Desdemona
by Toni Morrison, Rokia Traoré

Name: Desdemona
Brand: Toni Morrison
SKU: 9781849433891
Rating: 3.87 (914 reviews)

Highlights

Small Cast

Female

American Black History Historical

What readers are saying

Readers are captivated by Morrison's powerful reimagining of Desdemona's story, praising her rich prose and intersectional feminist themes. Many note that the play thrives as a performance rather than just on the page, finding it earnestly impactful yet challenging without prior knowledge of Othello. There is a strong appreciation for Morrison's ability to give Desdemona a voice and explore the complexities of her character in an engaging manner.

Beautifully written Powerful feminist themes Reimagining Shakespeare's characters Emphasizes women's perspectives Best experienced as a performance Some found it abstract

Synopsis

The story of Desdemona from Shakespeare's Othello is re-imagined by Nobel Prize laureate Toni Morrison, Malian singer and songwriter Rokia Traoré, and acclaimed stage director Peter Sellars.

Morrison's response to Othello is an intimate dialogue of words and music between Desdemona and her African nurse Barbary.

Morrison gives voice and depth to the female characters, letting them speak and sing in the fullness of their hearts.

Desdemona is an extraordinary narrative of words, music and song about Shakespeares doomed heroine, who speaks from the grave about the traumas of race, class, gender, war and the transformative power of love.

Toni Morrison transports one of the most iconic, central, and disturbing treatments of race in Western culture into the new realities and potential outcomes facing a rising generation of the 21st century.

Themes Desdemona (Fictitious character)--Drama Desdemona (Fictitious character)