Othello: Commercial facts
13 lenses on commercial facts for Othello by William Shakespeare. Count lenses are exact for our text. AI lenses are our reading and cite only quotes that passed a word for word check.
Jump to: L1 L2 L3 L4 L5 L6 L7 L8 L9 L10 L11 L12 L13
L1. Total word count. Count
1604, 27,562 words. See the full lens on the book page.
L2. Chapter count and average length. Count
1604, 27,562 words. See the full lens on the book page.
L3. Length against modern norms for the genre. Both
27,562 words. Modern plays often runs 15,000 to 30,000 words, so this is in the usual range today. These ranges are rough trade norms, not rules.
At 27,562 words across 13 scenes, Othello is shorter than modern novels but typical for a Renaissance play. It is a tight, fast-paced tragedy with no subplots that distract from the main action. Length serves the intensity of the emotional arc.
L4. First published as a serial or a volume? Research
1604, 27,562 words. See the full lens on the book page.
Facts from outside the text (sales, serial history, adaptations, sequels, most quoted lines). Coming in a later phase, with sources and dates.
L5. Serial instalment breaks and how each ends. Both
The play divides into five acts. Act I (c1 to 3) sets up the conflict in Venice. Act II (c4 to 5) moves to Cyprus and plants jealousy. Act III (c6 to 8) escalates manipulation. Act IV (c9 to 11) reaches peak rage. Act V (c12 to 13) delivers the tragic climax and resolution.
Scenes (numbered through the play): Scene 1, Scene 2, Scene 3, Scene 4, Scene 5, Scene 6
L6. Sales and reviews in its day. Research
Facts from outside the text (sales, serial history, adaptations, sequels, most quoted lines). Coming in a later phase, with sources and dates.
L7. Adaptations: film, TV, stage, count and type. Research
Facts from outside the text (sales, serial history, adaptations, sequels, most quoted lines). Coming in a later phase, with sources and dates.
L8. Sequels and series. Research
Facts from outside the text (sales, serial history, adaptations, sequels, most quoted lines). Coming in a later phase, with sources and dates.
L9. Modern books in the same mould (comps). AI
Modern comps: Gone Girl (manipulation and false evidence), The Talented Mr Ripley (charming villain), Beloved (trauma and jealousy), A Doll's House (marriage and identity). All feature deception, jealousy, and the corruption of love by external forces.
L10. Who it would be shelved for today. AI
Shelved for readers of literary drama, tragedy, and character studies. Appeals to those interested in Shakespeare, Renaissance literature, and explorations of jealousy, racism, and manipulation. Also studied in schools and universities as a classic text.
L11. Content notes. AI
Content notes: murder, racism, misogyny, emotional abuse, sexual jealousy, suicide, stabbing. The play contains slurs and stereotypes. Othello's violence toward Desdemona is graphic. Iago's manipulation is psychologically abusive.
Scenes (numbered through the play): Scene 10, Scene 13
Was this fair paper, this most goodly book, Made to write “whore” upon? What committed? Committed! (Ch 10, para 38)
L12. A modern pitch line and blurb. AI
A Moorish general's marriage to a senator's daughter is destroyed by his trusted ensign's lies and manipulation, turning love into murderous jealousy. A tragedy of appearance versus truth, where suggestion proves more powerful than proof, and innocence cannot survive prejudice.
L13. Title style against genre norms. AI
The title is a single proper name, typical of Renaissance tragedy (Hamlet, Macbeth, King Lear). It emphasises the protagonist's identity and race, which are central to the play's themes. The style is direct and personal rather than thematic or metaphorical.
Ask Othello a question about its craft (free beta)
Answers cite chapter and paragraph, and every quote is checked against the text. (3 free questions a day).
Weekly email: coming soon
One short email a week on new AI tools for authors. Sign up opens soon.