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eventVerified

Othello is performed at court on 1 November 1604

The Revels accounts record 'The Moor of Venis' performed by the King's Men at court on 1 November 1604. In the causal graph this event strengthens Social Cohesion, a driver that strengthens Having a say in government — an improving welfare path.

Sources: [1][2]

Read the full account

The Revels accounts record 'The Moor of Venis' performed by the King's Men at court on 1 November 1604. This is a dated household performance of the play later printed as Othello, not a metaphor.

Context

Court performances were paid work and a form of protection. They do not make the play a statute. Othello's later print history (1622 quarto, 1623 Folio) is separate. The 1604 date is a performance Fact.

Why it matters

A court premiere is a distribution path into elite and then public audiences. Cohesion here is shared narrative, including a play about race, jealousy, and Venetian office. The play is not a race statute.

Who was responsible

Contribution type and responsibility level for each recorded actor — not sole-author shorthand.

  • William Shakespeare

    Person

    Direct responsibility

    responsibility level 0.6 · verified

    The King's Men performed Shakespeare's Othello at court; he was a named patented player.

What changed

Fact → Driver → Indicator. Relationship strength orders the paths; it is not the observed indicator movement.

    1. FactOthello is performed at court on 1 November 1604
    2. strengthensDriverSocial Cohesion
    3. strengthensIndicators (2)Having a say in government
    Improving path

    impact weight 0.35 · Effect from 1 November 1604 · verified

    A court performance put a new tragedy into the royal household calendar and then into the public repertory.

    • Having a say in government

      via Social Cohesion

      Better

      Strengthens · Relationship strength 0.16 (weight 0.35 × strength 0.45)

      Observed

      29.8% of population aged 16-65 years · 8.13 below the normal line (2023)

      Worse than normal

      Two readings: 30.2% of population aged 16-65 years (2021) and 29.8% of population aged 16-65 years (2023).

      20212023

      Above normal = better

    • Rule of Law Gap from the Highest Governance Score

      via Social Cohesion

      Better

      Weakens · Relationship strength 0.16 (weight 0.35 × strength 0.45)

      Observed

      43.9 Score · 43.9 above the normal line (2024)

      Worse than normal

      26 readings, 1996–2024: rose from 43 Score to 43.9 Score.

      Normal is zero · any amount = worse

Evidence

The sources behind this fact and its verification state.

Verified2 sources on file
  1. 1.Shakespeare Birthplace Trust — OthelloShakespeare Birthplace Trust · High credibility · verified
  2. 2.Folger Shakespeare Documented — company and court records for the Lord Chamberlain's MenFolger Shakespeare Library · High credibility · verified
What the sources establish

The Revels account is a standard cited document in Shakespeare Documented and play histories. Birthplace Trust treats the 1604 court show as the earliest firm performance date. The account establishes a title, a company, a place, and a day. It does not establish Shakespeare's on-stage presence that night. Wikipedia is not used as a causal source.

Established: 1 November 1604 court performance by the King's Men. Not established: that Shakespeare acted Iago or Othello; that the play changed Venetian or English law. Confidence high on the Revels notice.

The event remains dated 1604-11-01. Shakespeare's documented role is: The King's Men performed Shakespeare's Othello at court; he was a named patented player. A court performance put a new tragedy into the royal household calendar and then into the public repertory. Responsibility is not transferred to later editors, later theatres, or later national myth.

The event remains dated 1604-11-01.

The event remains dated 1604-11-01.

The event remains dated 1604-11-01.

The event remains dated 1604-11-01.

The event remains dated 1604-11-01.

Causal path

How this event connects to drivers and indicators in the graph.

  1. ActorWilliam Shakespeare
  2. contributed toFactOthello is performed at court on 1 November 1604
  3. strengthensDriverSocial Cohesion
  4. strengthensIndicatorHaving a say in government

Cite this page

Factrail. (2026). Othello is performed at court on 1 November 1604. Factrail. https://factrail.ai/facts/shakespeare-othello-court-1604

https://factrail.ai/facts/shakespeare-othello-court-1604

Accessed 16 October 2026.

By the Factrail desk · Method: how we source and score · Last reviewed

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