Othello

ago is furious about being overlooked for promotion and plots to take revenge against his general, Othello, the Moor of Venice. Iago manipulates Othello into believing his wife Desdemona is unfaithful, stirring Othello's jealousy. Othello subsequently allows this unfounded jealousy to consume him, murdering his beloved Desdemona, and then killing himself. Read more about the play here. A truly timeless classic from English literature, Othello has influenced many authors and artists throughout the years. Amongst the most notable adaptations are the renowned opera by Verdi, still frequently played nowadays, as well as many movies, like the eponymous adaptation from Oliver Parker, Othello, starring Laurence Fishburn and Kenneth Branagh in 1995. Authors such as Agatha Christie or Honoré de Balzac are known to have drawn inspiration from some of the play's main characters, mainly the manipulative Iago. The very passionate and romantic atmosphere of the story makes it a perfect inspiration for painters as well, with its most famous representation being from Eugène Delacroix, who painted Othello et Desdémone between 1847 and 1849