Create your account, 6 chapters | The violation of this cultural divide would have been nothing short of scandalous at the time. Howard, Tony "Shakespeare's Cinematic Offshoots" in Jackson, Russell (ed.) Many other famous works would follow before the playwright's death in 1616: Macbeth, King Lear, Antony and Cleopatra, The Winter's Tale, and The Tempest, to name a few. Emilias cries of Murder bring Iago, Montano, and Gratiano. "[127] Jos Ferrer played Iago and Uta Hagen Desdemona. [102] These cuts were not limited to removing violent, religious or sexual content, but extended on different occasions to removing references to eavesdropping, to Othello's fit, to Othello's tears, to the first 200 lines of the fourth act, or to the entire role of Bianca. Othello, belatedly realising Desdemona's innocence, stabs Iago (but not fatally), saying that Iago is a devil, but not before the latter stabs Emilia to death in the scuffle. Whats the connection between race and the power and uncertainty of editing? After being accused of witchcraft and . Eric Larson holds a PhD in British Literature. Date written: 1603 Read the full original Othello text In 2007, Othello opened at the Donmar Warehouse in London on 4 December 2007, directed by Michael Grandage, with Chiwetel Ejiofor as Othello, Ewan McGregor as Iago, Tom Hiddleston as Cassio, Kelly Reilly as Desdemona and Michelle Fairley as Emilia. As it hath beene diuerse times acted at the Globe, and at the Black-Friers, by his Maiesties Seruants. Written by William Shakespeare. When his ship arrives, he and Desdemona joyfully greet each other. Othello strikes Desdemona in Lodovicos presence, then rudely dismisses her, leaving in a jealous rage. At Othellos suggestion, the duke sends for Desdemona. The Times, quoted by Rosenthal, 2007 p.179. [150] The production transferred to Melbourne, Australia with another Mori actor, Regan Taylor, taking over the title role. Othello is set in Venice, presumably sometime in the latter half of the sixteenth-century. Gillies, 2008, pp. Desdemona's father is furious that his daughter has not only eloped without his permission (a grave sin at the time), but she has also done so with a black man. 2004 2022 NoSweat Digital Ltd, 124 City Road, London EC1V 2NX. When the action oves to Cyprus, however, and Othello is expecting to be part of the military campaign against the Turks. [133], White actors continued to dominate the role until the 1980s. These two islands are the ideal place for men who work as soldiers to house themselves during this period of time. Booth was gentle with Desdemona. Desdemona is asleep in bed when Othello enters. Othello | Shakespeare's Staging By signing up you agree to our terms and privacy policy. Othello - Wikipedia Shakespeare likely knew of this delegation and conceived of Othello as a way to appeal to these ambassadors. Your group members can use the joining link below to redeem their group membership. 20% The rest of the play takes place on the island of Cyprus, away from the law and order represented by the Duke and Senate. What does a black actor at an audition in today's world have to say to Shakespeare's Othello? to start your free trial of SparkNotes Plus. [203][204] In Murray Carlin's 1969 Not Now Sweet Desdemona the protagonist says of Shakespeare's play that it was "the first play of the Age of Imperialism Othello is about colour and nothing but colour. Othello is older, dark-skinned, and linked to the Muslim faith. The map below shows all the locations Shakespeare used for Othello. In England, many thought of Venice as a hub of prostitution and generally lax sexual restrictions, particularly for women. The other most important theme is race. The book was an enormous success in Europe, and was translated into many other languages,[13] remaining a definitive reference work for decades (and to some degree, centuries) afterwards. Scenes in the final movie were sometimes spliced together from one actor filmed in Italy in one year, and another actor filmed in Morocco the next. She denies being unfaithful, but he smothers her. Required fields are marked *. 645657, at p.649. Other characters are Roderigo, a Venetian who is in love with Desdemona and follows the army to Cyprus; Iagos wife Emilia; Bianca, a prostitute in love with Cassio; Gratiano, Brabantios brother; Lodovico, a kinsman of Brabantio, and Montano, the governor of Cyprus. Ace your assignments with our guide to Othello! "Othello - The State of Play" The Arden Shakespeare, Bloomsbury Publishing, 2014, pp.95-120 at p.95. In Shakespeares time, Cyprus was an island right on the edge of European territory a military post to keep an eye on the Turks, who were always ready to disrupt European trade and to fight them if necessary. [103], Among seventeenth- and eighteenth-century actors praised for expressing the nobility of the Moor - and fully exploring the degrading passions which lead to the brutal murder he commits - were Thomas Betterton and Spranger Barry. Jealous of Othellos success and envious of Cassio, Iago plots Othellos downfall by falsely implicating Othellos wife, Desdemona, and Cassio in a love affair. Except where otherwise stated, references to the play. Cassio has found Desdemonas handkerchief in his room (placed there by Iago) and he asks Bianca to copy the embroidery work for him. How can all students grapple with the language of race, religion, gender, and power? Our doors are reopening in Fall 2023! The Senators wish to send Othello to Cyprus, which is under threat from Turkey. The effect to modern audiences is (in the words of Daniel Rosenthal) "laughably over-the-top"[175] - in keeping with its nature as a filmed stage performance, rather than a performance designed for the screen. Othello defends himself before the Duke of Venice, Brabantio's kinsmen Lodovico and Gratiano, and various senators. Iago, under pressure, admits accusing Desdemona. Othello has promoted Cassio, not Iago, to be his lieutenant.Iago crudely informs Brabantio, Desdemonas father, that Othello and Desdemona have eloped. 7577. Iago plays on this reputation when goading Othello into believing that the Venetian Desdemona could be unfaithful: 'I know our country disposition well.In Venice they do let God see the pranksThey dare not show their husbands. [68], As Robert Watson summarises it: "The seemingly endless critical debate about Iago's motivation reflects a truth, rather than a confusion, about the play. 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InOthello, William Shakespeare creates powerful drama from a marriage between the exotic Moor Othello and the Venetian lady Desdemona that begins with elopement and mutual devotion and ends with jealous rage and death. Venice and Cyprus The play starts in Venice and moves to Cyprus when the Turks invade. A description of the publishing history of the play and our editors approach to this edition, Textual Notes [124], The most significant theatre production in wartime America featured Paul Robeson as Othello. Find out what's wrong with calling Shakespeare "universal.". By the time he reaches Cyprus he is impotent - with no clear cause. Ultimately, his play serves as a form of relatable entertainment for the king and the English people. Corrections? Othellos standard-bearer, Iago, is a bitter officer who resents being overlooked for promotion in favour of another officer, Cassio, and vows revenge, both on Cassio and Othello. 645-657 at p.648. Marsden, p.21. "[69], Ultimately Iago provides no answer - refusing, at the end of the play, to reveal his motive: "Demand me nothing. Harold Hobson of the London Sunday Times called it "the best Othello of our time," continuing: "nobler than Tearle, more martial than Gielgud, more poetic than Valk. Shakespeare's setting also reflects his own time and place. Venice was, at the time, one of the most powerful and cosmopolitan city-states in Europe. The quotation is a parody of. She tells of her love for Othello, and the marriage stands. [162] And Richard Eyre's Stage Beauty depicts a restoration performance of the play. How is location important in Othello and how does it help sow the seeds She too is isolated from a community of women. [89] Neill summarises the issue as "no more than a particularly striking side-effect of the general indifference to naturalistic handling of time and space that Shakespeare shared with other dramatists of the period. "Othello - The State of Play" The Arden Shakespeare, Bloomsbury Publishing, 2014, pp.1-16 at p. 5. [169], Sergei Yutkevich's Russian film, with a screenplay by Boris Pasternak, was an attempt to make Shakespeare accessible to "the working man". From this time forth I never will speak word. You'll also receive an email with the link. EnterOthello,Iago,Attendants,withTorches. [87] The whole question is sometimes rejected as "academic nit-picking. Rosenthal, Daniel "100 Shakespeare Films", British Film Institute, 2007, p.163. Actor Hugh Quarshie has questioned whether the central role in Othello should be played by a black actor saying: "If a black actor plays a role written for a white actor does he not risk making racial stereotypes seem legitimate and even true does he not encourage the white way, or rather the wrong way, of looking at black men, namely that [they] are over-emotional, excitable and unstable. James O'Neill also alternated the roles of Othello and Iago with Booth. "[85] or if Roderigo had chosen to denounce Iago. [77][78], But there is also a long time scheme. Brown, John Russell "The Oxford Illustrated History of the Theatre", Oxford University Press, 1995, pp. A second factor which may have informed Shakespeares decision to set his play in Venice was the citys reputation as a hub of prostitution. Latest answer posted December 03, 2020 at 4:29:02 PM. The textual history of Othello is opaque. Ejiofor, Hiddleston and Fairley all received nominations for Laurence Olivier Awards, with Ejiofor winning. They bring Desdemona before them. If you don't see it, please check your spam folder. Morrison, Michael A. Othello is identified in the plays subtitle as a Moor: a term most typically used in this period to signal someone who was either of African descent, Muslim faith, or both. It is an island, so it is isolated from colonial law and government. Would it matter if it were different? Iago hates Othello for promoting an aristocrat named Cassio above him, whom Iago considers a less capable soldier than himself. [137] The script remained unchanged as regards the character's race, so the white Othello was, throughout, referred to as black. She is a young European woman from a rich family. Of one that loved not wisely, but too well. Othello (full title: The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice) is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare, probably in 1603. Venice was well-known as an early example of what might later be called a multicultural city, boasting a much greater diversity of ethnicities and religions amongst its inhabitants than most other European cities could. Othello denounces Desdemona to her face as a whore. [165] Cages, grilles and bars are frequent images. The Folger edition is based on Q1, indicating Q-only words with pointed brackets and F-only lines with square brackets. Shakespearean theatre often included anachronisms, or untimely features, that were able to draw attention to important social issues. She loved me for the dangers I had pass'd, And I loved her that she did pity them. The Othello play begins in Venice, Italy where there is a wealthy, well ordered and well-behaved community, controlled by strong laws and established conventions.The action moves to Cyprus, an unruly place with rough inhabitants, drunks and prostitutes, where crime and violence are the norm. Bring Shakespeares work to life in the classroom. [118] Konstantin Stanislavski admired, and was greatly influenced by, Salvini's Othello, which he saw in 1882. [216] The other, "King Stephen Was a Worthy Peer", is the seventh of the eight stanzas of the existing ballad "Take Thy Old Cloak About Thee". Setting is the time and place of a work of drama. William Shakespeare's career is often most associated with Queen Elizabeth I and her steadfast support of his plays, which is to some extent justified. 2023 eNotes.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This choral reading mashup will ignite bold discussion. Othello takes place in Venice, the famous Italian city, and Cyprus, an island in the Mediterranean Sea colonized by the Venetians at the time. For the next 7 days, you'll have access to awesome PLUS stuff like AP English test prep, No Fear Shakespeare translations and audio, a note-taking tool, personalized dashboard, & much more! Othello's first known performance was on November 1, 1604, at Whitehall Palace in London, when "the Kings Maiesties plaiers" performed "A Play in the Banketinge house at Whit Hall Called The Moor of Venis" attributed to "Shaxberd". Othello questions Emilia about Cassio and Desdemonas relationship, acting as if Emilia is the mistress of a brothel and Desdemona one of her prostitutes. Honigmann and Thompson, 2016, pp. ", Latest answer posted November 27, 2020 at 10:36:09 AM. [158][159] This plot is also shared by the very first Othello-influenced film: the 18-minute Danish 1911 Desdemona. lessons in math, English, science, history, and more. Whatever the precise details of Othellos racial and religious identity, they are clearly enough to provoke anxiety when Iago torments Brabantio by referring to Othello as an old black ram (1.1.) So, it is much like Desdemona, for she is a target of battle between Iago and Othello. Brabantio has no option but to accompany Othello to the Duke's residence, where he accuses Othello of seducing Desdemona by witchcraft. "[17], If Othello did not begin as a play about race, then its history has made it one. Iago, still in the room, takes note of Brabantio's remark. Moody, Jane "Romantic Shakespeare" in Welles, Stanley and Stanton, Sarah (eds.) What matters most when we teach Othello? Neill, Michael (ed.) Cassio, distraught, is then persuaded by Iago to ask Desdemona to persuade her husband to reinstate him. Barbara Hodgdon, quoted in Tatspaugh, 2000, p.151. flashcard sets. A pattern emerged where Welles would collect his cast and crew for filming, then after four or five weeks his money would run out and filming would cease: Welles would then appear in another movie, and using his acting fee would reconvene filming. Othello Play: Overview & Resources. Othello By Shakespeare Shakespeare, did, in fact, produce some of his finest works under Queen Elizabeth's patronage in the late 1500s and early 1600s, including Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Julius Caesar, and Hamlet. [94][95] Moorish characters were conventionally played in turbans, with long white gowns and red trousers, with the actor's face darkened with lampblack or coal. It was during this key transition that Othello was first performed. The 1982 Broadway staging starred James Earl Jones as Othello and Christopher Plummer as Iago. Other themes are deception Iago uses countless deceptions of all the other characters and the theme is comprehensively explored. In My Life in Art, Stanislavski recalls Salvini's scene before the Senate, saying that the actor "grasped all of us in his palm, and held us there as if we were ants or flies". [160][161] All Night Long reframes the story in a jazz milieu. [52], Iago's role is (in Robert Watson's words) "overdetermined in renaissance dramatic convention": he is partly the scheming Machiavel of Renaissance tragedy, partly the vengeful malcontent of revenge tragedy, partly the instigator of jealousy in domestic tragedy and partly the devil incarnate of morality plays. 160-161. About Shakespeares Othello Taylor, Gary "Shakespeare Plays on Renaissance Stages" in Wells, Stanley and Stanton, Sarah (eds.) This leads to them fighting one another and Montano being injured. "The Cambridge Companion to Shakespeare and Popular Culture", Cambridge University Press, 2007, pp. In terms of symbolism, however, the area is associated with Venus and sexual love. [184] Iago was Kenneth Branagh in his first outing as a screen villain. But Sher later wrote that he was always clear about it: in his head the question which always rang out was: "You saw what was happening - why didn't you stop it?" [188], Other adaptations of Shakespeare's story to be filmed include Franco Zeffirelli's 1986 film of Verdi's Otello[189] and the 1956 Jubal which resets the story as a Western, centered on the Cassio character. Themes in Othello: The play is concerned with jealousy, which is the main theme. King Lear is also in England, but takes place even further back in the medieval period centuries before Shakespeare, as does the Scottish play, Macbeth. [141], In summer 2013, the Royal National Theatre produced the play with Adrian Lester in the title role and Rory Kinnear as Iago. Each Shakespeares play name links to a range of resources about each play: Character summaries, plot outlines, example essays and famous quotes, soliloquies and monologues: Alls Well That Ends Well Antony and Cleopatra As You Like It The Comedy of Errors Coriolanus Cymbeline Hamlet Henry IV Part 1 Henry IV Part 2 Henry VIII Henry VI Part 1 Henry VI Part 2 Henry VI Part 3 Henry V Julius Caesar King John King Lear Loves Labours Lost Macbeth Measure for Measure The Merchant of Venice The Merry Wives of Windsor A Midsummer Nights Dream Much Ado About Nothing Othello Pericles Richard II Richard III Romeo & Juliet The Taming of the Shrew The Tempest Timon of Athens Titus Andronicus Troilus & Cressida Twelfth Night The Two Gentlemen of Verona The Winters Tale. Othello reenters and, now tormented by jealousy, threatens Iago with death unless he provides proof of Desdemonas infidelity.Iago alleges that Cassio one night talked in his sleep about making love to Desdemona and that Cassio once wiped his beard with the lost handkerchief. It can be useful in determining stage conventions and the kinds of cultural or technological possibilities available. When all arrive at Cyprus, Iago engineers a plot to completely destroy a happy marriage by tricking Othello into believing that Desdemona lives up to her Venetian reputation by sinfully desiring the suave Lieutenant Cassio. Dont have an account? ), Muir, Kenneth (ed.) [38], In contrast, Emilia revolts against misogyny, defying her husband Iago's demands three times in the final scene. On 12/8/1660, Thomas Killigrew's new King's Company acted the play at their Vere Street theatre, with Margaret Hughes as Desdemona, probably the first time a professional actress appeared on a public stage in England. Keith Hamilton Cobb reflects on his play American Moor and how the questions he received in response to it led to the development of the Untitled Othello Project, a deeply scrutinizing exploration of Shakespeare's text. Subscribe now. The setting (or time and place) of Shakespeare's Othello is the city-state of Venice and the island of Cyprus during the wars with the Ottoman Empire in the 1570s. Venice was at war with the Ottoman empire between 1570 and 1573, so the play's reference to the threat of an attack on Cyprus could reflect a setting sometime during this period. "The Cambridge Companion to Shakespeare on Film" Cambridge University Press, 2000 pp.141-260 at p.257. The free trial period is the first 7 days of your subscription. Othello | Summary & Characters | Britannica William Shakespeare and Othello Background. creating and saving your own notes as you read. During the scuffle, Iago comes from behind Cassio and badly cuts his leg. [199], After the Restoration, London Theatres other than the patent companies got around the illegality of performing Shakespeare by allusion and parody, such as Charles Westmacott's Othello The Moor of Fleet Street at the Adelphi in 1833. This contributes to a prominent theme of the play, which is the difference between external appearances and internal desire. Othello - Entire Play | Folger Shakespeare Library Lester and Kinnear shared Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Actor[142] and Kinnear won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor. The play is set in two places. Black, Crofton (2002). [210], The Willow Song, sung by Desdemona in Act 4 Scene 3,[211] is not an original creation of Shakespeare's, but was already a well-known ballad. [99][100], In Restoration theatres, it was common for Shakespeare's plays to be adapted or rewritten. Othello falls into an epileptic seizure. Buhler, Stephen M., "Musical Shakespeares: Attending to Ophelia, Juliet, and Desdemona" in Shaughnessy, Robert (ed.) The rest of the play takes place on the island of Cyprus, away from the law and order. Honigmann, 1997, p.35. When Laurence Olivier gave his acclaimed, intensely "African" performance of Othello at the Royal National Theatre in 1964, Frank Finlay played Iago. He then kills himself. She thereby vindicates Othello before the senate. [143], In September 2013, a Tamil adaptation titled Othello, the Fall of a Warrior was directed and produced in Singapore by Subramanian Ganesh. It is run by the Senate and the Duke, symbols of law and order. [196], Voltaire's 1732 French play Zare was a "neoclassical refurbishment" of Shakespeare's "barbarous" work. Othello, aware of his enormous error in regarding Desdemona as unfaithful, stabs himself, falling dead on the bed beside Emilia and Desdemona. [167][168] The film was critically panned on its 1955 release (headlines included "Mr Welles Murders Shakespeare in the Dark" and "The Boor of Venice") but was acclaimed as a classic upon its re-release in a restored version in 1992. They represent the Moor's invasion of Christendom. You'll be billed after your free trial ends. He has also worked as a writing tutor and academic advisor. Their purpose was to garner military and economic support from James. This list of Shakespeare plays brings together all 38 plays in alphabetical order. Both Venice and Cyprus carry symbolic weight for viewers in Shakespeare's time. Greenhalgh, Susanne "Shakespeare Overheard: Performances, Adaptations, and Citations on Radio" in Shaughnessy, Robert (ed.) Let us know in the comments section below! To talk about place is to refer to the literal setting or settings of the play as . "[207], Othello is parodied in the form of a rap song in the stage show The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged). Iago advises Cassio to seek Desdemonas help in getting reinstated. Religious objections to theatre led them to perform Othello as a series of "moral dialogues" at Rhode Island in 1761. How to visit Venices lagoon islands, courtesy of Kali Travel. Indeed Charlotte Cushman's Emilia was said to upstage Edwin Forrest's Othello in 1845. A spectator's sketch of Titus Andronicus on stage, for example, shows actors wearing thin rapiers as swords, which did not exist in ancient Rome. Stanton, Kay ""Made to write 'whore' upon? Explore the history behind Othello's setting, including what Othello is about, when Othello takes place, and where Othello takes place, and its impact on the story. Alone with Iago, Roderigo, now in despair of winning Desdemonas love, threatens suicide, but Iago persuades him instead to sell his lands for ready cash and to pursue Desdemona to Cyprus. Our guests are two contributors to, a guest post by Patricia Akhimie On my last visit to the Folger Shakespeare Library in Fall 2019 (a time that seems all too distant now) to conduct research for a new edition of Othello, I set myself the goal. "An Oxford Guide: Shakespeare". [Data courtesy of the Yorck Project, under Creative Commons Attribution-Share- Alike License (Wikipedia)]. Act 1 occurs in the highly governed and regulated city-state of Venice. Othello goes mad with jealousy and later smothers Desdemona on their marriage bed, only to learn of Iagos treachery. [149], In 2017, Ben Naylor directed the play for the Pop-up Globe in Auckland, New Zealand, with Mori actor Te Kohe Tuhaka in the title role, Jasmine Blackborow as Desdemona and Haakon Smestad as Iago. [214], The two other songs sung in the play are the drinking songs in Act 2 Scene 3. Desdemonas interview with Cassio is cut short by the arrival of Othello. More, it is a military strategic target for both the Venitians and the Turks. London. Othello, (with Sergei Bondarchuk as Othello; 1955/108m) distributed by The Picture Palace, PO Box 281, Caldwell, NJ 07006. At the time of the play's setting, Venice was on the front lines in the battle against the Ottomans - a vast and powerful empire. For the board game, see. Othello begins on a street in Venice, in the midst of an argument between Roderigo, a rich man, and Iago. Othello blames Cassio for the disturbance and strips him of his rank. How could Othello be viewed as a domestic tragedy? All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. Hoenselaars, Ton "Shakespeare and Translation" in Wells, Stanley and Orlin, Lena Cowen "Shakespeare: An Oxford Guide", Oxford University Press, 2003, pp. [185] The overall effect was to create, in Douglas Brode's words "the tragedy of Iago" - a performance in which Iago's dominance is such that Othello is a foil to him, not the other way around. However, most of the play is set in Cyprus, in a selection of public places, and various places in and around a castle. [83][84], Shakespeare's source story in Cinthio takes place entirely in the long time scheme: Shakespeare appears to have introduced the shorter time scheme to increase dramatic tension, while also introducing moments where Iago's plot could fall apart - for example if Emilia had given an honest answer to Desdemona's "Where should I lose that handkerchief? You can view our. In place of the headstrong heroine of the opening acts, Desdemona, increasingly stripped of agency, endures her husband's anger and humiliations - even his striking her in public - and eventually, while dying, tries to exonerate him for his murder of her. The party arrives in Cyprus to find that a storm has destroyed the Turkish fleet. Desdemona, still actively seeking to have Cassio reinstated, is worried about the loss of her handkerchief. The story revolves around two characters, Othello and Iago. Want to know where Othello is set? Othello orders a general celebration and leaves to consummate his marriage with Desdemona. Marsden, Jean I "Improving Shakespeare: from the Restoration to Garrick" in Wells, Stanley and Siddons, Sarah (eds.)