In the play "Othello" by William Shakespeare, the character Bianca is embroiled in a witchcraft suit. Bianca is a courtesan who is in a romantic relationship with Cassio, a lieutenant in the Venetian army. Throughout the play, Bianca is portrayed as a strong-willed and independent woman who challenges the gender norms of the time. The witchcraft suit involving Bianca occurs in Act IV, Scene I of the play. Iago, the villainous ensign, manipulates Othello into believing that Desdemona, Othello's wife, has been unfaithful to him with Cassio. In an effort to further provoke Othello's jealousy, Iago suggests that Cassio has given Desdemona's handkerchief, a memento from Othello, to his lover.
"Bianca Marais is a genius" -- Ann Patchett, #1 New York Times bestselling author
Marais clever prose offers as much laughter as insight, delving deeply into feminism, identity and power dynamics while stirring up intrigue and drama through secrets, lies and sex. As the deadline to save the manor approaches, fractures among the sisterhood are revealed, and long-held secrets are exposed, culminating in a fiery confrontation with their enemies.
In an effort to further provoke Othello's jealousy, Iago suggests that Cassio has given Desdemona's handkerchief, a memento from Othello, to his lover. When Bianca discovers the handkerchief in Cassio's possession, she becomes enraged and confronts him about his infidelity. She accuses Cassio of giving her the handkerchief, despite his protests of innocence.
Four Questions with Author Bianca Marais
I first met Bianca Marais years ago when she was kind enough to video chat with my book club during our discussion of her debut, Hum if You Don’t Know the Words . It’s a searing novel that draws on her experience growing up in apartheid South Africa. She was so kind, smart and generous with her time that I’ve eagerly followed her career since then.
Both Hum if You Don’t Know the Words and If You Want to Make God Laugh are moving, captivating stories. They make great companion reads to Trevor Noah’s memoir Born a Crime .
Bianca is a professor of creative writing at the University of Toronto’s School of Continuing Studies. She’s also the co-host of the popular podcast The Sh*t No One Tells You About Writing (a must-listen for emerging authors) and runs the Eunice Ngogodo Own Voices Initiative, which empowers young Black women in Africa to write and publish their own stories.
Bianca and I chatted about her new book, writing process and more. Our conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.
What was your path to writing and publishing?
I think I wrote and illustrated my first book when I was seven. I was lucky to have amazing English teachers at school and they really encouraged me to write. When I was 16, I wrote a play for a big university competition. We won best original script and best comedy for it. My English teacher at the time encouraged me to keep writing but, in South Africa at that time, you couldn’t do a writing degree, so I studied English literature.
Then I stopped writing for a time and started again, just before my 30th birthday. I wrote two novels that were widely rejected because they were awful. When we moved to Toronto in 2012, I said to myself ‘I’m going to take this seriously. I’m going to study writing for the first time in my life.’ So, I did the creative writing certificate program with the University of Toronto.
A year later, I got an agent. That book, what became Hum If You Don’t Know the Words, was rejected more than 100 times by publishers. I wrote and rewrote it. I took out 16,000 words and started again but I wasn’t willing to give up on that story because it was so important to me. Then we finally landed with Putnam and the rest, as they say, is history. I have to pinch myself every day that this is something I still get to do.
Tell us a little about the Eunice Ngogodo Initiative.
Eunice Ngogodo was my childhood caregiver and someone who was hugely influential in my life. I was raised during apartheid, a time when children were pretty much brainwashed to be racist by their entire society. It was through Eunice’s love that I realized very early on that there was something very broken about the world in which I was living because I saw her treated in awful ways by the South African police and by white people in general. It made me question everything.
I wrote both my novels from multiple perspectives, one of which was a Black character’s perspective. I was very aware when I wrote the novel that I didn’t want to appropriate a voice that wasn’t mine. So I was respectful about the way I approached it. I had sensitivity readers and consulted cultural experts.
But at the same time, after I published it, I had a lot of conversations with Black South Africans, who were extremely frustrated that they were seeing white people writing these stories and being published internationally, but Black writers were only being published in South Africa.
I decided I didn’t want to be part of the problem — even though I had really good intentions. I wanted to become part of the solution. So I started the initiatives to empower young Black women in South Africa to write and publish their own stories.
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You mentioned writing from multiple perspectives. One of your fans on Twitter suggested I ask you how you make each character’s voice so unique?
I approach characterizations pretty much the same way I think actors approach a role. I don’t see a character from the outside. I pretty much climb into them and then I see the world through their eyes.
When I first begin writing, I write every character’s story from multiple POVs and tenses. It’s trial and error and multiple drafts.
So, in If You Want to Make God Laugh, Ruth is such a classic narcissist. She’s a delightful character write in the first person because she gives so much away without even realizing her own narcissism. Deliah is a very damaged secret keeper, so her voice was very particular, very formal. With Zodwa, I couldn’t writer her in the first person because there was so much context about her living situation that I needed a North American audience to understand that, of course, she wouldn’t feel the need to explain.
You have a new book coming out, The Witches of Moonshyne Manor, that sounds like a pretty big departure from your first two books. It’s about witches who have fallen behind on their mortgage payments. What can you tell us about it?
I get so much feedback from readers saying, ‘I really put off reading your book because I thought it would be depressing. But once I read it, I absolutely loved it.’
I thought ‘I don’t want to be writing books that people feel like they’re forced to read’ and during COVID, I needed some escape.
A story came to me about these witches, so it’s a completely different genre. It’s contemporary fantasy. I really leaned into the humor, which I only got to touch on in my other two books. This is just a madcap romp. It was such a joy to write.
My other two books, I viewed as a form of therapy. It was a way for me to work through my own conflicted feelings about my upbringing and the fact that, in my whole life, every opportunity I had came at the expense of someone else. Whereas this book didn’t have me in tears as I was grappling with my own personal feelings. It was just super fun and I’m hoping that my readers will enjoy the levity of it.
Thanks again to Bianca for talking with me. You can follow Bianca on Instagram and Twitter , and pre-order The Witches of Moonshyre Manor .
The Eunice Ngogodo Own Voices Initiative partnered with BlackBird Books in South Africa and Rising Action Publishing Collective to publish No Be From Hia by Natasha Omokhodion-Kalulu Banda in Canada. Hopefully more BlackBird books are on the way!
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Bianca is depicted as a passionate and assertive character in this scene, demanding answers and refusing to be ignored. Throughout the witchcraft suit, Bianca's actions and dialogue highlight the societal double standards between men and women. While Cassio's involvement with her is considered scandalous, Othello's infidelity and mistreatment of Desdemona are not subject to the same scrutiny. In this way, the witchcraft suit involving Bianca serves as a commentary on the treatment of women in society and the hypocrisy of gender roles. Bianca's fiery personality challenges the stereotypes placed upon her as a courtesan and exemplifies her independence and assertiveness. Overall, the witchcraft suit involving Bianca in "Othello" highlights the societal expectations placed upon women and the double standards that exist. Bianca's role in the play serves as a critique of gender roles and emphasizes the strength and resilience of women in the face of societal judgments..
Reviews for "The Mesmerizing Aesthetics of Bianca's Witchcraft Suit"
1. John - 2 stars
I was really looking forward to watching "Witchcraft Suit Bianca" as I'm a fan of supernatural movies. However, I was left extremely disappointed. The movie lacked a coherent plot and the storyline seemed all over the place. The acting was mediocre at best, with unrealistic dialogue and unconvincing performances. The special effects were also below par, making it hard to immerse myself in the supernatural aspects of the film. Overall, "Witchcraft Suit Bianca" failed to deliver on its promises and left me feeling unsatisfied.
2. Sarah - 1 star
I found "Witchcraft Suit Bianca" to be a complete waste of time. The movie lacked any originality and seemed to follow the same cliches and tropes as countless other supernatural films. The characters were poorly developed, with little depth or complexity, and the dialogue was cringe-worthy at times. Additionally, the pacing was off, with several slow and boring scenes that made me lose interest. I was hoping for an exciting and thrilling experience, but "Witchcraft Suit Bianca" fell flat in every aspect.
3. Michael - 2 stars
"Witchcraft Suit Bianca" had so much potential but failed to deliver on multiple levels. The plot was convoluted and confusing, making it hard to follow and understand what was happening. The acting was subpar, with wooden performances that lacked emotion and depth. The special effects were also disappointing, with obvious CGI and poorly executed scenes. Overall, "Witchcraft Suit Bianca" felt like a wasted opportunity and left me bored and unfulfilled.
4. Emily - 2 stars
As a fan of supernatural movies, I had high expectations for "Witchcraft Suit Bianca," but it disappointed on many fronts. The storyline was predictable and lacked originality, offering nothing new to the genre. The characters were one-dimensional and forgettable, with no depth or complexity. Additionally, the pacing was slow and drawn-out, making the movie feel much longer than it actually was. The lack of suspense and scares further diminished the overall experience. Overall, "Witchcraft Suit Bianca" failed to captivate me and left me underwhelmed.