53 pages • 1-hour read
Harlem Duet
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Symbols & Motifs
White Handkerchief
In Shakespeare’s Othello, Desdemona receives the gift of a white handkerchief from Othello, whose mother gifted it to him. It is a token of love and affection, and represents fidelity; however, if not properly cared for, the handkerchief will bring about pain and sorrow. This was true in Othello, and the same holds true in Harlem Duet. Each version of her Othello has given his version of Billie a white handkerchief detailed with strawberries, and everyone who encountered it was befallen with tragedy.
There is an inconsistency in Shakespeare’s Othello regarding the origin of the handkerchief. Othello claims in Act III, Scene 4 that the handkerchief was given to his mother by an Egyptian sibyl to protect and retain the love of her husband, Othello’s father. In Act V, Scene 2, however, Othello, claims that the handkerchief was a token gift to his mother from his father. Based on the text of Harlem Duet, Sears incorporates both possibilities, as the handkerchief is described several times as a gift from husband to wife, and that each wife bestowed it to her son, Othello, to give to his future wife. Still, the connection to the Egyptian sibyl also serves as inspiration for the playwright, most notably when Billie’s birth name is revealed to be Sybil.
Magic and Superstition
Just as Desdemona’s white handkerchief has “magic in the web of it” (Othello, 3.4.81), magic and superstition are recurring motifs in Harlem Duet. We learn in Act I, Scene 1 that 1997 Billie has been dabbling in alchemy and herbal remedies, and she has been creating potions in her makeshift yet fully stocked living room lab. Her library also includes titles such as Egyptian Alchemy: A Chemical Encyclopedia, and she regularly orders vials of serums that she uses to mix unusual solutions. Some might even be lethal, as her last mixture was a gift for Othello and his “new bride” (75) that was intended to kill him. Perhaps she was predestined to pursue a bit of sorcery, as Canada reveals in Act I, Scene 10 that Billie’s birth name is Sybil, which represents magic, clairvoyance, and the gift of prophecy. When Billie admits her deadly plan for Othello to Magi in Act II, Scene 7, her landlady questions the efficacy of magic: “Imagine all them slaves working magic on their masters—didn’t make no difference. If it truly worked, I’d be married to a nice man with three little ones by now. But if it makes you feel better” (102).
Superstitions are also mentioned in the play. In Act I, Scene 1, Amah and Magi discuss the various and often comical Old Wives’ Tales on how to “keep a man” (28) that have been passed down for generations. Later in Act I, Scene 3, Billie shares that she had been under a “spell” (44) when she fantasized about pushing Othello, Mona, and herself off a subway platform and onto the tracks in a murder-suicide. Last, when 1928 He tells She in Act II, Scene 6 that he longs to play classic roles, including “the Scottish King. The Prince of Denmark” (99), he abides by the long-held superstition among actors of never saying the name “Macbeth” inside a theater.
African Artifacts and Identity
1997 Billie is fiercely attached to her heritage and her history. Sears illustrates her attachment through the presence of, or reference to, items that are clearly African in origin. After making love with Othello, she mentions a Makonde statue to reflect her feelings for him. Makonde art is steeped in African tradition and represents beliefs, rituals, folklore, and cultural practices. It is also often created with one singular piece of wood, signifying the continuity of both history and relationships. In Act I, Scene 7, Magi asks to borrow Billie’s boubou—a loose, lightweight regal-looking garment that dates as far back as 8th century Africa—as she has a special date with an “African prince” (64).
In Act II, Scene 7, Magi references another clothing item of a specific fabric, this time worn by one of her dates, Brother Hakim: “He’s the one with the ‘Lumumba Lives’ button, prominently displayed on his authentic kente cloth dashi” (101). Kente is an indigenous Ghanaian textile of silk and cotton, while dashikis are African caftans. The button references Patrice Lumumba, Congo’s First Prime Minister who was assassinated in 1961. In Billie’s flashback in the same scene, Othello enters wearing a dashiki, symbolizing the connection to his roots that he later abandons.
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