This essay will look at the role of race in Othello’s conflicts using the text by Michael Neill and Kim F. Hall as well as the concept of race and literary studies in Murfin and Ray. While there’s no doubt that race plays a role in Othello, as the main character is often referred to as “The Moor”, this essay will argue that although race does have a role in the play that jealousy and pursuit of power are the more prominent themes of the play and that race is secondary and used as a way to show the protagonists hatred towards Othello. This essay will argue that race is not as central to the play’s conflicts as the authors of the secondary texts say, but rather that race is used as a tool to discredit Othello so Iago can gain power and out of …show more content…
It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock the meat it feeds on” (Lines 167- 169). His manipulation can be seen by warning Othello against jealousy and then continuing to say “Look to your wife, observe her well with Cassio. Wear your eyes thus, not jealous nor secure” (Act 3 Scene 3 Lines 199 - 200). By planting this seed of doubt in Othello’s mind, the scene is set for Iago to make his move and get his revenge. Iago furthers his manipulation by telling Othello to “Note if your lady strain his entertainment” (Act 3 Scene 3 Line 252), knowing that Desdemona is trying to talk Othello into giving Cassio back his position. He furthers his play for power in Act 3 Scene 3 by getting Emilia to take Desdemona’s handkerchief then says “I will in Cassio’s lodging lose this napkin and let him find it. Trifles light as air Are to the jealous confirmations strong as proofs of holy writ” (Lines 321 - 325). Finally, in Act 3 Scene 3, Iago convinces Othello to doubt Desdemona by saying “I lay with Cassio lately and…In sleep I heard him say “Sweet Desdemona, let us be wary, let us hide our loves. “And then, sir, would he gripe and wring my hand, Cry “O sweet creature!” and then kiss me hard, as if he plucked up kisses by the roots that grew upon my lips, lay his leg Over my thigh, and sigh, and kiss, and then Cry ‘Cursed fate that gave thee to the Moor!’” (Act 3 Scene 3 Lines 414, 419 - 425). This scene is Iago’s original plan, to take Cassio down as lieutenant, take his place, and to get Othello back for the suspicion of sleeping with his wife. The importance of this scene doesn’t back up that this play is about race, although in this scene Iago does quote Cassio saying; “cursed fate that gave thee to the Moor” (Line 425), it could be said that rather than being about race, this is said as a form of manipulation to turn Othello against Cassio to gain power. These
According to author Chinua Achebe, “The whole idea of a stereotype is to simplify. Instead of going through the problem of all this great diversity…you just have one large statement; it is this.” These broad simplifications have been found throughout history and often reflect the attitudes of an entire society at a specific time period. In particular, one can discover much about the prevailing attitudes of a society through its literature. Shakespeare, specifically, has written multiple works that incorporate generalizations of his era. For example, Shylock from The Merchant of Venice served as the archetypal Jew of the late 16th century. Othello explicitly includes race and religion as a fundamental part of the motivations behind the characters’ actions. In Othello, Shakespeare portrays Othello as a character that transcends stereotypes yet still has some connections to his cultural and religious origins. Shakespeare illustrates how early 17th century Venetian stereotypes are not entirely accurate but have some basis and history behind them. In doing so, Shakespeare is able to convey how stereotypes do have some historical basis surrounding them; however, but one cannot be expected to act in a manner solely defined by others. Othello attempts to depict and break down stereotypes of a particular group of people who were viewed as strange and dangerous to a traditional, prejudiced audience and does so successfully.
The early modern definition of race very much differs from the current usage and definition of race today, according to Margo Hendricks, “the word race referred not to the linking of character with physical appearance, but to family and lineage” in addition to cultural customs. In Shakespeare’s Othello, Othello is esteemed for his military power; he is welcomed by Barbantio, and invited into his homes to tell of his adventures. Yet, in many instances the fact that he is a moor takes precedence over any military prowess he may possess. As a general in the Venetian Army, it is expected that utmost respect be shown at all times, yet this is not the case for Othello. Regardless of his acclaimed position of general in the Venetian military, the prejudices held by Iago and Barbantio outweigh his credentials as a civilized human being. His ally Barbantio questions his methods of getting Desdemona to marry him, and concludes that it had to be of some sort of Moorish witch craft or drug. Othello is also disrespected by Iago, a trusted confidant; his very essence is degraded and compared to that of a wild animal while Desdemona is seen as a pure white lamb, whom Othello has corrupted. Iago purposely uses the preconceived notions about Moors to convince others that his culture represents chaos, sexual immorality, and corruption. Iago also preys on Othello's jealousy to twist Othello’s emotions and convince him that Desdemona has been unfaithful.
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
F. R. Leavis discusses the breakdown of sympathy for Othello, arguing that ‘Othello is too stupid to be regarded as a tragic hero’. Other critics also argue that Shakespeare ‘fully exploits the unique cultural opportunity to develop a more complex and sympathetic representation of black experience’ [The Noble Moor – Othello and Race in Elizabethan London, Roger Lees], implying that the sympathy that a contemporary audience would have felt for Othello was based oncultural context, given that the audience were predominantly white. However, it could be argued that it cannot just be the cultural context to Shakespeare’s audiences that has allowed Othello to become one of his most renowned tragedies; if this were the case, the play would have lost all critical interest by the 18th Century. It is Shakespeare’s use of the conventions of tragedy in attributing Othello with hubris that, although making it hard to empathise with at times, in the...
Texts and their appropriations reflect the context and values of their times. Within Shakespeare’s Othello and Geoffrey Sax’s appropriation of Othello, the evolution of the attitudes held by Elizabethan audiences and those held by contemporary audiences can be seen through the context of the female coupled with the context of racism. The role of the female has developed from being submissive and “obedient” in the Elizabethan era to being independent and liberated within the contemporary setting. The racism of the first text is overtly xenophobic and natural, whilst the “moor” is unnatural whereas the updated context portrays Othello’s race as natural and racism as unnatural. Therefore these examples show how Shakespeare’s Othello, and it’s appropriation, Geoffrey sax’s Othello, reflect the context and values of their times.
Othello, from the onset, is shown to us a play of love and jealousy. There is however more to this play than just love and jealousy; there is underlying racism, hate, deception, pride, and even sexism between these pages. Othello is a transcendent play, one that will survive the perils of time simply because it is still relevant. Even today, over 400 years later, there are still issues of racism and sexism. Hate is as natural as love in humans and Othello gets right to the root of that. We witness this from the very first scene, “…you’ll have your daughter covered with a Barbary horse/ you’ll have your nephews neigh to you” (I.i.112-14); to the very last, “Moor she was chaste. She loved thee, cruel Moor” (V.ii.258). Moor however is used as an insult all throughout the play; not so much the word itself but the feel of the word. Between these pages we see many different ways as to how the cultural differences between Othello and the other characters.
The play, Othello, is certainly, in part, the tragedy of racism. Examples of racism are common throughout the dialog. This racism is directed toward Othello, a brave soldier from Africa and currently supreme commander of the Venetian army. Nearly every character uses a racial slur to insult Othello at one point in the play. Even Emilia sinks to the level of insulting Othello based on the color of his skin. The character that most commonly makes racist remarks in Othello is Iago. It is very apparent that Iago uses racism as a scapegoat to hate and blame Othello. Societal racism takes its toll on its victims. The effect of racism on Othello is quite evident and is one of the main causes for his insecurity about his marriage. However, Othello is not wholly the tragedy of racism. The theme of jealousy is also extremely important in Othello. Racism may play a large part in the tragedy, Othello, but it certainly does not adequately explain the entire play.
Bartels, Emily C. “Making more of the Moor: Aaron, Othello, and Renaissance Refashionings of Race.” Shakespeare Quarterly 41.4 (1990): 433-54. JSTOR. Web. 17 Feb. 2014.
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.
Within the first few lines of the play, the reader can tell Othello has a sort of distance from the other characters and Venetian society as a whole. Othello is often called "he" or "him" by Roderigo and Iago for some of the first scene and when they talk about Othello they use racial slurs and never address him by his name. Iago, the villain in this play, uses racism in the opening scene of the play in order to make Desdemona’s father, Brabantio, angry towards Othello. Iago shouts to Brabantio “…now, very now, an old black ram is tupping your white ewe. Arise, arise! (CITE)” There is obvious racism in this quote. When Brabantio doesn’t believe him, Iago replies by comparing Othello to horse. He says, “You’ll have your daughter covered with a Barbary horse” (CITE). There are many more instances where racism plays a role in the play for example when Iago says, “I am one, sir, that comes to tell you, your daughter and the Moor are now making the beast with two backs (CITE)” or when Roderigo that Desdemona has fallen “gross clasps of a lascivious Moor” (CITE). Roderigo also calls Othello ‘Thick lips’ and Iago uses the word ‘slave’ to refer to Othello in multiple occasions. Shakespeare also used of imagery to show the underlying racism people felt toward the ‘monster’ Othello, Iago called him “Old Black ram” and “Barbary horse. (CITE)” There are also references comparing Othello to a witch and the
Bartels, Emily C. “Making more of the Moor: Aaron, Othello, and Renaissance Refashionings of Race.” Shakespeare Quarterly 41.4 (1990): 433-54. JSTOR. Web. 17 Feb. 2014.
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.
Only by considering a range of perspectives can we truly appreciate the world of Shakespeare’s Othello. It is through my exploration of these perspectives and their relationship with changing morals and values that has enriched my understanding of the play. One such reading of the play challenges the marginalisation and objectification of woman in a patriarchal Venetian society, while taking into account the changing role of women in modern society. Another interpretation of Othello examines its post colonial elements through the protagonist Othello, and his insecurities of being a black man in a white society. My interpretation of the play as a portrayal of the values existing in Shakespeare’s time is filtered through these perceptions, thus broadening my understanding of Othello.
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. Brabantio didn’t believe them at first, but when he found out that they were telling the truth and his white daughter was with “the Moor” Othello, he didn’t take it lightly. He couldn’t believe that she would want to be with someone like Othello. He said that Othello must’ve used some type of magic to get Desdemona to fall in love with him. At that time it had to be a miracle for a black person to be with a white person, it was unheard of. Then he started calling Othello a Moor to his face and orders his guards to get him.