Othello's Secret The Cyprus Problem

Othello's Secret uncovers the relationship between the play and the conflicts that have torn apart its Cypriot setting, providing a new and powerfully political reading. Exploring the domestic and military anxieties connected by Shakespeare, Christofides highlights the ways in which these issues resonate with current ideological and geographical divisions in Cyprus, divisions rooted in the 16th century struggles to control the island. Challenging the conventional view of Othello as a Venetian play, this book offers a fierce and personal example of how early modern literature can purposefully contribute to even the most complex geopolitical debates.

R. M. Christofides has taught at Cardiff University and the University of Huddersfield, and is author of Shakespeare and the Apocalypse: Visions of Doom from Early Modern Tragedy to Popular Culture.