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Aspects of racism in othello
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In today’s world racial prejudice is something very prevalent that can be seen in most modern societies, and hearing the same thing over and over again leads a person to believe what they hear, essentially brainwashing them. Similarly the play “Othello” by William Shakespeare emphasizes and demonstrates the same thing. “One believes things because one has been conditioned to believe them.”
Othello’s tragic flaw is that he internalizes others prejudices. He believes that he isn’t beautiful which leads to him question if Desdemona truly love shim. When Iago hints at cheating, Othello immediately buys it and this leads to his downfall.
Throughout the play the protagonist, Othello, is insulted because he is black and an outsider to Venetian society. He is called a “Moor” which is a word to describe people with a darker skin complexion but the context the word is used in the play is meant to insult Othello. He was also called a “Black Devil” by Emelia “O, the more angel she, And you the blacker devil!.” She knowingly added the word “black” when insulting Othello to shame him for being black. Also his wife’s father believed that his interracial marriage with his daughter could only be a result of Othello’s trickery. This just goes on to show how Othello wasn’t new to insults and false stereotypes.
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He also begins using the same foul language as those who insulted him near the end of the play. Othello used to use sophisticated language at the beginning of the play and eventually he stooped down to the likes of Iago and Roderigo by using simple, repetitive and repulsive sentences. He starts having thoughts akin to “I am not attractive” and “I am not worthy of Desdemona” which leads to him question if Desdemona truly even loves
Othello seems to have a really rough time finding the truth in people. The reasoning behind this is simply the way he acts around people. Although Othello is a cultural and racial outsider in Venice, his skill as a soldier and leader is nevertheless valuable and necessary. He is after all a man in high power and is respected for that simple fact. Essentially, the first impact that is made upon the reader of Othello is not one of high quality. He was called many names of which had to do mostly with his racial background some of these names include “the Moor” (I.i.57), “an old black ram” (I.i.88), and “a Barbary horse” (I.i.113). The two characters that begin the cruel introduction of Othello are two trusted comrades, one being Iago. Right from the start, Iago already begins the demise of Othello. Now since Othello made this decision to trust and simply see the good in everyone rather than the truth in everyone his life got turned upside down and started to take ...
Iago has been regarded as : “Shakespeare’s greatest villain”; shown by his ability to be both admired and despised for his manipulative and obsessive nature towards Othello and his relationship with Desdemona. In Act One, Iago can be seen to be admired for his work within the Venetian army and his want to warn Brabantio about the ‘evil’ Othello’s plans to ‘bewitch’ young Desdemona: “The Moor is of a free and open nature, That thinks men honest that but seem to be so....” Here, Iago is speaking within a soliloquy and is warning the audience that Othello has cruel intentions. Within the Jacobean era, the time of which the play was performed, attitudes towards black people were very negative and therefore, a white man would play the character
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 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.
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.
The character of Iago uses racial stereotypes both to disparage Othello and to plant the seeds of jealousy in him. Iago calls to Brabantio "an old black ram / is tupping your white ewe." (I,i,96-7) He uses this image to enrage the old man and to denigrate Othello. Later in the scene, Iago refers to Othello as a "Barbary horse," indicating his North African heritage and at the same time conveying a sense of inferiority. (I,i,124) He continues this insulting metaphor by referring to Othello and Desdemona’s future progeny as "gennets," a term for Spanish horses. (I,i,126) This opening scene sets the stage for not only Iago’s hatred of Othello, but for his prejudice against him. In his consolation of Roderigo, Iago calls Othello "an / erring barbarian" whom Desdemona will leave when she is tired of him. (I,iii,377-8) Again to Roderigo, Iago queries "what delight shall" Desdemona "have to look upon the devil?" (II,i,258) While drinking with the men of the watch in Cyprus, Iago raises a toast "to the health of black Othello." (II,iii,30) These remarks eventually are turned on Othello himself as Iago suggests that Desdemona would not love a Moor. Iago claims that all Venetian women are prone to infidelity in his speech:
As Othello is known in the play as the Moor, he often faces discrimination that his peers did not face. When Brabantio finds out that Othello married his daughter, he claims that Othello must have “enchanted her” (1.2.64) and that his daughter “…t’incur[ed] a general mock,” (1.2.70) by “run[ning] from her guardage to the sooty bosom.” (1.2.71) In other words, Brabantio is saying that he is in disbelief as to why Desdemona would marry a Moor when her socioeconomic status was so much higher. As a result of being treated as an inferior due to skin colour, Othello puts more weight on honour and reputation. Since his high ranking position in the army set him apart from other Moors, he uses it as compensation towards many aspects of his life such as marriage. For example, Othello associates the “…services which [he] has done the seignniory” (1.2.17) to Brabantio’s criticisms about him. Othello knows that his position holds power, and he is able to confidently articulate why he is suitable candidate to marry Desdemona. Unfortunately, Othello’s confidence does not last later in the play when his honour is suddenly threatened by presumptions that Desdemona is engaged in unfaithful acts. Soon thereafter, he loses his
At the beginning of the play, the audience is made aware that Othello is a Moor working in the service of Venice. During the time the play was written, racism was strong. Despite Othello’s carefully built up life in which he managed to rise from being very poor to a powerful general, he still experienced racism from characters such as Roderigo and Brabantio. In Act One Scene One, Brabantio is appalled at the idea of his delicate daughter Desdemona secretly marrying a black man without his consent. He openly insults Othello, oblivious to Othello’s power: “That thou hast practiced on her with foul charms, Abused her delicate youth with drugs or minerals.” Brabantio is accusing Othello of witchcraft and trickery, and suggesting that no one could ever love him without the influence of his evil witchcraft. The audience feels pity for Othello because they know that Othello loves Desdemona and that he is a kind man, and is receiving these insults because of his race. The audience realises that he is already at a ...
Iago is a character that has a racist outlook and hatred for Othello it is shown many times throughout the play. Iago's character portrays to be the jealous type and causes many issues in Othello's marriage with Desdemona. Iago shows this when speaking to Brabantio, Iago states, “'Even now, now, very now, an old black ram. Is tupping your white ewe.” (Shakespeare, page 6).
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.
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...
	Throughout the first act of the play, Othello is shown as many different characters depending on who is speaking. Iago complains of Othello's pride and "bombast circumstance" and is angered by the appointment of Cassio, an educated military theoretician of Florence to lieutenant, instead of himself. As Iago speaks to Brabantio about Othello, he uses the term "white ewe" to represent Desdemona, and "black ram" when referring to Othello. By using these terms, it shows that he is trying to give a bad impression of Othello when he is speaking to the royal family in Venice, because Othello is a Moor, or a Negro. Iago shows his black hatred for the Moor and his jealousy of Cassio in his first soliloquy and also reveals his evil intentions.
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 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
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