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 …show more content…
It may be visiting there homeland country, or continuing to celebrate their homeland cultures here in America. In the play, Amir is well off living his life as any American man. He is a lawyer, living in upper east side. Having features of a Muslim man, does not discourage him for what he does. Amir puts himself out there into the public or the hands of security at the airport because he claims that “they’re looking at [him]” (Akhtar, 1185). Amir explains how airport security have progressed. “He volunteers himself. Goes right to the agents and offers himself up” (Akhtar, 1185). There have been recent reports on Muslim majority countries, who where prevented from boarding their planes to the US. Racism is an on-going problem, and Muslims are a huge target at the moment due to terrorist attacks in the US. Amir enters the airport with confident as well as fear. Confident that he has done nothing wrong, but fears to be miss-judged and be blamed for another mans actions. In order for him to overcome this feeling, he volunteers himself up to security. This way they know who he really is and gives him a sort of relieve that they already checked …show more content…
But Abe claims that life has been a lot easier since he has made this change. Abe stated that it is in the Quran, “you can hide your religion if you have to.” (Akhtar, 1161). The Quran is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims believe to be a revelation from God. Abe believes that him changing his name to be Americanized, plays an effect on the way others view him. He uses the Quran to justify his actions and holds his foot down when Amir suggests to “lay off it with [him] and [his] folks at least.” (Akhtar, 1162). Abe disagrees and mentions how important it is to only go by one name. Because having two will make a person confused when in shock of a sudden incident. In the play by Shakespeare, Othello, we see a similar distinction between racial identity. Othello being a Black Moor and is seen inhuman to Iago. Othello and Desdemona are deeply in love. Consequently, society did not approve of Othello, being a man of color, to be with Desdemona while was seen as a perfect innocent human being. Iago describes Othello as an "old black ram" that “is tupping your white ewe” (Act 1 scene 1). Iago is referring to a hideous animal, as well as not being a real human. Society is applying stereotypical views onto Othello, although he has done nothing
The interracial marriage of Desdemona and Othello is in the forefront of the play. As mentioned above, this was extremely unusual in Elizabethan England. In fact there is one case when an English woman, Millicent Porter, a seamstress, slept with a black man and had to do a public penance for it (Elizabethan England Life). Also just three years prior to the release of Othello in 1603, Queen Elizabeth threw all of the Africans out of England ("Othello- An Interpretation" Critical Essays 39). All of this makes the marriage of Othello, a famous black general, and Desdemona, a senator’s daughter, who is white and beautiful, very bizarre to the viewers in Elizabethan England. Most if not all of the characters seem to be just as appalled at the interracial marriage as the audience. Specifically the racism the other characters show toward Othello is apparent. Rodrigo, a man who pays Iago to hel...
While I have pointed out distinct signs of racism in the majority of leading characters, one should keep in mind that Othello was held in high regard for his many military successes. Although there was much protesting to the marriage of Desdemona and Othello, they were socially permitted to remain together, which would suggest at least some level of acceptance regarding interracial relationships among society in general.
Aaron within Titus Andronicus is a character that is both bound and not bound to his colour. Though his actions can be "blamed" on his colour, there are two paths to follow in this thinking. First Aaron's actions within the play can be blamed on the fact that he is black and as he is black, he is naturally a bad person as black people are stereotypically people prone to causing trouble and have black souls which match their outward appearance. This answer would have been acceptable within Shakespeare's times, however it seems that it doesn't fit with Othello as the villain in that play is a white man, who's soul is nothing but pure evil. If one were going by the terms of colour dictates your soul, that would have made Iago a good man, and he definitely wasn't a good man. The other way in which one could take Aaron's misbehavior, which seems to be the more logical one is that his actions though are a result of his skin tone are not an inbred condition. His actions, deeds and thoughts are not dictated through his skin colour, but because of the ostracism and the hate he has felt through his life due to his skin colour he now has built up a resistance to the hate. By throwing hate ba...
The introduction to racism occurs when Brabnatio finds out about the marriage of Desdemon and the Moor. Brabnatio immediately says to the Duke, “She is abused, stol'n from me, and corrupted/By spells and medicines bought of mountebanks./ For nature so prepost'rously to err,/Being not deficient, blind, or lame of sense,/Sans witchcraft could not. (I,iii,60-64) Meaning, Othello must have done some tricks of black magic on Desdemona because she would never marry a black person. To Brabnatio, it is implausible for Desedemona to fall in love with anyone that is not white. To settle this, Brabnatio confidently asks the Duke to mediate this dilemma because it is widely known that blacks are inferior to whites, and therefore, people of different races should not marry one another. However, this does not terminate the marriage because even Desdemona implies that she is not against the act of segregation. Desdemona does not argue for the breaking of traditions; she shrewdly defends her marriage not on superficial basis, but on substantial reasons. She argues, “I saw Othello’s visage in his mind” (I,iii,252), which means that even though his face is black, I accept and...
The U.S. has seen about two hundred years of slavery and an even longer period of firm racism. Racism isn’t non-existent in 2014 America, but it’s not as prominent as it was in the past. For the majority of Americans being racist is more of a joke than it is sincere. Many racist comments are made as a joke towards someone’s friends or family. There are stereotypes and jokes specific to every race in America and the people that come up with them aren’t trying to offend anyone, it’s all made to make someone laugh. In Othello the fact that Othello was black was more condescending than it was a joke. Throughout the play Othello is referred to by many condescending names. He was acknowledged by every character as the “Moor”. In 2014 instead of being called a Moor, Othello might be classified as “black” or “a negro”. In the first act Iago even called him, “...an old black ram…” (95). In this regard the play would differ because of the time it is written. When Iago says, “...an old black ram Is topping your white ewe. Arise, arise; Awake the snorting citizens with the bell, Or else the devil will make a grandsire of you: Arise I say.”, in an attempt to cause a commotion, not many people would care. He would have to find some other way to get the attention of Brabantio. In 2014 America, biracial marriage is w...
For example, Othello is a Black African so he is not very knowledgeable of Venetian woman. Therefore, it was simple for Iago to use Desdemona and Othello’s racial differences to his advantage to create uncertainty in Othello. Iago created doubt in Othello by stating “I know our country disposition well. In Venice they do let God see the pranks they dare not show their husbands. Their best conscience is not to leave’t undone, but keep’t unknown.” (3.3.232-236). Iago make himself to be the knowledgeable one about Venetian woman saying how they cannot be trusted because they are promiscuous. Furthermore, he is also implying how it is in Venetian woman nature to cheat and they smart not to get caught by their husband. Of course from the audience point of view this is just a prejudice thought that Iago trying to plant into Othello’s mind so he can have doubt about his own race and wife. Since Othello is the only outsider in the play so it is easy manipulate what he doesn’t know about Venetian society. From Othello’s point of view, Iago must be the expert about the Venetian society since he is a Venetian himself. It is easy for Othello to consider Iago words to be trustworthy because he is not a Venetian and he feels he is at a disadvantage. Therefore, racial differences between
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
Othello's "blackness" is not only a mark of his alienation. The racism towards Othello can be seen in connotations of bestiality and the demonic in "old black ram", "blacker devil", and "most filthy bargain". The use of imagery of blackness, implies the society's moral judgement of Othello as corrupt which later informs Othello's judgement of himself, becoming his weakness. The labelling of Othello as "the Moor", betrays the pervasiveness of his alienation. The difference between Iago's "I hate the Moor" and Desdemona's "the Moor, my lord," implies an awareness of difference.
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...
Othello’s race makes him an easy target for Iago and causes insecurities within him. Iago thinks it evil for Othello to marry a woman who is supposed to be a higher status than people of his skin color; twisted ideologies like this are an integral part of Iago’s identity. He wants to transform Othello into a monster so everyone’s racist superstitions will be affirmed. Synopsis: Kiernan Ryan shows different aspects of the inherent racism in Shakespeare’s
A high ranking Venetian nobleman describes Othello as 'a cursed slave ' (Act 5, Scene 2 line 288) Emilia who is Iago’s wife talks about 'thou dull Moor '(Act 5, Scene 2 line 223) (Nyoni). Even though both the nobleman and Emilia should both be below Othello’s social standing they don’t treat him as such. You would think that his widely successful war strategies would discredit such remarks, but because of his race he isn’t treated the same as someone with a lighter skin tone would be if they were as successful in battle as
The tragedy of Othello, the Moore of Venice. As it hath beene diuerse times acted at the Globe, and at the Black-Friars, by his Majesties servants. Written by William Shakespeare set in Venice. The plot is based on a story about two people who love each other dearly and the problems and conflicts they face from the start. The conflicts are, for the most part, tied in with racial issues and questions of loyalty. These conflicts stem from the society around the couple, as well as from the couple themselves as they too are part of this society, but with very different backgrounds: The female protagonist is the daughter of a highly-respected Venetian senator: Brabantio. Othello--also known as the Moor--is a foreigner, black in color, has a past
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.
He illustrates that in many example, such as, Baba, however, never calls Ali, Hassan’s father, his friend, because of their ethnic and religious differences. Also the culture can play an important part in this novel. For an example, when Hassan is getting raped by Assef and hi friends, Amir refers to the sacrificial act of the lamb because Amir is Pashtun and Hassan is Hazara (Pashtan is Sunni Muslim, but Hazzara is Shi’a Muslim). At that time, Assef says Amir is part of the problem for being friend with Hazara. For another example, when Amir and baba moves to America, they communicate with the Afghan group there because the search about people look like them, and behave with the same
When it came to mixing blacks and whites, Brabantio was not impressed. “She, in spite of nature/Of years, of country, credit, every thing/ To fall in love with what she feared to look on! It is a judgment maimed and most imperfect/That will confess perfection so could err/Against all rules of nature” (1.3.114-119). As Desdemona’s protective father, Brabantio accuses Othello of using witchcraft to win his daughter and goes on to say he does not believe she would fall in love with something she had feared – a black man.