Center Stage

During class on Monday, Professor Williamson Ambrose asked our small groups to draw what we thought the final scene would look like on stage. I found it interesting that every group, except for mine, decided to place Desdemona's large bed in the center of the room. That was my initial reaction as well, but I soon after began thinking why my group had decided to put the bed in the left corner, almost at an angle.

It makes sense that Desdemona be in the center of attention. She is, afterall, the main reason everyone is out to kill. I do not think, however, that this scene should entirely revolve around her. As I read the scene again, I pictured Othello entering the dark room from the opposite corner of the bed as Desdemona sleeps with a faint light shining on her face, almost angelic-like. As he delivers his depressing monologue, he should take his time in walking across the entire room, pausing now and then, here and there. If the bed were in the middle of the room, though, he would not have to walk very far to reach it and the entire other half of the room would seem unused.

Just the same, when Emilia enters, I invisioned a dramatic rush across the room that created suspense. But most of all, in the end, I expected an elaborate death battle with the swords and letters and insults taking center stage, not the girl who died at the beginning of the scene. Also, when Emilia and Othello die, I can picture the focus being shifted from the center or right side of the stage to where the bed is on the left, rather than having the focus shift slightly from one of the sides of the stage to the center.

All in all, I understand why the other groups placed the bed in the middle of the stage, but, being bias, believe that my group had it right. Desdemona is not the climax of the scene, and certainly does not deserve the entire spotlight.