Comparison of Shakespeare's Macbeth, Hamlet and OthelloShakespeare's tragedies were extremely popular in the Elizabethan era and today. A tragedy is described as “a sad and serious story or play, usually ending with the death of the hero.” A disastrous, fatal or terrible event. By comparing the three plays Macbeth, Hamlet and Othello, it is possible to see how he used techniques appropriate to tragedy and how he applied them to his plays. The opening of the play is significant because it sets the scene and the atmosphere that precedes it. Watching the beginning of many Shakespeare plays, the audience is usually introduced to the protagonist through other characters. The audience also becomes aware of the location where the play is performed, as well as the important events contained in the plot of the play. In order to compose the beginning of the plays, it is necessary to examine how Shakespeare uses setting, imagery, language, theme, and structure. By doing so, it will be possible to understand that Shakespeare grabs the audience's attention in his opening scenes. The decor of a room is very important. The setting sets the mood and can tell a lot about the characters in this scene, subsequent scenes, and often introduces characters we haven't yet met. In Othello, a dubious character, Iago, is introduced into a dark alley. Dark and shady paths are synonymous with bad deeds and make the audience feel like the character is evil. Shakespeare does this to create an image of the character. He places this character in a stereotypical environment. There is a certain level of mystery around darkness because it limits your senses. This helps to emphasize the idea that Iago is a questionable character. In Macbeth, the witches appear amidst thunder and light...... middle of paper ...... Shakespeare, William. The tragedy of Macbeth. http://chemicool.com/Shakespeare/macbeth/full.html, no flax. Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. Norton ed. critical. Ed. Cyrus Hoy. New York: Norton, 1992. Shakespeare, William. Othello. Clayton: Prestwick House Inc.., 2005