Nevertheless, modern directors, actors and audiences face a unique quandary when considering the history of the production. It has gained particular relevance in the wake of movements such as BLM, as Othello’s undoing is reminiscent of many a senseless killing at the hands of a society entrenched in white supremacy. It’s a heartbreaking tale rife with characters that jump off the page and into the very soul of the audience. Iago’s calculated deception drives Othello to the point of self-destruction leading him to kill Desdemona, and eventually himself. In an act of jealousy and bigotry-fueled hatred, Iago then proceeds to manipulate Othello into believing that Desdemona is unfaithful, stirring Othello’s jealousy. Meanwhile, Othello’s jealous subordinate, Iago, is furious about being overlooked for a military promotion and plots to take revenge against him. Despite being well-respected within Venetian society, Othello sparks a great deal of controversy when he marries a white woman, Desdemona. The play details the heartbreaking plight of Othello, a general in sixteenth-century Venice. Shakespeare, a known champion of the outcast, was one of the first playwrights of his time to position a Black man as a protagonist. “Othello” has become a theatrical staple due to its poignant commentary on the insidious nature of intolerance. The show questioned popular beliefs towards race, gender, and the universality of the human condition. It is one of the first and only plays in the Elizabethan theatrical tradition to depict a Black man as a play’s titular tragic hero. Since its premiere on the Elizabethan Stage in 1604, Shakespeare’s “The Tragedy of Othello” has solidified itself as one of the most controversial plays in the theatrical canon.
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