

The issue of jealousy is one of utmost importance in Othello and is exhibited through the use of literary techniques such as characterisation and symbolism, in conjunction with universal values such as honest...

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... issue which envokes the value of equality across all contexts and a feeling of belonging in society no matter what race you are and is shown through both texts attitudes towards the issue.

Through the issues that both composers Shakespeare and Nelson through their texts Othello and “O” transcend their contexts and create universally relevant issues. Despite the change in political, social and economic views of the two contexts, these issues brought up by both texts remain applicable in modern day society and remind us of the importance of values such as truth & honesty, which are still valued to this day. These issues engage the audience through their different mediums of theatre and film and techniques such as cinematic and literary to effectively convey the same relevant messages to their respective audiences and show that good texts do not have use by dates.