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.
In the Shakespeare’s play Othello, Othello is recognized as a moor and according to the Oxford dictionary the term moor, is defined as, “a native or inhabitant of ancient Mauretania, a region of North Africa corresponding to parts of present-day Morocco and Algeria. Later usually: a member of a Mu...
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...ituation Iago is finding ways to twist the innocent actions of Desdemona and Cassio to make it seem as if they are flirting and carrying on this affair for almost everyone to see. Enraged and eventually consumed by his emotions Othello’s takes Desdemona’s life due to the manipulation of this so called friend and confidant. A ‘friend and confidant’ who has been to battle with Othello and fought side by side, yet Iago is the one who ultimately uses and betrays Othello.
Therefore, Othello status as an esteemed general, does not overshadow his status as a moor. If anything his status as a moor in most cases overshadows the fact that he is a general, and that he is a civil human being. Unlike the portrayal that the Elizabethan had of moors, Othello was not uncivilized and he was not ruled by lust, chaos and corruption.
Shakespeare, William. "The Tragedy of Othello the Moor of Venice" The Norton Shakespeare. Ed. Stanley Wells & |Gary Taylor. New York/London, W.W. Norton Company,1997. 2100-2174
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.
... moor but Shakespeare is instead discussing the, "amalgam of the noble and the jealous, the soldier and the fool and the Christian and the barbarian who is reduced to stammering brutality." A modern audience would not see Othello as the guilty and barbaric moor but as a victim of Iago and his deception. The audience instead would take would take with them a message that colour does not play a part in character. Instead those who discriminate people racially are the truly devious characters and Shakespeare shows this clearly through Iago and Barbantio. Iago himself is clear evidence that Shakespeare is not in any way condoning racism but instead he is attacking racism. The attack on Barbantio's hidden racist views also prove that this is the case. The main message of Othello would be very positive foe a modern audience; that racism in all forms is totally unacceptable.
This shows that although they might not accept Othello because of his ethnicity, they still respect and honour him by referring to him as the brave/ valiant Moor. There are two tragic flaws present in both the play and the movie, which are jealousy and poor judgment.
Given, Welker. A Further Study of the Othello: Have we misunderstood Shakespeare's Moor?. The Shakespeare Press. New York, 1899.
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
Shakespeare does not give specific details of Othello’s background, however, it is apparent Othello is a dark-skinned outsider. The characters in the play call him the Moor. A moor is a member of a northwestern African Muslim people of mixed Berber and Arab descent. He is referred to as black by several characters including himself. Roderigo even calls him thick-lips which is a racial slur towards African Americans.
Othello had a public perception of being a military man, and a courageous leader. “Valiant
Yet, again, Iago refers to Othello’s race as if it were a deciding factor in his actions. His statement leads to the question: Would Iago feel any more loyal to Othello if he were of a different complexion? Would Othello have the same problems if he were white? And ultimately, why would Othello so undisputedly believe the lies that he was told? In the article, “Othello’s Alienation,” Berry explains that Othello’s race is “not only a mark of his physical alienation but a symbol, to which every character in the play, himself included, must respond” (Berry 319).
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.
However, Othello is an exception for he is a well-respected general by his white leaders. Subsequently, when he marries Desdemona a young white girl everything changes. From here on the racism of the 17th century takes place. The language chosen to describe Othello shows that other races are treated differently in Venice. The use of animal imagery differentiates the characters from one another.
He is often the victim of direct insults towards his race, as well as the perception held by others that he as a person is no more than his skin color. An example of this when Roderigo refers to him as “thick-lips,” a trait of his race, rather than his personal identity (I, i, 66). Iago, the story’s villain, is particularly guilty of reducing Othello to this single trait in his animal depictions, referring to him as a “black ram” (I, i, 88) and a “barbary horse” (I, i, 110) in an attempt to emphasize the primitive nature of his kind. There is continued racism targeted at Othello in the form of the rejection of interracial marriage. When Othello marries Desdemona, the noble, white daughter of senator Brabantio, Brabantio accuses him of witchcraft with no basis other than the belief that under normal circumstances, his white daughter would have no reason to love a black man. Iago emphasizes this disgust, claiming that Othello is “tupping” Brabantio’s “white ewe” (I, i, 89). Through these established racist views, we are able to infer that Othello’s race strengthens the negative opinions some other characters have of him. Roderigo dislikes Othello more intensely for marrying Desdemona
Despite the great variety of shows and productions across the globe, racial inauthenticity continues to be a common phenomenon in theatre, musical theatre and classical music, as it is part of a long-withstanding system of stereotyping and typecasting. This essay aims to briefly unpack the historical relationship between race and performance, to illustrate how such cases of questionable casting have occurred in recent productions, and to examine how our current sociopolitical circumstances directly affect casting decisions in the western world. In the nineteenth century, minstrel shows emerged as a popular source of entertainment in North America. For these performances, the white male performers would cover their faces in burnt cork or paint,
To the people of Venice, Othello is nothing more than a Moor; in fact, Othello’s name is not used at all in the first scene of the play. They instead call him, “thick-lips” (I.i.66), “barbary horse (I.i.111), and “lascivious Moor” (I.i.126). Othello is nothing more than the color of his skin, he is an animal. However, when we meet Othello we see
Everyone in the world is born with a blank slate, not knowing anything about the world, or about yourself. How can the act of one person effect their entire culture as a whole? Where suddenly a Tourist who is Muslim turns all Muslims into terrorists. In the play Disgraced By Ayad Akhtar there is a strong view of how Americans privately hold onto their tribal identity. This is shown in the character Amir who is a South Asian Muslin, but over the years parted ways and became critical of Islam. He hides behind a Hindu name and identity to avoid the attention from his Muslim-ness but still manages to hold onto a piece of his tribal identity through his nephew, Abe. Similarly in the the play Othello, by William Shakespeare, there is a strong relationship