Because Othello is considered by many to be one of Shakespeare’s major tragedies, criticism of it is as complex as the play itself. Some call it a modernized Morality play in which the characters are primarily symbolic. This criticism centers on the characters’ fall from innocence—the snake fouling the Garden—caused by Iago’s manipulation of Othello. Other critics examine the play in terms of the clash of cultures: military vs. civilian, Moorish vs. Venetian, barbaric vs. civil. Likewise, the themes of prejudice and of unbridled jealousy are the focus of commentary about the play. Others view the play as a story of human frailty — the story of the fall of a man of noble bearing and sincere passion and the destruction of an innocent and real love.