Inequality In Othello And O

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Throughout history there have been various values that remain relevant in all societies. It is these values that shape the critical fame of social structure and constitutes the very foundation on which individuals stand. In William Shakespeare’s Othello and Tim Nelson’s O (2001); there is a clear evolution of the depiction of certain themes and values which is influenced by context, which is ultimately, directed by social customs, values and meanings. The choice of what values should be represented and in what particular way they should be represented was conducted by the composer of each text, Shakespeare and Nelson, respectively.
Reflective of the Elizabethan era, Shakespeare explores the gender and racial inequality in his 1604 play, Othello …show more content…

However, the context, in which it has been an instrument to influence, has re-defined it’s meaning in an obvious contrast to Shakespeare’s intended purpose of the theme in Othello. The intended purpose of the topic of racism is revealed in the scene in which Odin and Desi ‘jokingly’ discuss their different races. When she criticizes of his use of “n*****,” he tells her that she is allowed to say it but she cannot even think about it. Despite his apparently persuasive response, Odin is “haunted…by a deep self-consciousness about his own blackness”. When Hugo informs him that Mike and Desi called him “the n*****,” Odin’s worst fears are established as he begins to act out his rage and self-hate. In this scene Nelson has effectively used an emotive imagery and historical reference to portray a message that was meant for both the scene and also the audience, which was crucial for the context in which Nelson’s released this film. This confronting and provoking speech shows the relevance of the theme of racism and was much more a lesson for the audience, this is also pitched in concordance with a close-up of Odin to intensify the intimacy of the

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