Abstract
The numerous and diverse interpretive hypotheses on Othello’s handkerchief that have been put forward in the course of time largely share the assumption that this stage property is white. Such critical orthodoxy has recently been challenged by Ian Smith’s Othello’s black handkerchief, an essay which, based on precise textual and contextual evidence, convincingly demonstrates that the controversial piece of cloth is actually black and should be identified with Othello’s body, rather than with Desdemona’s. Smith’s work strikingly exposes how cultural and ideological bias has long made criticism selectively colour-blind, and invites a radical rereading of the tragedy as a whole. Taking its cue from Smith’s contention, this article explores how the presence of a black, rather than white, handkerchief can affect our reading of some aspects of the play, particularly focussing on the characters of Othello and Desdemona.