Why+you+should+read+Othello?

Why read a story that is so old? Obviously, every teacher will tell you that Shakespeare has literary merit and that means you should read it. However, Shakespeare is more than just literary merit and what he wrote was more than what you find on the page. Shakespeare explored themes and created worlds out of a small story. He made people question things around them, and his pen was far mightier than any sword he could have had. But you won't discover that until you **read** him. By **read** I don't mean skim or blindly read it for a class. **Reading** Shakespeare or any good author means that you **explore** it. You open the book and connect yourself to it, submerging into whatever comes.

No one can make you experience a book; it has to be a choice you make on your own. So, why should you choose to read __Othello__? I can only tell you why I did. First off, consider the title. Othello is certainly not a name you hear every day, and his character is not a person you meet every day either. If you were to **read** __Othello__, you would //actually// feel compassion for the protagonist. You would hate Iago for destroying a love that was pure. You would wish somehow Desdemona could have convinced Othello that she was not lying. If you actually **read** it, this play would make you feel emotions for the characters. Shakespeare wrote this tragedy unlike the others that he penned. He did not talk extensively about failures in matters of state; he focused on the failures of the heart and the head.

__Othello__ is a tragedy, and if you are looking for a happy ending, don't look here. Nevertheless, if you are willing to explore the themes Shakespeare lays out, you will find in the ashes there is always sunshine. A reader can be satisfied that despite Othello's skin color; Desdemona loved him and swore to the end that she never cheated him. You can sleep easy at night knowing that Iago, a cunning and evil character, eventually got what was due to him. You can feel true love when you think of how much pain Othello went through when he realized that he had mistakenly killed the person that had always loved him and supported him.

The play also offers readers opportunities to connect to their own lives. Have you ever not trusted the one you love? Has one of your closest friends lied to you? Has your family not approved of someone you date? Have you ever been jealous of someone else? Most likely one of these applies to you, and by reading __Othello__ you are able to explore those questions in your own life. I know that every time I read, I try to connect to the words. Othello is easy to relate to modern day situations.

All that's left to do is decide for yourself. __Othello__ may have been written a very long time ago, but it still serves as much relevance theme-wise as it did the day it was penned. In the end it is your choice whether you **read** __Othello__. All I can say is that if you do, you will probably find yourself very thankful.