Merchant Of Venice And Othello

Phillip is very much impressed by the history of blacks. He refers to many other black men in his travelogue “The European Tribe”. Two chapters of the book (‘A black European success’ and “In the ghetto“) are inspired by famous characters from Shakespeare’s drama. As soon as Phillips reaches Venice he looks other black man and recalls Othello and Shylock. Othello is the protagonist of Shakespeare famous tragedy Othello and shylock is a Jew from Shakespeare tragi-comedy The Merchant of Venice. Phillips thinks, “Sixteenth century venetian society both enslaved black and ridiculed the Jew.”(45) Othello a black military man marries Desdemona, daughter of a white man. It is intolerable to white European society but they have to tolerate him because of the outbreak of war. He ascended from a slave to a respected military person. He is “the most famous of all the black European successes” (46) Othello marries Desdemona thinking that this marriage “may entrench him securely in venetian society. When a war is raging an unacceptable marriage is of secondary import.”(48) The Venetian society wanted Othello go to Cyprus to defeat their enemy. So they accepted their marriage. The Venetian society approved this marriage by saying to Desdemona’s father “your son in law is far more fair than black” (48) Othello thinks himself a part of Venetian society and in Cyprus he is regarded as a respected leader. He dismisses Cassio and appoints Iago at that post. This is most wrong decision taken by