Othello

Where do you even start with Shakespeare?

How can you praise what you don't really enjoy? But how can you bash works of literature revered by the world over centuries?

Shakespeare is an oddity that I will never fully understand.

Like all of Shakespeare's plays, you're in trouble if you don't do some basic research. Although this approach can reveal spoilers, it works for me rather than trying to figure it out on the fly.

Fortunately, Othello is one of the easier to understand Shakespeare tragedies and also quite endearing to read. Othello gets manipulated into believing that his wife, Desdemona, is cheating on him, so kills her, realises he was wrong, then kills himself.

That's about it.

Othello is a sincere man but a bit naive for being so easily undermined and manipulated by his despicable subordinate, Iago. There is a distinct charm about his attitude though, as sweet, honest and yearning rather than sour, bitter or blunt.

Like all Shakespeare plays, if you're looking for magnificent plots or storylines, forget it. Somehow, Shakespeare manages to meld flowery artistry into complex technicalities. So simple and yet so complex at the same time.