Othello is a major Shakespearean text, studied widely and often adapted for film and TV and is especially challenging for a multicultural society. Othello lends itself to criticism through discussion of the major characters although this study also focuses on recent criticism's analysis of the characters as "signifiers". The study of the key characters takes the discussion of the text immediately into the central issues of "otherness", gender, race and power. Table of ContentsSeries Editor's PrefaceIntroduction: An Overview of Othello1. Introducing Othello2. Othello: A Man of Parts3. Othello: 'Speak of me as I am'4. Iago: Character5. Iago: Sign: From Psychology to Psychoanalysis6. Iago: Sign: From Psyche to Clio7. Desdemona: Character and Sign8. The Importance of the Minor charactersConclusion: Through the Characters to the Key Themes and IssuesBibliographyIndex