Magic the Gathering can be used as a teaching tool to help reinforce key concepts with students. By using these cards, students will review key quotations, while coming to understand thematic connections to the text. To learn more about how Magic the Gathering can be used as a teaching tool, you can read the article Magic the Gathering in Education.

Magic the Gathering: Othello

The idea behind these cards was to give my students something they could use to study Shakespeare, without having to specifically study Shakespeare. The cards try to highlight important quotations, characters, and moments from the play. The images have been taken from the 1995 version of the film.

These cards were originally created 2011.

Card Explanations

Card 33: Duke of Venice

The Duke rules Venice. He is the law and the order. Othello is one of his greatest Generals in the campaign against the Turks.

In the Game

In the game the Duke of Venice is a 2/3 Hero character who has the ability to tap.

This allows the player to search their library for a supporting character, and take that character into their hand.

They can then immediately play this card, provided they can meet the summoning cost.

Card 34: Lieutenant’s Sash

Michael Cassio is promoted, becoming Othello’s Lieutenant. For a short while Iago claims that this is his motivation for disliking Othello.

In the Game

This is a prop card that increases a character’s strength and defence, giving them a +2/+1 bonus.

Card 35: Drunken Brawl

Iago orchestrates a fight in order to have Cassio stripped of his title, and to reduce his stature in the eyes of Othello. Iago then plans to use Cassio’s attempts to convince Othello to forgive him as part of his plan to bring Othello to ruin.

In the Game

Drunken Brawl allows a player to change the target of an attack that was just declared on a character they control.

This will provide them with the opportunity to force a losing battle, or defend a key character.

Card 36: Othello: The Moor of Venice

Othello: The Moor of Venice is one of Shakespeare’s Tragedies.

In the Game

In the game, this is a Text card.

A Text card is powerful, allowing for a large amount of mana to be produced each turn. However, that mana can only be used on cards that display a specific term.

In this case, that term is “Othello”. Players should pay attention to the quotations on the bottom of cards, which normally displays that word, as a citation.

Card 37: Othello’s Ancient

Iago is Othello’s must trusted ancient. He has a position of power and honour under Othello. The trust Iago has earned is the reason why Othello never questions his Ancient’s honesty.