Flows and Fluids in William Shakespeare's Othello

Abstract

Flows and fluids in Othello are complex constructs detected through the study of imagery, philosophy, historical records, and performance studies. The variations between Venetian and Cypriote settings affect the human flows voyaging from North to South in the play. Othello becomes a bloody monster from an exotic romantic hero in Venice; meanwhile, Desdemona changes from a domineering lady to a fragile female. The notion of flow goes beyond moving from one geographical spot to another to reach a process of mind transmigration. The focus on Tawfik Al Jibali’s and Muhammad Driss’ adaptations of Othello has allowed us to discuss the concept of flow from the perspective of performance studies and to implement an empirical investigation proving that the transmigration of theatre is a form of flow. Examining the concept of flow has also shown that Othello is about water, blood, and wine. Applying the Theory of the Four Humours in our study of flow has demonstrated that Shakespeare’s use of fluids aims to portray a plausible story to his audiences.

Keywords: flow, fluids, transmigration, Othello, wine, blood, water, the Four Humours Theory