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HOW DO YOU THINK THE ELIZABETHAN AUDIENCE WOULD HAVE REACTED TO OTHELLOS AND DESDEMONAS MARRIAGE? The English Renaissance saw the rise of one of the most hailed writers in the literary history: William Shakespeare. His works clearly reveal his keen interest in mans affairs, of which he combined with two distinct characteristics of the Renaissance: a respect for classical learning with a boldness of experimentation. This effect is evident especially in his play Othello, as he depicts Othello the stereotyped lascivious black man passionately married to Desdemona the white nobleman's pure and vulnerable, daughter. Religious tension which was rampant in England during this period, and the historical public context in which it was written, would have contributed to a very negative reaction by the audience to the marriage. Venice was a powerful influential and extremely self confident state, and they saw themselves as a leader in the conflict between civilized Christianity (Venetians) and barbarism (Turks).
Even though they were aware of Othello's Christianity from the start, it is inevitable that they should naturally associate him with his Muslim ancestors, the Turks, by his black skin. However, the single assumption that the whole of the contemporary audience would have been horrified by the marriage because of Othello's black skin is oversimplified. After all, this was the time of the English Renaissance, when people were becoming more open minded, with the help of the printing press, combined with travels and the books travelers wrote, preventing Englishmen from being narrow minded and provincial. But then again, it did not help that mixed marriages were a rare occurrence, as at that time black people were mostly slaves. Therefore, the Elizabethan Audience would also have naturally associated his black skin with slavery. It would have been somewhat mortifying; especially for the conservative groups, to watch a passionate exchange between Desdemona, portrayed as a white nobleman's daughter: a maiden never bold, / of spirit so still and quiet that her motion/ Blushed at herself, and Othello, portrayed as lascivious black man often referred to as barbarian, thick-lips and moor.
This tension reaches to a height when Iago describes a particularly graphic picture of the couple to Desdemona's father Brabantio - by the words; the old black ram (that) / Is tapping your white ewe (act one / scene one), black and white has double innuendoes of evil and good as well as racial differences. The audience gets the impression that Othello is a very crude black man as so far none of the characters have referred to him in a tone that is favorable or at least neutral. Even though the audience may at first veer towards Brabantio with sympathy for his plight at court (act one / scene three), the situation would have changed when they noticed that the Duke does not. Instead of condemning Othello straight out, the Duke first gives him a chance to explain himself. Even though Othello's skin colour is an object of Iago's and Brabantio's disgust, Venetian society as represented in the play by the Duke, Casino, Montano, and Lodovico respect him highly. Therefore, the audiences mortification would have been somewhat mollified.
Another tactic that Shakespeare uses, perhaps to soften the blow of seeing such a union in marriage is placing the play in Venice. The audience may have been compensated with a sense of relief that such an act would never have dared take place in England. Desdemona's actions when she eloped with Othello to get married and her rejection of her father at court (act one / scene three) when he asked her to come back to him would have caused an uproar of indignation inside the theatre as it was against the moral codes of women in those times. Loyalty and obedience to the family by women was never to fail or even waver. Women during the Renaissance were allowed to speak their minds only in church, and the ideal Renaissance woman was not ambitious, and did as they were told.
Yet, Shakespeare softens the audience towards Desdemona's treachery as he depicts her answering her father to his question of her obedience, she tells him that she had been duty bound to him, but as she was married to Othello now, her duty was to him and not her father. Her answer indicates that she is aware of her duties and that she is an obedient woman and the audience would have been made aware that she had the sense of duty that was required in a woman during that time. Although Desdemona's actions may have shocked a large number in the Elizabethan audience, it would be foolish to assume that all would have shared a same reaction. This was a time when bold experimentation's were being made in plays and they would not have been made if some people from the audience had not wanted to see such a twist in the play or enjoy seeing such a shocking turn for entertainment. There would have been a group that would have been unperturbed or rather approving of Desdemona's actions. Perhaps feminists are a likely sort, or rather radicals, and this was the time when people were becoming more open minded.
The respective way in which she gently rejected her father may have placated some of those who were miffed. One of the most important ways in which the audiences perception of Othello's and Desdemona's marriage would have been affected, was by the way Shakespeare had presented them. At first in Act one, most of the characters (Iago, Rodrigo, and Brabantio) verbally abuse Othello in such a way that the audience is led to believe that Othello is a very crude and lascivious man. But then, by a turn of situational irony, when Shakespeare presents Othello, he turns out to be an effective and dignified commander and a loving husband, and Desdemona, instead of being an innocent nave girl who would blush at her own desires had married the man of her choice. The audience, who are at first led to believe that they should discredit the marriage later, see the connection between the two people and their strong love for each other surpassing social and religious barriers. Still some would not have cared.
They would have disapproved for their various reasons of propriety, or familial harmony. On the other hand, there would have been some who would also have admired the strong will it took to take such an action in the face of such obstacles. But then again, by a turn of events, the green eyed monster catches hold of Othello, and the newlyweds start to face obstacles that no one could have comprehended. As the play progresses and the idea of Desdemona's supposed adultery burn slowly into Othello's mind, his whole semblance breaks down into total chaos. As the play concludes, when the truth is revealed after Desdemona dies, Othello turns back into the role of loving husband, which is proved true when he avenges himself with what he perceived to be the ultimate justice.
Then the audience is left to ponder whether or not this was what Othello and Desdemona deserved for their decision to get married. It comes down to a question of whether or not they believed in love, because that is what Shakespeare implies at the end of the play. He depicts the couple such that neither Othello nor Desdemona regret getting married, though they may regret the turn of events that caused them to end up like they did. The play Othello was very popular with the Elizabethan audience. Whether it was renowned the unusual story of love between two people, who were worlds apart by origin and one by soul who unfortunately met dire consequences due to the strength of their feelings. Or whether it provided a morale for people not to stray out of the lines dictated by society, we will never know surely.
Yes people were shocked and outraged by the insinuation of a union between two such people, but then, people were also fascinated by the idea too. Otherwise, there would be no way to explain why Othello was such a hit with the Elizabethan audience whether they disapproved or not.
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