The year of 1492 marked the beginning of a worldwide revolution that would transform historical ideas contributing to the distinct cultural identities of peoples. Colonialism manifested from 1492 through the 1900s involving foreign empires seizing power of the deemed inferior or weaker empires, dominating their economies and depriving them of their natural resources. Emerging through colonialism was the “white man’s burden,” the philosophy that it was the white man’s duty to improve the quality of their weak colonies by imposing their intellectual achievements on the black North African inhabitants of their colonies. Through this, dominate European countries viewed themselves as superior to that of their colonies. Shakespeare writes his well-acclaimed …show more content…
Due to the political climate in Europe concerning colonialism, Shakespeare has first-hand knowledge on the widely disputed issue of racism in his time. This provides him the grounds to scrutinize the nature of racism and otherness. In his play, the protagonist, Othello, is a Moor – an individual of African descent who dwells in Venice and serves the Venetian army as the lieutenant. The Venetians refer to Othello as “the other” or “the foreigner” by calling him “The Moor.” “Moor,” refers to an outsider; therefore, it is best suited for a stranger who possesses unlike-qualities with the dominant group or individual; however, this discriminatory remark is inappropriate to someone whom you share a relationship or who is of a higher status. Furthermore, Iago, Roderigo, Desdemona, and Brabantio all play controlling roles in the prevailing issue of racism throughout the play. In the Tragedy of Othello, Shakespeare affirms his notion that racism is used as a dividing force among ethnically unlike individuals by using the antagonistic hearts of immediate characters, but also the love from others, as a tool to explore racism in the early …show more content…
This is portrayed by the tragic murder of Desdemona. As mentioned, Iago’s primary wish is to turn Othello’s life into a living hell to divide him a part from both his wife and society; however, he is emblematic of the general Venetian way of thinking, so he is aware of the constant racism that Othello receives. In Act 3, Scene 3, Iago says, “Look to your wife; observe her well with Cassio; / Wear your eye thus, not jealous nor secure: / I would not have your free and noble nature, / Out of self-bounty, be abused; look to't. (202-205)” Iago attempts to frame Desdemona by hinting at the idea that she is cheating on him with Cassio in hopes to infuriate Othello. Consequently, this makes Othello question his relationship with Desdemona. Desdemona is a jewel in everyone’s eyes; however, the fact that she marries Othello, a black man, bewilders society because customarily women of her social class tend to marry handsome, wealthy Venetian men; however, Desdemona chooses Othello, so Iago constructs this wicked scheme to make Othello kill Desdemona, the women of love and equality. Othello only consolidates society’s racist ideas that black men are uncivilized and inferior beings who are undeserving of true respect. Othello conforms to these societal norms because of his barbaric actions from killing Desdemona. In addition, this faulty deception of cheating in
...l have personal reasons for their abhorrence. Iago is jealous for not obtaining the promotion, Roderigo is jealous because Othello won Desdemona over, and Brabantio is bitter because his daughter was "robbed". Shakespeare could use Othello's race to mark him as an outsider. Modern perceptions portray race as a more important theme, this is because since the time "Othello" was written, attitudes have greatly changed, and a culturally diverse society is more accepted, although racism still exists, it is to a much smaller scale, and is more striking and offensive now, and so Shakespeare's "Othello" would have very different interpretations now, and issues which were excepted then, have changed, so it is a lot more controversial, and difficult to see it in the perspective of an Elizabethan at the time, without the help of contextual material.
Racial prejudice against Othello is introduced early in the play and is present throughout. Iago and Roderigo approach Brabantio with news about his daughter Desdemona. They inform Brabantio his
...race, beauty and status put her on a pedestal like a goddess allowing him to idolize her and therefore never truly deserve her. Beneath his noble persona on display for all to see, the idealistic view of his wife, leads him to believe that she will never be able to fully reciprocate the love he has for her. Iago’s exploitative tactics used for revenge trigger Othello’s fatal insecurities to surface for the ultimately climactic ending in which he smothers Desdemona with a pillow before discovering “honest” Iago had been deceiving him, as well as the majority of the other characters, the entire time. Outraged, Othello attempts to stab Iago as revenge for being manipulated into killing his beloved wife, however when his hasty murder attempt fails, the heartbroken and worn-out man stabs himself next to the already dead Desdemona, whom he never believed he was worthy of.
With clear references to Othello’s ‘thick lips’ and ‘old black ram’ being linked very closely to his portrayal and respect that he has in this play. The argument that has disputed the involvement of either all white or all black characters, but I believe that it is important to keep the cast the way Shakespeare wrote it because of the clear divide and isolation it makes it commendable and stimulating. It could be argued that Shakespeare was indeed creating racial difference or that he was allowing Othello’s personal flaws to instead create his isolated and jealous breakdown. Othello is presented as having inherent bravery and virtue, yet he is corrupted and ironically ‘blackened’ by Iago the white male character whose manipulative lies and deception eventually destroy him. Othello’s last obituary is resonant and controlled. It is seen that in fact this emotional explanation of his love life, last moments and his great deed was actually problematic for the audience to accept due to the speculation that these ideas were in fact false throughout this
Orkin, Martin. “Othello and the “plain face” Of Racism.” 2nd ed. Vol. 38. N.p.: n.p., n.d. 166-88. Shakespeare Quarterly. Folger Shakespeare Library in Association with George Washington University, Summer 1987. Web. 12 Mar. 2014. .
Othello is driven so mad with jealousy that he completely submits to Iago. When Iago suggests that he should have Cassio killed and kill Desdemona himself, Othello readily agrees. Iago's manipulation of Othello relied much more heavily on jealousy rather than racism. The theme of racism in Othello is clearly very important.
To begin with, Othello’s race and the racism around him ruined his marriage with Desdemona. Othello and Desdemona made a good couple, but you know what they say, all good things must come to an end. Almost everybody had a problem with their relationship. In that time, interracial relationships and marriage was not allowed. While Brabantio (Desdemona’s father) was sleeping, Iago and Roderigo woke him up saying that Othello was having sex with his daughter Desdemona at that very moment (Shake...
In the Sixteenth century, as we see clearly from Othello and other works of both Shakespeare and Cinthio's original version of Othello, race was a topic of great debate and discussion. Today, in the twenty-first century the debate retains its controversy and passion. However, attitudes towards race have taken a dramatic turn during the last century. In the developed world people are now living in an increasingly cosmopolitan society would undoubtedly be more tolerant and would reject or even be offended by racial discrimination to any person or sections of the community. Openly 'racist' people today are seen as outcasts. Taking this into account, the way a modern audience would react to race and racism in Othello is dependent upon the way in which that modern audience would interpret 'Othello'. This prompts the questions of what sort of message Shakespeare wanted to send to his audience and was Othello the moor portrayed as a tragic hero or did his character eventually come to resemble the prejudices of which he was a victim. Shakespeare also discusses the issue of race with other characters such as the hateful Iago and the prejudices hidden deep in Barbantio.
Othello was the black sheep crowded around a herd of white sheep. Racist comments were made by many of the characters like Iago, Brabantio, Roderigo, and Emilia. Iago got the trophy for the most used racial comments. Racism in Othello had a tremendous impact on Othello. Being the only black person in a mostly white ethnicity area influenced him in a bad way. He was judged by the color of his skin and not his personality. Othello’s race and the racism around him affected his life by ruining his marriage with Desdemona, alienating him from everybody in Venice, and by making him an easy target to be manipulated by Iago.
Othello: The Moor of Venice is probably Shakespeare's most controversial play. Throughout this work, there is a clear theme of racism, a racism that has become commonplace in Venetian society which rejects the marriage of Othello and Desdemona as anathema. The text expresses racism throughout the play within the language transaction of the dialogue to question the societal ethos established by Othello, thereby making him nothing less than a cultural "other." Furthermore, the character of Desdemona is displayed as mad, or out of her wits, for marrying such an "other," and the audience sees her slip from an angelic state of purity to that of a tainted character. Also, the menacing Iago, a mastermind of deviant rhetoric, is able to play Othello and Desdemona against one another until their marriage fails, while at the same time destroying his adversary and friend, Cassio. Thus Iago has a specific agenda, not only to get back at Othello for choosing Cassio instead of him, but also to make Cassio the victim of his plan to destroy the forbidden marriage referred to by Brabantio as a "treason of the blood" (1.2.166-167). Essentially, Iago is a representative of the white race, a pre-Nazi figure who tries to inform the public of the impurity of Othello and Desdemona's marriage. He demonstrates how this miscegenation is threatening to the existing social order. Thus, through analysis of racism, the play represents the hatred possessed by mankind -- a hate so strong that society sees the mixing with an "other" to be a curse to humanity and a terrible threat to Aryan culture.
One of the major issues in Shakespeare's Othello is the impact of the race of the main character, Othello. His skin color is non-white, usually portrayed as African although some productions portray him as an Arabian. Othello is referred to by his name only seventeen times in the play. He is referred to as "The Moor" fifty-eight times. Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) states that a Moor is "Any individual of the swarthy races of Africa or Asia which have adopted the Mohammedan religion. In Spanish history the terms Moo, Saracens, and Arabs are synonymous." This indicates that Othello is constantly being degraded and set up as an evil person throughout the play. What this really means is that Othello is being judged by his skin color rather than the person under the skin. The view that whites and non-whites are equal is a relatively new concept in our society. In institutionalized racism, such as American slavery, those of a different color were often viewed as inferior. As Shakespeare wrote Othello, this idea was becoming quite prominent as England entered the African slave trade. One can look at the racial issues from the perspective of color, slavery, and society.
In the tragedy Othello, Shakespeare creates a mood that challenges the way a person sees his or her self and the world. Subjects like racism, sexism, love, hate, jealously, pride, and trickery are thoroughly developed in the play of Othello to enable the audience to view the characters and also themselves. The Shakespearean tragedy of Othello was written in a time of great racial tensions in England. According to Eldred Jones, in 1600 just three years before Othello was written, Queen Elizabeth proclaimed an Edict for the Transportation of all "negars and blackmoores" out of the country ("Othello- An Interpretation" Critical Essays 39). It is in this atmosphere that Shakespeare began the masterpiece of Othello, a drama about a noble black Arab general, Othello, who falls in love with and marries, Desdemona, a young white daughter of a senator. From the above knowledge one may conclude that Shakespeare wrote Othello to express that all people, of all ethnicity, are basically the same in human nature. Shakespeare borrowed the idea of Othello from an Italian love story by Giraldi Cinthio. However, Shakespeare focuses more on the differences in color and age between Othello and Desdemona than Cinthio. Shakespeare does this to escalate Othello’s isolation from the rest of Venetian society and to display Othello’s vulnerability due to his color. In the tragedy not only is Othello susceptible to weaknesses but so is every major character . The tragedy reminds humans that even one’s good nature can be taken advantage of for the worse. The drama Othello expresses, through relationships and emotional attitudes, a theme that all humans are vulnerable to destruction even if they are in positions of power and glory.
Othello believing Iago of Desdemona’s infidelity so quickly, shows his insecurities. In Act 3, Scene 3 Iago starts planting his plan on Othello to make him believe that Desdemona has been unfaithful. Iago brings up the fact that Desdemona is very young and many other young men would be happy to be married to her but she decides to marry Othello. When Iago says this Othello begins to wonder “Why did I marry” to himself (3. 3. 283). Othello’s insecurities begin to show when he starts wondering why did Desdemona really married him. Desdemona is young and beautiful so Othello doesn’t understand why she would choose him over a younger man. Othello’s insecurities about his own physical appearance bring suspicion about Desdemona. Later Othello says “Haply, for I am black” (3. 3. 303) suggesting Desdemona may have cheated because he is black. Othello saying this shows that he is self-conscious about being black. He believes that because he is black Desdemona would possibly cheat. Othello insecurities with himself cause him to lose control and fall into Iago’s plan. Othello turns from being successful to murderous due to his insecurities. His constant doubt that Desdemona could actually be in love with him controls his thoughts and he begins to believe that she is cheating. Othello’s insecurities consume him to the point that he makes the ultimate mistake of killing
Firstly, Othello’s race and the racism around him ruined his marriage with Desdemona. Othello and Desdemona was a good couple, but you know what they say, all good things must come to an end. Almost everybody had a problem with their relationship. In that time, interracial relationships and marriage wasn’t allowed. While Brabantio was sleeping, Iago and Roderigo woke him up out of his sleep saying that Othello was having sex with his daughter Desdemona at that very moment.
Othello is a piece of literature ahead of its time as Shakespeare presents "others" or Moors in a positive light as a protagonist but creates a negative stereotype of interracial marriages for centuries to follow. During the first distribution of Othello non-European people were uncommon in the UK, therefore the assumptions of people from Africa like Othello were not yet enlisted as overly inferior. The idea was merely played within the play to create stereotypical norms and invisible borders between whites and Moors. The ideas of the negatives of miscegenation in Othello expressed through the foreigner's lust/love directed at the upper-class white woman (Desdemona) created a rubric for people like Iago in real life as a reason to justify their