Othello is one of Shakespeare's most enduringly popular plays. In its four hundred year performance history, the only times in which it has not been performed onstage have been times of plague or political instability. However, as one might imagine, much has changed in the global political and social landscapes since Shakespeare first wrote his story about an African general who elopes with a white Venetian woman, and is later betrayed by his right hand man. Using extant prompt books, first-hand accounts, and early printed editions of the play, this project examines how this play may have been received by an Early Modern audience, and how its reception has evolved over time, in light of both world events and because of previous theatrical conventions.