Preface to Reading Costume and Setting as Racialized in Adaptations of Othello

This essay was written in Dr. Eatons English 460, a Shakespeare seminar that I took in
the winter of 2015. As a senior taking the course for the second time, I was much more
confident in my ability to read and analyze Shakespeare. The prompt I chose asked for an
analysis of several film adaptations of a play. I was a bit anxious about analyzing film, but as I
did my research, I realized that films can be read in the same way texts can be read. The finished
product was my final essay for the class. In this paper, I focus on four different adaptations of
Othello: Orson Welles 1952 version, Laurence Oliviers troubling blackface Othello from 1965,
Jonathan Millers 1981 film, and Oliver Parkers 1991 production. The scope of this essay is
broad, but my goal was to analyze the costumes and set of each film. In retrospect, I suppose the
strongest part of this essay is my analysis of Othellos costume in each film version. Initially, I
hoped to cover more ground and examine setting, props, and other visual elements. After writing
nearly twelve pages on the costumes alone, I realized that my overall vision for the paper was too
broad to cover in such detail.
In the graded comments for the essay, I found that my professors main point of criticism
was my paragraphing. I used large paragraphs and forgot to break up my analysis into smaller,
more manageable pieces for the reader. This is an issue I am still working to fix. Despite this
structural problem, there were few points of criticism in the actual content of the essay, of which
Im very proud.

Reading Racialized Costumes in Adaptations of Othello

Because costume and setting are crucial components of film production, filmmakers can
use these elements to manipulate their audience and highlight relevant themes. With careful
attention to detail, costumes and aspects of setting can be read and interpreted in the same way
that a text can be read and interpreted. On stage and in the real world, clothing provides meaning
to individuals with developed personalities. Through costume, a director can manipulate a
character and the way in which the audience is meant to perceive him or her. Elements of color,
fabric, light, accessories, hairstyle, and so on profoundly impact a characters presence on
camera. Furthermore, the directors choice of setting establishes a very specific vision and lays
the foundation for the interpretation of the film as a whole.
If a film adaptation can be read just as the original text of Othello can be read,
costume and set design are the details that enrich the narrative interpretation of Shakespeare on
camera. This paper will examine the costume and set design choices in four of the most
accessible and popular film adaptations of Shakespeares Othello: Orson Welless shadowy
movie (1952), Sir Laurence Oliviers Othello in troubling blackface (1965), Jonathan Millers
film with Anthony Hopkins playing a tan Othello (1981), and Oliver Parkers version with a
highly sexualized Othello played by Laurence Fishburne (1991). In all four versions, filmmakers
use costume and set design to fixate on issues of race and sexuality, which, I will argue, causes
the viewer to become an active participant in the racial tensions of the drama, to experience
feeling of anxiety towards interracial relationships, and to other Othello by viewing him in
terms of extreme fear and extreme infatuation. Although each adaptation blatantly racializes the
costumes and setting in different ways, in each production, the audience is forced to see the film

in terms of race and hyper-sexuality - particularly in the final scene, when Othello gives his last
monologue.
Despite its short time at the cinema, Sir Laurence Oliviers Othello (1965) has left a
lasting mark on film and literary critics alike. While his blackface performance is highly
controversial for obvious reasons, a closer look at Oliviers Othello will reveal a more nuanced
character. Olivier went through a very distinct process to prepare himself to embody the jealous
tragic hero. In an attempt to unlock his inner blackness, Olivier went through a period of
vocal training especially for [the role], to significantly lower his voice and change the timbre of
his speech (Tynan 93). Additionally, Oliviers make up took approximately two and a half
hours to apply (Bent 367). To further emphasize Othellos racial otherness, Olivier
developed a lilting swagger which he deemed appropriate for the role. Clearly, Oliviers vision
for Othello was highly racialized: Hes an extremely hot-blooded individual, an extremely
savage creature who has kidded himself and managed to kid everybody else, all this time, that
hes nothing of the kind (Tynan 94). This vision is reflected in the sort of caged animal
performance which Olivier delivers. His interpretation of Othello is very physical and rough.
Oliviers performance seems to present a one-dimensional picture of Othello: a very physical
being, prone to violence, a very carnal performance characterized by jerky movements and
dramatic emotion. And Oliviers costume reflects this image of Othello as caged and wild.
Oliviers Othello is, above all, an outsider, and his costume reflects this. Initially, he
wears a metal cross around his neck, imagery which seems to suggest his status as an adopted
Christian (Boose 187). Instead of wearing pants and a tunic, like Iago and the other dignified
Venetian men, Oliviers Othello wears a long, black robe of sorts, tied at the waist with a thick,
brown belt and a dagger. The difference is costume is very obvious and clearly sets Olivier apart

from polite society, in a negative sense. Visually, he could not be more of an outsider. While the
Venetian men are draped in elegant robes, Olivier is barefoot and wears a bright white tunic
under his robe (Boose 187). In the opening scenes, he wears a white tunic with a darker robe.
His tunic is decorated with a heavy metal cross necklace, draped like a medal around his neck.
The metallic cross and metallic belt Olivier wears are reminiscent of weaponry or armor (Bosse
187).
He later changes into a white tunic which gaps open at the chest, exposing a different
cross necklace. A slit in the bottom of his white tunic exposes his legs and bare feet,
emphasizing the source of anxiety, Othellos black skin and body. With bracelets on both of his
pitch colored arms, and clanging anklets on both ankles, Olivier embodies a very troublesome
look vaguely reminiscent of a slave in shackles. This, combined with his shiny black skin and
reddish lips, invites the audience to view Othello as a walking racial coon caricature, in which
blackness is a spectacle that can be put on, like stage make up, and performed. To highlight
his black skin, Olivier constantly rolls his eyes back into his head, in order to show the whites of
his eyes. This blackface minstrelsy performance, while deeply troubling, effectively portrays
Othello as the outsider and isolates him from the rest of the cast.
Initially, Othellos costume, while obviously made of different fabric than the Venetian
mens costumes, is the same dark color of the other men. While literally made from different
fabric, Othello is definitely not cut from the same social and cultural fabric as the Venetians
(Boose 189). His costume changes reflect this. In the final death scene, a sudden dramatic
costume change has Olivier in a simple, bright, white tunic belted at the waist, exposing his
arms, chest, and legs. With the emphasis on Othellos black body, the viewer cannot help but
stare at the primitive state of dress to which he is reduced. Oliviers swagger only highlights his

exposed appendages. This emphasis on the body objectifies Oliviers Othello as a spectacle for
the audience to stare at in shock. Furthermore, his white tunic contrasts with the black cloaks
that the Venetian men are wearing, the ocular proof that Othello has never been one of them,
and never will be (Boose 187).
In the final suicide scene, Olivier tears his white tunic in a moment of animalistic rage
and despair. His chest is almost completely exposed, which further highlights his black body and
forces the audience to view his body in more detail than ever before. Using one of his shacklelike bracelets, Olivier cuts into his neck and collapses into Desdemonas arms on the bed,
sobbing uncontrollably. The white of the pillows, blankets, and Desdemonas nightgown
contrast with Oliviers exposed black body. In what Lynda Boose calls a display of savage
grandiloquence, Oliviers impassioned final monologue and suicide heighten the racial anxiety
that has continuously built over the course of the drama. This tension is fully realized when, at
the conclusion, Olivier has kissed the dead Desdemona three times and killed himself, with her
body wrapped in his arms.
Perhaps the most notable element of Oliviers costume in this scene is the lack of clothing
on his blackened chest and the shackle-like bracelets he has used to cut his neck and kill himself.
The viewer is left to gaze at Oliviers black body with Desdemonas white body. In this final
scene, the audience practically joins Iagos satisfaction in the spectacle of Othellos tragic death
because his blackness appalls as much as it delights,and Oliviers costume helps accomplish
this (Bent 361). The shock of Oliviers exposed body is the height of the tension, because the
other is finally uncovered and on display for all to see, the ultimate example of spectacle and
the point of blackface minstrelsy.

Orson Welless Othello won the Golden Palm Award at the Cannes Film Festival in
1952 for consistent visual style (Bent 363). Although Welless adaptation made considerable
budget cuts, the motion picture compensated for the cuts [in the text] with the condensation of
visual images (Bent 364). As Othello, Welles is a hulking, large figure. His energy is heavier,
more weighted and his presence is, initially, more stately than Oliviers Othello, although still
with many of the same outsider elements. Welles wears a head wrap that looks more Turkish
than Oliviers Othello costume. He also wears a long, furry robe which conveniently matches
Desdemonas costume in the opening scenes. This is called costume rhyming, and it sets
Othello and Desdemona up as a unique pair (Boose 189). Their costumes separate them into a
special, shared intimacy (Boose 189). This technique is used more heavily in Jonathan Millers
Othello.
Overall, it appears that Othellos costume is not highly racialized, especially when
compared to Oliviers Othello, although there are undeniable clues in the setting of the Welles
adaptation that point to race and color. This is because Welles opts for a heroic Othello and
consequently he is portrayed as a dashing and exotic Arab in a turban (Bent 365). However,
despite Welless claim that his Othello is depicted as heroic, he is still racialized and othered,
although not in the same dramatic manner as Oliviers Othello. The Olivier adaptation and the
Welles adaptation both use what Lynda Boose terms exotic hyperbole to heighten Othellos
role (187). Through costume, Welless Othello is clearly identified as an outsider: Welles uses
Othellos blackness less as race than as an opportunity for visual contrast, a contrast only
enhanced by the black and white film used in the shooting (Bent 365). This visual contrast
literally forces the audience to see color. The viewer cannot not see black and white.

In terms of costume, Oliviers Othello is dramatically different from the Venetian men,
while Welless Othello seems to blend in, wearing the same regal fabric as the other cast
members (Reitz-Wilson 5). However, the point of separation seems to be focused on his head.
When Othello comes to Cyprus, for example, he is costumed in almost the same manner as his
crew, except for his headpiece (Reitz-Wilson 5). Furthermore, Welless Othello has a more
expensive-looking fur robe that contrasts with the costumes of the Venetian men (Reitz-Wilson
5). In this sense, Welless Othello is separated from the Venetians in perhaps a more positive
manner. However, Othello remains an outsider in this adaptation, and the Welles film capitalizes
on his apparent wealth, which is part of his exotic appeal. His his voice is deep and resonant
and his character is vigorous and forceful (Reitz-Wilson 5). These elements add to the exotic
hyperbole that Lynda Boose mentions. It also introduces the idea that Desdemona might be
primarily interested in Othellos wealth and status, without verbally expressing it.
In Desdemonas death scene, Welles stands over Desdemonas bed clothed in his large fur
robe, looking enormous and menacing. Although he speaks relatively gently, compared to
Oliviers performance, Welles is barely visible for the rest of the scene. His body is not shown in
its entirety until after the scene is over, and even then, the primary focus is his face. Even in his
final death scene, Welless Othello is merely a floating head, glowing eerily in the darkness as he
monologues. In direct contrast with the Olivier film, Welless body is avoided in the death scene
and, as a result, the race issue is pushed aside. This avoidance asserts power over the audiences
imagination of the sexual shock of Othellos blackness (MacDonald 242). Furthermore, this
avoidance only heightens the anxiety centered on the blackness of Othellos body and causes the
viewer to fear the shadowy uncertainty of his body.

The BBC version of Othello (1981) features Anthony Hopkins in the title role. James
Earl Jones was initially offered the role, but the British acting association refused to allow an
American to portray Othello in a British adaptation (Reitz-Wilson 6). In contrast with Oliviers
and Welless Othello, Jonathan Millers Othello (1981) stars Anthony Hopkins as an oliveskinned Othello with wild hair. As Lynda Boose points out, the costumes in this adaptation are
mainly focused on the head (187). Although Miller plays with light and color (the black and
white checkerboard floor is one obvious example of this), the costumes primarily draw attention
to the head. Hopkinss Othello is initially costumed like the Venetian men, causing him to seem
less like an outsider. He very literally comes from the same fabric as the Venetians, or so it
appears (Boose 189). He wears a renaissance-type costume with collar ruff around the neck to
frame his face (Boose 187). Hopkinss Othello is so integrated into the fabric of society that he
proudly sports a ruffled bodice to distinguish himself from other male figures (Boose 187).
However, he has an intricate design on the front of his jacket which may serve to distinguish his
rank and his status as a war hero and general. Other than this, the audience does not receive any
blatantly racial clues from Othellos costume until later in the play, when Hopkins wears a plain
white, ruffled shirt which contrasts with the dark velvety clothes that the Venetians wear.
Millers Othello also uses costume rhyming to match Desdemona and Othello as a pair,
which is similar to the Welles adaptation. The first glimpse the audience gets of Desdemona
features her in a black, velvet dress that, upon close inspection, seems to be made from the same
fabric as Othellos jacket (Boose 189). This black hue is definitely meaningful because it is the
source of racial tension, as it marks Desdemona from the very beginning of the play. Her
outward blackness is visually represented before she even has a chance to speak any lines on
camera. Othellos blackness is reflected onto her body in a very physical way.

As with the Orson Welles adaptation, the Miller adaptation has been accused of failing
to cast a black actor in the title role in an attempt to erase the racial issue from the play
(Boose 186). Despite this claim, there are many scenes that reflect black and white imagery,
which point to the racial tension bubbling just beneath the surface of the film. For example,
Desdemonas dress changes to reflect an antithesis of Hopkinss Othello in Act Three, Scene
Three (Boose 190). Furthermore, the black and white checkerboard floor extends into Othello
and Desdemonas bedroom. In the final death scene, a dramatic costume change has Hopkins
dressed in black leather and wearing a neck piece similar to a court jester ruff (Boose 190).
The change in fabric signifies a switch from Othellos uncertainty (and his desire for ocular
proof) to his jealous rage. Hopkinss Othello returns to the camera in Act Four with metal
pieces added to his black leather costume. Furthermore, Hopkins wears a huge silver codpiece
complete with leather thongs tipped with metal points (Boose 190). These metallic pieces add a
violent undertone, and bring a harsh, masculine, aggressive element to Hopkinss Othello; also,
the codpiece adds phallic imagery, making Othello appear hyper-sexualized, another
stereotypical trait of black men.
In Laurence Fishburnes Othello (1995), Fishburne embodies a very different Othello, in
terms of costume. With exotic head coverings, earrings, rings, and other jewelry, and a bald
head, Fishburne looks almost but not quite like a pirate endowed with riches from a faraway
land. Similar to Welless Othello, there is definitely some degree of wealth and power behind
Fishburnes image. With a flashy, black belt and a glistening sword, Fishburnes Othello is
smoldering. He is sexualized but also feared -- sensual and passionate, but threatening.
Furthermore, Fishburnes own blackness deemphasizes the subject by putting it [race] in
perspective, according to literary and film critics (Bent 370). However, the issue is not

completely erased, and the beginning of the film immediately acknowledges Fishburnes Othello
as an outsider. Fishburne holds a white mask up to his face, demonstrating his status as an
outsider and a deceiver (Bent 371).
Fishburnes Othello is incredibly passionate and does not hesitate to show his physical
attraction to Desdemona. There are several sex scenes added to the Fishburne adaptation, which
not only increase fears of Othellos hyper-sexuality, but add a new, potentially frightening aspect
to Desdemonas character: the carnal nature of desire. Fishburnes version shows Desdemona in
bed with Othello, naked, on camera. As critic Geoffrey Bent points out, a sexual Desdemona
can create sexual worries (371). In adding these scenes, Fishburne creates more sexual tension
and causes the audience to feel increasingly uncomfortable because Othello is not the only
sexualized character - Desdemona is, too. So the Fishburne film emphasizes sexuality and, in
doing so, heightens the anxiety towards interracial sexual relations. Desdemonas regard for
Othello is characterized by feelings of intense fear and intense infatuation, both of which are
governed by emotion and passion. In Desdemonas death scene, as the two lovers fight in bed,
Desdemonas white night gown contrasts sharply with Othellos black clothes and metal-studded
belt. The struggle is framed by the clean, white sheets of the bed. In a very visual way,
Desdemonas innocence is personified and struggles against the Othellos blackness.
Fishburnes Othello kills himself in the final scene by strangling himself with his own
necklace. What was once a symbol of his prestige and wealth becomes the instrument of his
suicide. Othello is further isolated by his black clothing, which contrasts with the white, bloodstained clothes that the Venetian men are wearing when they storm into the bedroom. As in the
other adaptations, Fishburnes Othello has an exposed chest at his death, further highlighting his
carnal nature. After he strangles himself with the necklace, he falls on top of Desdemona, in a

final expression of desire, even in death. His black body on top of her white body, enveloped in
white bed sheets, is the last image the viewer sees of the couple before they are wrapped in white
sheets and carried off at the films conclusion. Through this sexulized death, the audience, not
unlike Desdemona, is trapped between feelings of fear and infatuation for Othello, after
beholding such a spectacle.
In all four adaptations, Desdemona contrasts Othellos darkness with light. She
practically glows in Jonathan Millers version (Boose 187). With warm colors and lots of light,
Desdemona is associated with innocence and righteousness, while Othello is associated with sin,
darkness, and the other (Boose 187). Her costuming is just as important as Othellos because it
sets the audience up to notice the difference between the lovers, not just in age, but in color. By
manipulating light and color using costumes, the viewer must see everything in shades of black
and white.
Overall, each of these four productions racializes Othello and makes significant attempts
to depict him as an outsider. As Geoffrey Bent states, Actors are the living tissue of a theatrical
text they argue their cases before the audience (373). From Oliviers blackface Othello to
Fishburnes sensual, emotional Othello, each interpretation engages the audience and
accomplishes its purpose through costume. Although these interpretations require vastly
different costumes for each interpretation of Othello, there is clearly an overarching theme of
race which, when introduced, causes the audience to actively participate in the racial tensions
with which the characters in the film struggle. Costumes and other small details such as makeup
and accessories are chosen intentionally to accomplish a specific vision. In these four
adaptations of Othello, filmmakers use costumes to confront issues of race and sexuality, which
then encourages the viewer to watch the film through a black and white lens.

Works Cited

Bent, Geoffrey. "Three Green-Eyed Monsters: Acting as Applied Criticism in Shakespeare's

"Othello"" The Antioch Review 56.3 (1998): 358-73. Web. 27 Feb. 2015.
Boose, Lynda E., and Richard Burt. "Grossly Gaping Viewers and Jonathan Miller's "Othello""
Shakespeare, the Movie: Popularizing the Plays on Film, TV, and Video. London:
Routledge, 1997. 186-90. Print.
MacDonald, Joyce G. ""Othello," "Othello" Burlesques, and the Performance of Blackness."
Theater Journal 46.2 (1994): 242-43. JSTOR. Web. 28 Feb. 2015.
Reitz-Wilson, Laura. "Race and Othello on Film." CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture
6.1 (2004): 2-9. JSTOR. Web. 27 Feb. 2015.
Tynan, Kenneth. "The Actor: An Interview." Coriolanus (1959): 93-94. Print.