Cover of Othello

Othello

by William Shakespeare

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Assigned across 2 curriculum lists

Grade placement varies by school — the median assigned book spans 4 grade levels (83% span three or more, across 13,258 source-cited assignments).

Othello by William Shakespeare is assigned in US schools at grades 10–12. It appears across 2 curriculum references, sourced from state DOE pages and AP/IB/Common Core syllabi. Every citation below links to the primary source.

This page shows where Othello is assigned in US schools — curricula, states, grades, and the primary-source citations behind each placement. Not a summary or study guide.

Grade range
Grades 10–12
Age range
Ages 15–18
Pages
368
Reading time
about 6h 45m (est.)
First published
1603
Genre
Drama
ISBN-13
9780743477550

New to these terms? Reading levels by grade

More formats & details

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About this book

Shakespeare's tragedy follows Othello, a respected Moorish general in the Venetian army, as his ensign Iago feeds him false evidence of his wife Desdemona's infidelity. Iago's patient manipulation drives Othello from love to murderous jealousy, exposing how reputation, race, and insecurity can be weaponized. A standard text in tenth- to twelfth-grade and AP English, it is one of the most taught of Shakespeare's tragedies for its compact structure and its still-resonant questions about trust and prejudice.

Similar grade-level books

See all books like Othello→ — matched on theme + reading level.

Why widely assigned

This Drama title, typically at grades 10–12. Written in the 1600s; pairs with curriculum units on jealousy and racism; cited across 2 curriculum frameworks.

Themes

jealousy · racism · betrayal · reputation · race

Content notes

violence · racism · domestic violence

Where this book is assigned

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Common questions

What grade level is Othello?
Othello is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 10–12. It appears on 2 school reading lists, from grade 11 to grade 12. Exact placement varies by school and district.
How long does it take to read Othello?
It takes about 6h 45m to read Othello (368 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 405 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
What curricula assign Othello?
Othello appears on reading lists for AP English Literature & Composition, IB Diploma Programme — English A: Literature. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is Othello banned in schools?
Othello has documented removals from at least one public-school district in 1 state (TX) per PEN America's Index of School Book Bans 2022-2024. Policies vary by district.
What themes does Othello explore?
Central themes in Othello include jealousy, racism, betrayal, reputation, race.

Why this book is on this list

How we classify

Each dimension below is sourced from a public reference. The full framework is documented on the classification standard page.

Lexile measure
Not classified — this book has no published Lexile measure.
Grade band
Grades 10–12 — drawn from state ELA frameworks and AP/IB syllabi citing this book.
Curriculum alignment
Cited in 2 curricula on this site (see “Where assigned” above for primary-source links).
State-level evidence
Not yet documented in a state-level framework on this site.
Removal / banning records
Documented as challenged or removed in 1 state per PEN America’s Index of School Book Bans — see the full banned & challenged books list.
Seasonal / contextual tags
No seasonal or program-specific tags on this book.

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