Today we ask you to lean into discomfort as we tackle the fraught issue of race in Titus Andronicus. We give you some thoughts from prevailing scholars on the subject, as well as a few approaches for this play in your classroom, and we also talk about Ira Aldridge’s contribution to the play (and to theatre in general) in the 19th century.
Here are links to some of the sources we quoted in today’s episode:
Ian Smith’s seminal article about Othello’s handkerchief
The Ira Aldridge biographical article from The Folger
Info from the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust about Aldridge’s adaptation of Titus.
Here’s the image of Ira Aldridge we mentioned on the episode, circa 1852. Image courtesy of Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.
