2. Othello

2. Is the play a tragedy, comedy, melodrama or farce? Does it mingle aspects of these types of drama? How important to experiencing the drama is the audience's awareness of the classification of the play?

Othello by William Shakespeare is a tragedy. Without knowing this from outside sources, or information in the book, I would consider it a somewhat comedy. IN today's terms Many of the events that occur in the play are outlandish. For example,the idea that Desdemona was taken by magic and forced to marry Othello. But many scenes are also quite comical in today's terms like Iago describing all women as deceitful. And the whole set up of deceit itself. Iago may want to blame women for not being perfect, when he himself is the manipulator of everyone else.
It is somewhat important for the audience to know the classification of the play. A Shakespearean tragedy always results in some sort of death. In many of the plays I have read, one of the deaths has occurred early in the first acts. However, through act III no death has occurred. Thus, the audience and I are waiting for the true definition of a Shakespearean tragedy.