Unit 9: AP English Lit Faculty Lecture with Associate Professor Kim Coles (and Keith Hamilton Cobb)
Summary
TLDRIn this lecture, English professor Kim Coles explores the complexities of Shakespeare's 'Othello' within the context of American history and race relations. She discusses the play's themes of rank and bloodline, and how they contrast with contemporary notions of race based on skin color and nationality. Coles also speaks with actor Keith Hamilton Cobb, who shares his experiences as a black actor and the inspiration behind his play 'American Moor,' which delves into the challenges of performing 'Othello' in modern America. Together, they examine the fluidity of racial identity and the impact of societal structures on the interpretation and performance of Shakespeare's works.
Takeaways
- 🎭 The lecture discusses William Shakespeare's 'Othello' and its interpretation in the context of America, focusing on the play's exploration of race and its historical significance.
- 📚 Professor Kim Coles highlights the dual concepts of race in 'Othello': one based on bloodline and authority, and the other on skin color, religion, and nationality.
- 🌍 The early modern period's globalism, mercantilism, and politics, which led to chattel slavery and the British Empire, are reflected in the literature of the time, including 'Othello'.
- 👑 In Shakespeare's England, 'race' was associated with noble blood and birthright, determining one's social status and the right to rule.
- 🔥 Iago's jealousy and desire for a meritocracy drive the play's conflict, as he resents being passed over for promotion in favor of Cassio, who is noble.
- 🖤 Iago's strategy in 'Othello' uses the emerging concept of race to isolate Othello, marking him as a foreign body and an outsider in Venetian society.
- 🤝 Othello's relationships, including his marriage, are based on a sense of shared identity, which Iago tries to dismantle through his manipulations.
- 🎭 The play 'American Moor' by Keith Hamilton Cobb is mentioned, which explores the experience of a black actor auditioning for the role of Othello and the contemporary racial dynamics.
- 👨🎨 Keith Hamilton Cobb discusses his personal connection to Shakespeare's works and how his play 'American Moor' allows for a deeper understanding of Othello's story in a modern context.
- 🔄 The lecture emphasizes the importance of who tells the story of 'Othello' and how the play is reinterpreted in different cultural moments, challenging the notion of cultural dominance in storytelling.
Q & A
Who is Kim Coles and what is her academic focus?
-Kim Coles is an English professor at the University of Maryland, with a focus on 16th and 17th century English literature.
What is the main topic of Kim Coles' lecture?
-The main topic of Kim Coles' lecture is William Shakespeare's play 'Othello' and its understanding in the context of America.
Who is Keith Hamilton Cobb and how does he relate to the lecture?
-Keith Hamilton Cobb is a brilliant actor and author of 'American Moor'. He is invited to speak with Kim Coles later in the lecture to discuss his play and his relationship to Shakespeare's work.
How does the history of race and racism in America affect the perception of 'Othello'?
-The history of race and racism in America has made 'Othello' a complex cultural object, partly due to how race is explored in the play and how contemporary notions of race influence its interpretation.
What are the two different concepts of race that collide in Shakespeare's 'Othello'?
-The two concepts of race in 'Othello' are one based on bloodline and authority, and the other based on skin color, religion, and nationality.
How was the authority to rule perceived in Shakespeare's England?
-In Shakespeare's England, the authority to rule was seen as an inherited trait, a birthright based on the quality of blood and lineage, which determined one's social rank or 'race'.
What is Iago's motivation for his actions in the play?
-Iago's motivation stems from his jealousy and resentment towards a world that values rank and bloodline over merit, leading him to plot against Othello.
How does Iago use the concept of race to manipulate Othello?
-Iago uses the emerging concept of race, marked by Othello's blackness, to isolate him and position him as an outsider, undermining his social position and relationships.
What does the play 'Othello' reveal about the fluidity of race during the early modern period?
-The play reveals the fluidity of race by showing how different racial logics, one based on rank and the other on color and nation, are used to support social hierarchies and can be manipulated for personal gain.
How does Keith Hamilton Cobb's play 'American Moor' connect to the themes of Shakespeare's 'Othello'?
-'American Moor' connects to 'Othello' by exploring the experiences of a black actor auditioning for the role of Othello, highlighting the ongoing issues of race and identity in contemporary society.
What does Keith Hamilton Cobb believe about the reimagining of Shakespeare's plays in modern theater?
-Keith Hamilton Cobb suggests that modern theater often recycles Shakespeare's plays without significant innovation, and that true reimagining comes from the perspectives of artists and scholars like himself.
Outlines
🎭 Introduction to Shakespeare's Othello and its American Context
Professor Kim Coles introduces the lecture on William Shakespeare's 'Othello,' focusing on its interpretation in the context of America. She discusses the play's exploration of race and its historical significance in America, shaped by the country's history of race and racism. Coles also mentions an upcoming conversation with actor and author Keith Hamilton Cobb, whose work 'American Moor' delves into the experiences of a black actor auditioning for the role of Othello. The lecture aims to explore the inspiration behind Cobb's play and its relation to Shakespeare's work, emphasizing the early modern period's globalism and politics that influenced the development of racial concepts and the British Empire.
🌐 The Concept of Race in Shakespeare's England and 'Othello'
This section delves into the concept of race as portrayed in Shakespeare's 'Othello' and its connection to the social hierarchy of 16th and 17th century England. It explains how 'race' was associated with bloodline and nobility, determining one's rank and ability to rule. The summary highlights how Othello's character is a product of this system, with his rank derived from noble blood. The paragraph contrasts this with Iago's resentment, who sees himself as meritorious but is held back by a system that values lineage over merit. Iago's jealousy and his plot to undermine Othello are driven by this social structure, revealing the fluidity and instrumental nature of race in the play.
📚 Literature as a Reflection of Past Politics and Present Usage
The paragraph discusses how literature, specifically 'Othello,' reflects the politics of the past but also how it is interpreted and used in contemporary politics. It emphasizes that while Shakespeare was ahead of his time in perceiving modern racial constructs, the play's interpretation is influenced by the cultural moment in which it is produced or read. The lecture transitions into a discussion with Keith Hamilton Cobb about his play 'American Moor,' which explores the complexities of being a black actor in the context of performing Shakespeare's works. Cobb shares his personal journey and the significance of telling stories from his perspective, challenging the cultural dominance of traditional interpretations.
🎭 The Personal and Cultural Relevance of Shakespeare's Plays
In this section, the conversation with Keith Hamilton Cobb continues, focusing on his personal relationship with Shakespeare's works and their cultural relevance. Cobb expresses his critical view of Shakespeare, acknowledging the genius of the playwright while also recognizing the plays' historical role in cultural dominance and 'othering.' He discusses the importance of allowing for diverse interpretations and cultural moments in the presentation of Shakespeare's plays, particularly emphasizing the contributions of black artists and scholars. Cobb also shares his creative process in incorporating Shakespeare's language into 'American Moor,' reflecting on the complex dynamics of language, identity, and expression.
🌟 Conclusion and Gratitude for the Discussion
The final paragraph summarizes the insightful discussion with Keith Hamilton Cobb, expressing gratitude for his contributions and the depth of understanding he has brought to the lecture. It highlights the value of exploring Shakespeare's 'Othello' through the lens of contemporary actors and authors like Cobb, who offer fresh perspectives and challenge traditional interpretations. The paragraph concludes the lecture on a note of appreciation for the enriching dialogue on race, literature, and cultural identity.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Othello
💡Race
💡Rank
💡Iago
💡American Moor
💡Bloodline
💡Venice
💡Racial Logic
💡Cultural Dominance
💡Meritocracy
Highlights
Kim Coles, an English professor, discusses Shakespeare's 'Othello' in the context of America's history of race and racism.
The concept of race in 'Othello' is explored through the lens of 16th and 17th century English literature.
Shakespeare's 'Othello' is a cultural object in America, shaped by the country's history with race and racism.
The play's exploration of race is influenced by contemporary notions of race and the play's own treatment of the concept.
Early modern period literature reflects the globalism and politics that led to chattel slavery and the British Empire.
In Shakespeare's England, the authority to rule was an inherited trait, closely tied to the concept of 'race'.
Othello's rank and noble bloodline are central to his identity and social position in the play.
Iago's jealousy and desire for a meritocracy drive the play's conflict and his schemes against Othello.
The play shows the fluidity of race and the different racial logics that support social hierarchies.
Othello's marriage to Desdemona is seen as a violation of social norms by Iago due to their differing ranks.
Iago uses the emerging concept of race based on skin color to mark Othello as an outsider.
The play's exploration of identity, power, and authority is negotiated through cultural contexts.
Keith Hamilton Cobb's 'American Moor' explores the experience of a black actor auditioning for Othello.
Cobb discusses what inspired him to write 'American Moor' and his relationship with Shakespeare's work.
The full title of 'Othello' and its implications on the play's focus and the character of Iago.
Cobb's play addresses the contemporary moment and the politics of performing Shakespeare's works today.
The importance of allowing diverse perspectives on Shakespeare's plays to challenge cultural dominance.
Cobb's thoughts on the reimagining of Shakespeare and the role of black artists and scholars in interpreting his works.
The decision-making process behind including Shakespeare's lines in 'American Moor' and their significance.
The juxtaposition of early modern and modern language in 'American Moor' to highlight the policing of voice.
Transcripts
my name is kim coles i'm an english
professor at the university of maryland
in 16th and 17th century english
literature
and today i'm going to talk to you about
william shakespeare's othello
and how we understand it in the context
of america
i'm also excited to share that later in
the lecture i'll be speaking with keith
hamilton cobb
a brilliant actor and author of
americanmoore
americanmoore explores the experience of
a black actor auditioning for the role
of
othello we'll discuss what inspired
keith to write his play
and how he relates to shakespeare's work
shakespeare's othello has a particular
history
in america the history of race and
racism in america has made othello
a vexed cultural object
this has partly to do with the play
itself and how the concept of race is
explored in the play
and partly to do with how our
contemporary notions
of race bear down on the play
the world of shakespeare's play is not
our own
but there's no question that we learn a
lot about how our world came
to be by looking at our past
particularly through literature in fact
the literatures of this
early modern period the 16th and 17th
centuries are shot through with the
globalism
mercantilism and politics that
ultimately produce
chattel slavery the forced migration of
enslaved africans
and the development of british empire
these forces shaped the world in which
the texts of the early modern period
were written and read
and they form the contours of thought
that animate the works
at this moment that shakespeare conveys
so
vividly in othello is when two different
concepts of race
one of rank based on bloodline and a
thor and
bloodline 2 authority and one based on
skin color religion and nationality
come into combustible contact
now to explain shakespeare's england
um the authority to rule
was an inherited trait it was an
inherited privilege
we call the status of nobility rank not
class because one was born to the right
to rule
a county or a country and could not be
disenfranchised from it
you couldn't be born
common if you were noble or vice versa
you couldn't change your status these
were essential facts about a human being
it was a birthright based upon
assumptions of the quality of blood
based upon the humors which were the
medical theory of the time
that literally made nobility superior
to other humans the social hierarchy of
shakespeare's time
was based upon blood and one's
birthright
or lineage and was considered or
actually called
race one's race
while the term didn't have the same
meaning as it does in our vernacular
it did refer to those who were entitled
to govern
based upon ideas of what was natural to
them
what they were born with what they
inherited
certain people were superior and natural
rulers
and this fiction resided completely
in ideas about their blood and bloodline
othello is in fact one of these people
in the political environment of venice
a fellow in casio or social equals
othello's life and being as he says are
derived from men
of royal siege or rank
and his relationships reflect his own
assumptions about his rank
exactly who in venice is acquainted with
his rank
is unclear it seems clear that iago
knows him as a military superior not
a social one because he assumes that
othello's marriage is a violation of the
law
and it would be at least in
shakespeare's england if othello and
desdemona were not of the same
social status othello himself
also states that he's not promulgated
his heritage
but iago certainly knows that cassio is
a nobleman
and he understands that he's been passed
over for promotion
in favor of cassio a man whose education
has
rendered him a great arithmetician
or a soldier of strategy not experienced
like himself yaga wants to live in a
meritocracy
where his performance at cyprus or at
rhodes has
value but the world he inhabits
inhibits his rise his jealousy at this
fact begins the play
he cannot earn a lieutenancy even at the
recommendation
of great ones or noblemen
instead cassio is advanced by family
education and social affiliation
cassio and othello are friends iago's
experience in war
or even his ability to serve in his
military posting
is made insignificant when rated with
his rank
iago conspires to bring down a nobleman
he might even be indifferent whether it
is othello or
someone else that he hates othello is
certain
that he hates nobles othello
cassio desdemona banchio rodrigo
generally is more certain
but he picks othello as a target
because othello is vulnerable
shakespeare has perspective enough
to see another mode of race being
ushered
in and it's that that makes othello
susceptible
to yago's poison othello
understands his place in the world
through rank
he sees noble blood as a substance
shared
among his peers aniago's strategies
isolate him as a foreign body
yago's able to understand
he's able to even use an emergent
category of race as blackness because
blackness marks othello
as an outsider and marks his outside
status
to chart his revenge
othello clearly forms his attachments
both friendships and marriage on a sense
of shared identity
and it is this identity that iago tries
to eradicate
he cannot achieve the meritocracy that
he wants
and so will settle for revenge upon one
noble
in particular as compensation for all
but the very contest between othello's
identity
and iago's attempt to dismantle it shows
the fluidity of race
at this early modern moment it affirms
more than one racial logic that supports
social hierarchies
and in their use of different discourse
of race
iago and othello reveal the instrumental
nature
of race itself othello
asserts the parts title and perfect soul
that assure his social position based
upon
blood while yago
resorts to racialize categories of climb
complexion and degree in order to set
othello outside of venetian society
in othello we see two kinds of racial
logic
put into combat othello defends his
position
assured that his royal heritage entitles
him
to as proud of fortune as the one he has
achieved
his rank sanctions his marriage to a
woman
who is a social peer
iago the new man who covets his position
assails his confidence with country
forms
asserting that the principal category of
racial identity
is color and nation and not rank
iago fashions himself as an ambassador
to the unknown world of venice
he says i know our country disposition
well
a strategy that puts othello outside of
it
but if othello's blackness signals his
outside
status happily for i am black
and have not those soft parts of
conversation
that chambers have if this
renders him foreign and religiously
suspect
there's much in the play to challenge
this construction
not least the voice of venetian
authority
authority identity power
these are the terms of the world of
othello
negotiated contested and finally
violently resolved
this gives us some insight into how
literature presents the politics of the
past
but it doesn't tell you much about how
it's used in the politics of the present
we tend to read race and othello as that
of our own world
and our own context this isn't wrong
for two reasons shakespeare is
perceiving
our modern racial construction one that
naturalizes the characteristics
assigned to a group based upon nation
religion or skin color as the
construction that's emerging
in his own time but two
every time the play is produced or read
it inhabits the particular contemporary
moment
of that time a wonderful place been
written
and is being performed both nationally
and internationally by keith hamilton
cobb
that explores this very issue
american moore stages an actor's
encounter with shakespeare
with othello and with a white american
director
power and authority even what it means
to be human
are constantly negotiated through
culture
it matters then who tells these stories
american more explores how we tell the
story of othello today
keith hamilton cobb has graciously
agreed to join me for the conclusion of
this
lecture in order to talk about these
issues more
fully keith hamilton cobb welcome
and thank you thank you happy grateful
to be here
now what made you write this play
oh i
i wrote this play as an expression
of a life lived first as an
african-american male
replete with all of what that entails
then
as an actor under the same set of
societal structures that dictated the
parameters of my life
as an african-american male coming into
adulthood and all my powers and prowess
and talents
uh there came a point in my adulthood
where i realized that
they were one in the same thing um
you know i i i think that large amounts
of emotional matter accumulate within
every human being
during the course of their lives and it
is bound to come out somewhere
and american more was a point of egress
for
massive amounts of thought opinion
emotion
pain frustration and a great deal of joy
as well but really
ultimately it is a claiming
of self-ownership in life and art and
a a deep expression of understanding
regarding who i
am and where i stand as a human being
well tell us about the title of your
play
and how it informs our understanding of
time
and cultural context as it relates to
othello
in my fraught and often
reluctant explorations of othello i have
been struck again
and again by its full title the tragedy
of
othello more of venice
and you know interestingly and unlike
any other of shakespeare's plays as
written it is often argued that it might
just as well be titled
the triumph of iago the genius villain
of venice some such
here we see the ostensible centering
of the black hero but purely on a white
playwrights terms
now you know i think that the early
moderns
of britain uh in their need to define
themselves
by defining who they were not uh
adopted the amorphous term more
which could at times literally refer to
any number of different ethnic and
religious
identities that were not white and
christian
um shakespeare's plays
have historically been used as a tool to
apply
this very very human process
of othering they often continue
to be used so but in american more the
title character is not the more of
venice he is the more
of america he like othello is the other
simply pursuing a life but
shaped and uh policed
by white overseers and it is not early
modern britain
it is here and it is now
your play shows how you as a black actor
relate to shakespeare's work can you
tell us
more about your relationship with his
plays
my my relationship i i i assume
is much like any other of the enamored
of this playwright's works
some of the plays are better than others
certainly not all of them are wonderful
some as far as i'm concerned are
outright dogs and i have
no compulsion whatsoever to pretend
otherwise
um after the appreciation
of the literary and artistic genius
itself
what each play treats on and how and why
is going to be interpreted
through the lens of the reader and
synthesized through that reader's
lived experience what rings true
uh what is plausible logical
in short what has redeeming value is
going to be a judge by that individual
with the same authority to do so as
anyone else
you say something interesting in your
lecture you say that
every time a play is produced or read it
inhabits that particular
contemporary moment and i would i would
only add that it inhabits that moment
as the producer or the director or the
reader lives
it and no one perspective
should be dismissed as a means for any
other to assume
and maintain cultural dominance
why do you think we keep wanting to
perform shakespeare's plays
why do we keep reimagining shakespeare
reproducing shakespeare
for our own cultural moment
uh i i have to say i i i am not
at all sure that we do continue to
reimagine
shakespeare as a general practice
more often than not i think that the
american theater culture
and the business that feeds it recycles
shakespeare's plays perhaps always
searching for a gimmick
or a concept to keep them appearing as
though there's something innovative
being done but very seldom do i see
anything
presented to me no significant new
thought or
idea that had not been present in the
last 40 renditions of the play that i
had seen
the the reimagining the uh innovation
if it is allowed lies elsewhere
and with respect to what you term um
our own cultural moment
that that would mean ours as in
everybody
our own cultural moment what black
artists and scholars are saying
as they undertake their own unsanctioned
explorations
and contemplations of these works is
basically
you don't have anything that i don't
have
certainly not with regard to ability and
perhaps even considerably less
in terms of awareness these are
my stories and i will tell them
as i choose so
how did you decide um
what lines from shakespeare to include
and how did the juxtaposition
of early modern language to modern
language
what does this tell us
you know honestly there wasn't a great
deal of thought that went into it
and uh i believe that this argues that
that the point of connection
for uh the african-american
shakespearean
can also be quite authentically
organic which is not to say i mean i've
certainly seen where uh
the attempting to draw parallels between
shakespeare's poetry and contemporary
counterparts can come off as being
rather strained however
consider that the protagonist in
american more is championing his
own his own linguistic eloquence
uh it is only when his natural voice is
quelled that he turns to the poetry of
shakespeare
as a means of expressing all the
myriad energies that he has enjoined
from expressing in his own voice because
as we've already discussed shakespeare's
voice is deemed
acceptable in fact superlative
and yet ironically as he finds it is a
voice also deemed by
others to be unsuitable for him
so he is left in this sort of purgatory
his own
natural voice is policed and his use
of shakespeare's voice is policed as
well
that uh in the case of american moore is
what is intended to be contemplated by
the juxtaposing
of these two forms of poetic english
one music being played by two different
instruments
both equally and and potentially
sublimely
beautiful if only both are allowed
i have to say i learned so much
about the play from you um
and from this magnificent play that
you've written
thank you so much for joining me thank
you i'm very grateful
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