Summary
Highlights
The episode introduces Othello as Shakespeare's devastating exploration of race, reputation, and jealousy. It highlights a contemporary production at Shakespeare's Globe Theater that views the play's treatment of race through a modern lens. The guest, Professor Farah Karim-Cooper, director of education at Shakespeare's Globe and author of 'The Great White Bard: Shakespeare, Race and the Future,' is introduced as an expert to navigate the play's complex themes.
Professor Karim-Cooper shares her formative experiences with Shakespeare, starting with watching 'Romeo and Juliet' at 15 and identifying with the rebellious spirit of Juliet as a Pakistani American. She also recounts a powerful experience seeing a production of Othello at the Globe in 2007, where the actor Adrian Walker was the first Black man to play Othello on that stage, feeling immense pride in working on that production.
The discussion delves into how race in Shakespeare has been historically viewed through a 'white lens,' with jealousy often overshadowing race in Othello's interpretation. Professor Karim-Cooper notes her own realization of being minoritized as one of the few scholars of color teaching Shakespeare in the UK, underscoring the importance of reappraising race in the canon. She emphasizes that while Othello explicitly stages the experience of a Black man, it wasn't always seen as a play about race.
Othello was written around 1604, placing it within Shakespeare's 'great tragedies' era (King Lear and Macbeth). England at this time, contrary to popular belief, was not an all-white population; evidence suggests a significant Black presence since the Tudor period. Shakespeare would have encountered people from various parts of the world, including a Moroccan delegation to Queen Elizabeth I's court in 1600, influencing his portrayal of characters like Othello.
The perception of Othello has changed dramatically over centuries. In the 18th and early 19th centuries, during the 'Bronze Age' of Othello productions, his skin tone was portrayed as lighter to make his character more palatable to white audiences amidst the slave trade. Until the 1980s, Othello was often played by white men in blackface, a practice Professor Karim-Cooper calls problematic, representing 'white property' over Black people.
The episode explores Black actors' responses to playing Othello. Early Black actors like Ira Aldridge and Paul Robeson navigated how overtly to portray a sexual relationship between a Black Othello and a white Desdemona for white audiences. Many contemporary Black actors find the role challenging, as it can reinforce racial stereotypes, but also appreciate its depiction of what it feels like to be an 'outsider within' in an elite society.
Some academics argue that plays like Othello should no longer be performed due to white directors often downplaying race, focusing instead on themes like jealousy or misogyny. Professor Karim-Cooper argues that race is not just a theme but a fundamental context that shapes the play. She emphasizes that the portrayal of Othello can inadvertently reinforce racist tropes, making it crucial to explore the 'framework of racism' rather than just individual racist characters like Iago.
Iago's direct address to the audience (soliloquies) creates dramatic irony, making the audience complicit in his villainy. This interaction, particularly in a theater like the Globe, allows Iago to manipulate perceptions and engage the audience's intellect, making his duplicity 'exhilaratingly awful.' This complicity, especially for white audiences, can reveal unconscious biases and the ease with which systemic racism can be reinforced.
Othello's identity as an outsider—an economic migrant and a military man in Venetian society—contributes to his precarious position. Venice, while multicultural, was ultimately ruled by Patrician families. This outsider status contributes to his emotional instability and vulnerability. The slow chipping away of his stability by Iago, exacerbated by societal judgments, leads to his tragic breakdown. The line 'chaos is come again' reflects this personal and existential disarray, referencing the pre-creation state of chaos.
Othello and Desdemona's love is depicted as extraordinary and transgressive, leading to their clandestine marriage. Desdemona's 'fairness' is intrinsically linked to notions of white superiority and virtue in the play, highlighting a racial narrative of whiteness. Othello's eventual murder of Desdemona, while driven by passion, is also steeped in deeply racist undertones regarding the Black male's desire for the white female body. His quick descent into distrust is attributed to the 'slow drip' of Iago's manipulation and the deep-seated military bonds of trust between them.
Iago's motivations are complex and debated, ranging from professional and sexual jealousy to queer readings and allegorical representations of evil. His overt racism and manipulation of societal prejudices are tools to gain audience complicity. Amelia, in contrast, emerges as a strong character, especially in modern interpretations that portray her as a victim of domestic abuse. Her eventual courage to speak truth to power, exposing Iago's lies, makes her a powerful feminist figure within the play.
The play's ending, with Othello's profound remorse after realizing his folly, is undeniably tragic. While it's remarkable that audiences can feel pity for Othello despite his horrific act, Professor Karim-Cooper argues that this pity stems from understanding his deception and the systemic issues at play. The ending feels bleak because it suggests that, despite the character's journey, an outsider in a white-dominated society might never truly belong. The play's continued performance is essential for engaging with its challenging questions about racism and human nature. The podcast recommends Lolita Chakrabarti's 'Red Velvet,' which tells the story of Ira Aldridge, a Black actor who played Othello in the 19th century.