Othello in Iran: Honor Killing and Gender Politics in Hamid Mozaffari's Othello (2009)

In this article, I explore the adaptation and performance of Shakespeare's Othello in modern and contemporary Iranian theatre, focusing on its critique of patriarchy and honor-based violence. Since the 1880s, Iranian performances of Othello have played a key role in negotiating modern perspectives against conservatism and gender discrimination. As a notable performance exploring themes of honor killing and female subjugation, I particularly examine Hamid Mozaffari's (2009) stage adaptation of Shakespeare's play, which highlights Desdemona's victimization and critiques male jealousy and honor killings. By tracing Persian performances of Othello from the Pahlavi to the postrevolutionary era, I underscore Othello 's sociopolitical significance in Iran, where honor killing remains a culturally ingrained practice. Using performance analysis and critical writings of scholars of Middle Eastern Shakespeares such as Katherine Hennessey, I situate Othello within the broader context of Iranian theatre and its ongoing critique of societal structures that perpetuate violence against Iranian women.