Racism is one of the most important topics covered in Shakespeare's play "Othello". The primary character of the play, which is set in the Venetian Republic, is Othello, a black man who has earned the rank of general in the Venetian army. Othello ultimately dies as a result of the racial discrimination and persecution he experiences throughout the play. The complex and nuanced portrayal of racism in "Othello" takes into account both the racial issues of Shakespeare's day and contemporary issues with race and identity that are still relevant today.
In William Shakespeare's play Othello, the other characters' perceptions of Othello are significantly influenced by his nationality. Among the characters who are prejudiced towards Othello because
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Othello is painfully conscious of his outsider position as a black man in a world where white people predominate. The remarks and attitudes of people around him serve as continuous reminders of his peculiarity. Othello confesses his racial vulnerability in Act I, Scene II, calling himself a "old black ram" and referring to himself as such. Due to his insecurities, Iago may exploit Othello's dread of being rejected and shunned as a tool to manipulate him into turning on his wife and closest supporters.
Another way in which Othello's perceived shortcomings are linked to his race is through his jealousy. Desdemona is Othello's wife, and he loves her dearly, but because to his fears and Iago's scheming, he believes she has been unfaithful. Othello's jealousy is influenced by his ethnicity, which makes him feel less desirable and less able to cling to his wife's love than a white man could. The drama ultimately comes to a catastrophic finish because of his unreasonable and violent actions motivated by his
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They contend that Othello is prone to the schemes of the other characters because of his outsider status in the play's predominately white society. These analysts contend that Othello's skin color has a significant bearing on the social commentary of the play, which emphasizes the problem of racial prejudice and discrimination in early modern England.
However, other scholars minimize the relevance of Othello's race, contending that the play is more interested in other themes like jealousy and treachery. They contend that although though Othello's race is discussed frequently throughout the play, it is not the primary subject of the work and has no bearing on the motivations and actions of the characters.
Despite these divergent viewpoints, many critics agree that racial concerns in Othello are significant. They contend that Shakespeare's representation of Othello as a black man is essential in this context because it highlights how early modern England's cultural background, which was marked by racial prejudice and discrimination, is reflected in the play. They also point out that Othello's race contributes to his feeling of alienation and loneliness and that many people of color experience similar things in cultures where they are
Othello is the General of the Cyprus army with honest Iago by his side. During this time racism was happening and Othello was a part of it. Othello tried his best for everybody to like him; people would talk behind his back, call him names, and would eventually ruin his life. Iago was an ensign in the army, and his “good” friend, who would put lies into Othello's head, which eventually, he took control of Othello. In this essay Othello will display cultural criticism and how it displays him as a person in the story.
Identity is a crucial element of Othello, as the characters' perceptions of themselves and others lead to misunderstandings, mistrust, and violence in the play. Othello’s battle with identity is driven by his own insecurities and the manipulation of those around him. Othello is a Moor, a member of a group that has historically been marginalized and discriminated against. As a result, Othello is aware of his identity as an outsider and feels he needs to prove himself to those around him. His desire for acceptance and validation is exploited by Iago, who manipulates Othello into believing that his wife, Desdemona, is unfaithful.
The tragedy that unfolds in Shakespeare's Othello (1604) is caused by societal prejudice that triggers Othello's inherent naivety and susceptibility to jealousy. The Jacobean era's newfound creative nature influenced Shakespeare to include certain religious ideologies such as The Great Chain of Being. Through consistent racial prejudice directed towards Othello, we witness the belief that those of African descent are low class. Through prejudice, Othello gains a reverence for social status, which manifests into jealousy that allows him to be easily manipulated. The nature of Venetian society made it exceptionally difficult for Othello to gain social status.
white have created conflict between the members of the play. Since the 16th century dictates that black people, or Moors, are inferior to white people, Othello is stuck in the darkness as an outsider; thus suggesting that interlopers are alone, not part of a community. Within these contrasting worlds, outsiders, like Othello, try to integrate into society, but can’t. For instance, this ingrained mindset portraying the inferiority of black people is further shown when Othello exclaims, “Her name, that was as fresh as Dian’s visage, is now begrimed and black / As mine own face.”
Annotated Bibliography Butcher, Philip. " Othello's Racial Identity." Shakespeare Quarterly 3.3 (1952): 243-247. file:///C:/Users/user/Downloads/Article%204.pdf The article discusses the race of Shakespeare's Othello that has been debated since the publication of Joseph Hunter's New Illustrations of Shakespeare in 1845.
Within the playbook, ‘Othello’, authored by William Shakespeare, there are many different prejudice and bias examples; but today I will only be focusing on the one I feel is the most prevalent and disastrous in the story. The racial bias Iago holds against Othello for having more than he does even though he is a person of color proves to be detrimental throughout the play. The main thing Iago is envious of Othello for is his rank as general. Iago goes to great lengths to try to revoke Othello’s power, even going as far as to jeopardize the relationships of everyone within the main cast. Othello can be described as a tall 34 year old protagonist who turns out to be very gullible to Iago’s manipulation and secomes to violent anger by the end
This extent of hostility and aggression coming from several other sources in the play was enough to ruin Othello. Thus, Othello’s downfall was more of a result of his race being that the main underlying motive behind the characters’ efforts to destroy him was racism. It is inadequate to bypass the sociology behind racism, the concept of race, prior to defining what racism actually is. The common understanding of race suggests the division of groups based upon the color of one’s skin, hair, eyes, etc. “Although biologically meaningless when applied to humans – physical differences such as skin color have no natural association with group differences in ability or behavior – race nevertheless has tremendous significance in structuring social reality” (Clair).
In ‘Othello’, our titular character has worked his way up from slavery to reach his high position of army general, but he still holds himself to particularly great standards because of how his double consciousness has affected him. In the opening of the play, the people of Venice are outraged at the fact he has eloped with the senator’s daughter, Desdemona, both because he was not one of the approved suitors, and because he is a “Moor”. Othello realizes he must change himself and behave in an acceptable manner for the white society around him in order to be accepted by the people, and so he boasts that he is “from men of royal siege”, making certain that his “demerits may speak unbonetted as to proud a fortune as this that I have reached”. He makes clear in his speech that he considers himself deserving of both his position and his wife, through using the intense, powerful language of the people around him, filled with beautiful imagery and recountings of the struggles he has been through, as though he feels the need to validate himself and prove his worth in their terms. This is further shown later, as we see Othello’s insecurities come to light, displaying that he is not as certain of his identity as that he presents to others.
When people of one race believe themselves to be superior to those of another, only catastrophe can result. In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, racism was extremely prevalent, and white supremacy was much more pronounced. In William Shakespeare’s play Othello, both covert and overt racism, assimilation, and jealous dispositions all foreshadow the untimely death of Desdemona and Othello. Most characters in Othello display both covert racism and overt racism towards Othello.
Othello’s Role in Venetian Society If we take the textbook definition of ethnic groups and apply it to Othello and the Venetian society it is striking that he lacks a lot of features when compared to the “regular” Venetian society: no common background nor history and no shared customs. Therefore, not only his skin color sets him apart, but also his origin from another ethnic group, opening all kinds of
These two villains slander Othello to the point of eradicating any pity the audience could have developed towards Othello. The Venetians also have a hidden fascination for Othello and his foreign qualities but, they mask feelings with negative slurs. The audience also affected by the portrayal of Othello, and are persuaded to feel pity for him because of his circumstances; being betrayed by his ensign and being looked down upon because of his Moorish descent. Shakespeare also uses racism as a creative apparatus to generate a metaphor between Desdemona and Othello.
We find both racial attitudes towards Othello even though he is a man that works hard to get what he wants. The racial attitude is only because of the era that they live in, the Elizabethan era in
Throughout history, societies have succumbed to the toxic concepts of racism, causing an unthinkable amount of chaos and devastation. While racism on its own can lead to many societal evils, racism coupled with jealousy can create a truly catastrophic force that can only lead to pure destruction. When someone of a different race and culture is placed in this kind of society, this destruction will only naturally follow. In the play Othello, William Shakespeare focuses on the tragic outcomes of Othello, a Venetian general and black Turkish Moor, and Desdemona, his white Venetian wife. Throughout the play, both covert and overt racism, assimilation, and jealous dispositions all foreshadow the untimely death of Desdemona and Othello.
A man with color living in the Elizabethan era subjects in extreme racism from other citizens. William Shakespeare creates his first great black protagonist, Othello, to exhibit the hardships of interracial marriage and social acceptance. Othello’s status was quite complex being the General of Venice. He was greatly admired as a well serving General, however, was not accepted as Desdemona’s husband, particularly by her father, Brabantio. Othello’s “trustworthy” companion Iago manipulates him into believing his wife had a current affair with Lieutenant Cassio leading to Othello’s flaws throughout the play.
Shakespeare introduces race in his play Othello. Jealousy, envy, inter-racial marriage are just a few of the ways Shakespeare uses race as one of its themes in this tragic and extraordinary play. I will explore how the Venetian people view Othello’s race, how Brabanzio 's views of Othello change from trusted friend, to accusing Othello to using witchery to marry his daughter, and how Iago manipulates Othello into thinking that perhaps the color of his skin has been working against him, and how Iago uses Othello’s race against him. Othello is a general of the Venice Army, a physically powerful man, and is well respected by those around him.