William Shakespeare
Othello
The full script in Final Draft, Word & PDF
A Venetian general is destroyed by jealousy when his ensign Iago turns every ordinary event into proof of his wife's infidelity.
PDFs Only
$4.99
- ✓ Stageplay PDF (137 pp.)
- ✓ Screenplay PDF (125 pp.)
- ✓ Instant download
Full Package
$12.99
- ✓ Final Draft (.fdx)
- ✓ Microsoft Word + RTF
- ✓ Screenplay + Stageplay PDFs
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- Genre
- Tragedy
- Written
- c. 1603–1604
- Setting
- Venice and Cyprus
- Scenes
- 15
- Speaking roles
- 27
- Uncut running time
- ~3h 10m
What happens in Othello
Othello, a Moorish general in Venice's service, secretly marries Desdemona, the daughter of the senator Brabantio. When the Turks threaten Cyprus the couple sail there with the army. Othello's ensign Iago, angry at being passed over for promotion in favour of Cassio, begins a patient campaign against his general.
Iago manoeuvres Cassio into disgrace, works on the gullible Roderigo, and uses a lost handkerchief to persuade Othello that Desdemona is unfaithful. Othello's trust gives way to rage, with terrible consequences for those closest to him. Only when Iago's wife Emilia understands what her husband has done does the truth finally come out. The action moves quickly from Venice to Cyprus, and most of the violence comes late.
See the formatting
The first page of Act I, exactly as it appears in the files you download.
The biggest roles
Share of the play's spoken words, counted from the script. 27 characters speak; 16 of them have under 1% of the text — natural candidates for doubling.
| Role | Share of the text | Speeches |
|---|---|---|
| Iago | | 292 |
| Othello | | 290 |
| Desdemona | | 169 |
| Cassio | | 117 |
| Emilia | | 103 |
| Brabantio | | 30 |
| Roderigo | | 58 |
| Lodovico | | 33 |
For directors
Iago holds 32.5% of the words and Othello 24.2%, so two actors carry more than half the evening; casting is largely a question of finding that pair. Desdemona (10.7%), Cassio (7.5%) and Emilia (6.9%) follow, and 16 of the 27 speaking roles are under 1%, which helps with doubling. At about 3 hours 10 minutes uncut, across 15 scenes, most productions cut for a standard evening. Uncut Cyprus scenes are the longest stretch.
Cutting notes
- The Clown's brief scenes with the musicians and with Desdemona (3.1 and 3.4) are among the most commonly trimmed or omitted.
- Act 1 in Venice is sometimes compressed, but much of Othello's standing and Iago's grievances are established there, so cut with care.
- Bianca's scenes and some Roderigo business can be shortened without losing the central plot.
For teachers
Typical study topics are jealousy, race and outsider status, manipulation, and the nature of Iago's motive. Students often track the handkerchief and the language of vision and proof. Commonly examined scenes include Othello's defence before the Senate (1.3), the temptation scene (3.3), and the final scene (5.2), and Iago's soliloquies are frequently set for close reading. Act 4 is less often taught.
Questions
Is this the complete, uncut text of Othello?
Yes. Every file contains the full play — 15 scenes and about 25,900 spoken words. Cut it yourself in Word or Final Draft to fit your running time.
What is the difference between the stageplay and screenplay layouts?
The stageplay layout indents stage directions and sets dialogue full-width, like a theatre script. The screenplay layout follows film conventions: scene headings and action flush left, character names centred, dialogue in a narrower column. Both tiers include both layouts as PDFs; the Full Package adds editable Final Draft and Word files of each.
Can I use this Othello script for a production or a class?
Yes. Shakespeare's plays are in the public domain, so there are no royalties to pay for staging them. Edit, stage, film or teach with these files.
How do I receive the files?
Right after checkout you land on a private download page, and the link is also emailed to you. It keeps working, so you can re-download any time.
