Shakespeare et Talma Le cas d’Othello, 1792-1825

Jean-François Ducis adapted six of Shakespeare’s plays. The last of these, Othello, appeared in 1792, with Talma in the title role. Revived in 1809, the play is harshly criticised by l’abbé Geoffroy, who disliked Talma’s acting and Ducis’s adaptation. In 1825, on the eve of the Romantics’ triumph, Talma chose to appear in the play for his retirement performance, but on this occasion his Othello was no longer dressed as an exotic African, but as an elegant Venetian gentleman.