Akhimie, Patricia. "Editorial influence in Othello." Throughlines. www.throughlines.org/suite-content/editorial-influence-in-othello. [Date accessed].
Editorial influence in Othello
Teaching students how to detect and interpret the editor’s role across different editions of Shakespeare
There is no such thing as a neutral edition of Shakespeare. Each edition is interpreted, selected, and published within the context of the editor’s priorities, expectations, and audience. Teaching students the subjectivity with which Shakespeare editions are created helps them see beyond the plays themselves, and into the larger context of Shakespeare studies. Using Othello as a key example of the role of editors, Patrica Akhimie demonstrates how editorial decisions can transform how a play is interpreted.
Further learning
Recommended
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Titus Andronicus as the gateway drug
Students believe they know what Romeo and Juliet or Hamlet or Macbeth mean, but rarely do those “meanings” stem from the students’ close engagements with the texts. Using Titus Andronicus at the beginning of any Shakespeare class forces students to experience Shakespeare anew.
Othello and Othello and Othello
Beginning with the play’s earliest performance, we study Othello from various critical perspectives through close analysis of the play-text and adaptations on film and stage. For several weeks students read the text of the play slowly and closely, paying particular attention to Shakespeare’s use of language, metaphor, genre, and dramatic form.
