Othello—Question #1

Seeing Shakespeare’s play Othello at the Globe Theater was such an amazing experience, especially since I have recently studied the play in depth. Simply reading the play does nothing for a Shakespearian play, however, seeing the play on stage, what it was originally written for, has much more of an impact and leaves a greater sense of meaning and understanding for the audience. There were many design elements that helped contribute to my understanding of the play as a whole, two of which include the elaborate costumes and one of the main props, Desdemona’s handkerchief.

The costumes used in this play were fabulous. They seemed to be very accurate to what people in 17^th century Venice would be wearing. Having accurate costumes helped me to understand the setting of the play and realize where each character was coming from. One character in particular was Othello, the Moor of Venice. In the beginning of the play he was wearing what would have been normal gentlemens clothing of the time including the traditional tunic, trousers and boots along with a sword at his side. Towards the end however he came on stage in the traditional clothing of a Moor which resembled a white gown and a white turban type head piece. Seeing him is this costume helped me to understand his position as the Moor of Venice and helped me to see him for what he truly was and not just the only black character on stage. I was able to see the traditions and back ground that he came from before he came to Venice. This costume also helped to establish the authority he had even though everyone else in the play just saw him as different because of his skin color.

Desdemona’s handkerchief was another aspect that helped me to understand the play a little better. When I was just reading about it and its significance throughout the play I couldn’t really picture the problems it was causing everybody, but when I was actually able to see it and how it was passed from person to person and the jealousy and rage it caused Othello and the grief it caused many of the characters, it had a much greater impact on the way I felt about the play. Seeing how it worked in the actual play helped me to realize just how important it actually is to the plot.

For the most part I really enjoyed the play and its design elements. I don’t think there is really much that could have been changed to make the play more meaningful. Although there weren’t that many props, the characters used what they had and took advantage of the space that was available to them to make the play what it was. It was really exciting to see how all of the elements of the Globe are put to use to make situations more lifelike and I am grateful that I was able to partake in the experience.