Shakespeare returns-in Othello form (Sep 20-24)

It's that time of year again.  First came Merchant of Venice.  I absolutely despised that play, mostly because I understood very little of the dialogue since it was my first experience with Shakespeare-style writing.  Then came Romeo and Juliet.  Not too bad- I knew most of the plot before reading due to all the modern interpretations and the things I had read/heard about it in other places.  Later, A Midsummer Night's Dream came along.  Not one of my favorite literary works-the fantasy genre and outlandish events in general are usually annoying to read because of the lack of logic present.  And now, Othello.  I have to admit, so far so good.  A valiant hero, an evil mastermind, and an impending war combine to create an interesting opening to a play in my opinion.  As with the majority of Shakespeare's plays, dramatic irony plays a key role in the development of the plot.  Othello's deep trust of the scheming Iago serves as a catch that keeps the reader engaged to see how the drama plays out.  The irony present in Othello's statement "honest Iago" is almost humorous (keyword is almost).  Another element that I noticed so far that has been present in Shakespeare's other plays is the soliloquy.  Not just that he includes one, but that he includes it while mounting to the climax.  Iago's soliloquy at the end of Act I Scene 3 further convinces our opinion of him as the antagonist and gives us more of his underlying motives for his actions.  By displaying all of Iago's schemes in detail, Shakespeare gets his audience to know the villain on a level that is seldom seen in the realm of literature.  His scheme to get even with the Moor "wife for wife" is another example of how Shakespeare clearly displays Iago's motives for the audience.  This deep characterizaiton along with a generally entertaining plot are reasons why I favor Othello over the other works of Shakespeare I have read in the past.