Othello - A Play That Transcends Time

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.

In essence, Othello follows the Aristotelian model of tragedy. Shakespeare’s text documents Othello’s downfall from a position of nobility and self-assuredness to a man ruined by jealousy. Othello’s downfall is made apparent by his degenerating language as the play progresses. His early eloquence, most notably displayed in his speech to the Venetian court declaring his love for Desdemona, is lost and taken over by bestial imagery once attributed to Iago. Iago describes Desdemona and Cassio “as prime as goats, as hot as monkeys” and his earlier plan to “pour this pestilence into [Othello’s] hear” is achieved when Othello mimics him, eventually exclaiming “Goats and monkeys!” Dramatic irony also intensifies the demise of Othello and Desdemona. Responders are aware of the consequences when Desdemona innocently describes Cassio as her “suitor” as they are privy to Othello’s doubts of her infidelity and the effect of the euphemism. Similarly Ia...

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...imes. Fifty eight times he is referred to as “The Moor”. Black and white is juxtaposed frequently, with white the image of goodness and purity and black the colour of evil. Bianca describes Othello as a “black devil” while Iago plans to turn “[Desdemona’s] name, that was as fresh as Dian’s visage…begrimed and black”. These racial slurs correspond with the social context of the Elizabethan era, when black residents negatively viewed. Although much has changed, this is still applicable to present society, where prejudices remain. Nonetheless in Shakespeare’s play, the hero is a black man and the villain a base, amoral white man with crude language.

Othello is a play with the ability to transcend time and evolve with changing value systems. It is by considering these different perceptions and their contexts that our understanding and appreciation is enriched.