Othello

Othello is the tragic story written by William Shakespeare. It tells of the moorish Othello, his marriage, and the ultimate slaying of his wife Desdemona in a jealous rage. The story, like Romeo and Juliet, is a natural for both ballet and opera with its many opportunities for high drama. It employs tensions emerging through wealth, social station, race, jealousy, and intrigue.

This men’s bodice is beautifully crafted in combination of a royal blue and gold brocade dotted in sequins. The colors are royal, but Othello’s militarily important status is not. The breastplate-shaped brocade and center medallion both accentuate Othello’s position as a general of the Venetian Army.

Chiffon sleeves are an effective way to indicate movement as they flutter when the dancer runs or leaps. The embossed metal ends on the royal blue ribbons also offer up another way to show dimension in movement as they sway and catch the light as they do.

While I photographed this piece head on to accentuate the message of strength, I lightly twisted the chiffon in order to highlight the difference between the two materials and the intention behind using them. The blue bows further soften the effect. While they may be purely ornamental, they could also be an insight of sorts into the nature of Othello the man.