Othello's Black Handkerchief

Professor Ian Smith of the Department of English will speak on his groundbreaking article just published in the Spring 2013 issue of Shakespeare Quarterly. The article, entitled “Othello’s Black Handkerchief,” makes the case for a re-evaluation of the handkerchief given by Othello to Desdemona, which figures so prominently as a symbol in the play. Challenging the long-held assumption by critics and others that the handkerchief was white, Professor Smith uses evidence from the text and from historical sources to argue that the handkerchief was black. This startling idea has implications not only for revising our understanding of the play, but also for examining the ways in which race has influenced the critical readings of Othello. The completed artists’ book by Professors Curlee Holton and Ian Smith, Othello Re-imagined in Sepia, will be on view following the lecture. This striking volume was the gift to Skillman by an anonymous donor.