Othello

Content Group

Overview
Othello: George Bennett (1800 - 1879) as Othello and Miss Jane Bennett as Desdemona

Its racial challenges seem to have made Othello very controversial, yet popular (Gallery 2.3.22-27). Issues of casting the lead role only with black actors in the lead have been debated recently, particularly since Olivier's film (Gallery 5.2.35-40). Iago is increasingly seen as not only the longest but the dominant role: his black humor is as important a production element as that of the comparable role of Richard III. Desdemona's initial boldness has not endeared her to feminists, because of her ultimate acquiescence to her fate.

Images
Othello, Royal Shakespeare Company, 1961
Othello, Royal Shakespeare Company, 2000
Titus Andronicus, Ira Aldridge as Aaron the Moor
Othello, Ira Aldridge as Othello, 1848
Othello, Margaret Webster Production, 1943
Othello, Castle Rock Entertainment, 1995
Othello, Constantin Stanislavski as Othello, 1896
Othello, Harcourt Williams as Othello, 20th Century
Othello, His Majesty's Theatre, 1912
Othello, Oscar Asche as Othello, 20th Century
Othello, Lily Brayton as Desdemona, 20th Century
Othello, His Majesty's Theatre, 1907
Othello, Queen's Theatre, 20th Century
Othello, William Stack as Othello, 1922
Othello, Walter Hampden as Othello, 20th Century
Othello, Margaret Webster Production, 1945

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Commentary
Bibliography

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Othello at Talkin' Broadway.

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Yutkevitch, Sergei. Othello, (with Sergei Bondarchuk as Othello; 1955/108m) distributed by The Picture Palace, PO Box 281, Caldwell, NJ 07006.

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