The Tragedy of Othello, The Moore of Venice is a tragedy by William Shakespeare written around 1603. The play is a concentrated, tightly-constructed domestic tragedy with almost no sub-plot relief, revolving around five or six central characters. Othello's ill-placed trust in the villain Iago, resulting in his growing suspicion in his wife Desdemona's infidelity with his lieutenant Cassio, led to the ultimate tragedy. Othello is commonly considered one of Shakespeare's great tragedies, and one of his finest works.