ipl-logo

Postcolonial Criticism In Othello

1159 Words5 Pages

This essay is going to offer a postcolonial and racial outlook toward Shakespeare’s play Othello as regards its main character, Othello.A postcolonial reading of the play contains expressions of racism and discriminatory attitudes through the use of imagery and negative color connotations, which compel the character’s actions. First and foremost it will present a biography and summary of the play, clarify the definition of postcolonialism, and tries to develop this concept step by step throughout the play.

2. Biography
Othello (1603) the play written by Shakespeare (1564-1616) was probably first performed soon after King James VI of Scotland acceded to the English throne in 1603. It takes place in Venice and Cyprus between 1489 and 1571. Shakespeare lived and wrote at a time when English mercantile and colonial enterprises were just germinating. With postcolonial criticism making headway in academic studies, Othello has also been re-read as a tragedy of a black man. “Many believed that Shakespeare had never seen a black man and therefore …show more content…

In the beginning of the play Othello, although being a skin-colored Moor, he acted very decently and was good mannered in his relationship towards his wife, the Duke and other characters; he seems to be very light-hearted. In the middle of the play, where the climax of the play has happened as Iago lied and deluded him about his wife’s infidelity, suddenly his inner beast came forth and treated everyone especially his wife in a wildly and brutalized manner. Since he believed Iago’s feigned plot as a result his expressions has changed up to the point that he called his wife a ‘whore’.It might be useful to recall that there exist a truly fact in the real world that bad things happens to good

Show More
Related

  • Othello Cultural Criticism Essay

    439 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • What Are The Interlopers In The Great Gatsby

    312 Words  | 2 Pages

    Since Othello utters that since he is with Desdemona, her reputation “is now begrimed and black,” it presents how a black man can tarnish the “fresh” identity of a white women. Since Othello is accepted and praised as a war hero, but not accepted as lover, love becomes a barrier that leads to a tragedy. Societal expectations push people to the point where they try to surpass society’s norms. Though, when they reach this tipping point, tragedy will

    Read More

  • Examples Of Prejudice In Othello

    1010 Words  | 5 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • A Close Reading In Shakespeare's Othello: A Close Reading

    1359 Words  | 6 Pages

    Othello: A Close Reading This is an analysis of the lines 260-279 of the third scene of the third act of Shakespeare’s Othello. In an attempt to fulfill the incessant need for comfortable dichotomies, societies tend to be divided into two groups: the ‘in-crowd’ and the ‘others’. These strict dualities, constructed upon the inherent need for adversaries, are often as arbitrary as they are false and based on nothing but fear.

    Read More

  • Friendship In Othello

    1474 Words  | 6 Pages

    Throughout the play, he would often talk about Iago in the same manner as in Act 2, scene 2, “a man he is of honesty and trust”( II,ii. 323-324). Given that Othello trusted who he thought was his best friend, it was easier for Iago to bring Othello down. The root of Iago’s evil intentions is jealousy, which he describes to be like a “green-eyed monster which doth mock the meat it feeds on” (III,iii. 196-197). He speaks of it in a way that captures how it affects man because that is what he was going through after Cassio got the lieutenancy.

    Read More

  • The Effects Of Racism In Othello

    1640 Words  | 7 Pages

    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).

    Read More

  • The Audience In Othello

    931 Words  | 4 Pages

    The common aim of playwrights of any time or location is to capture and hold the attention of their audience; this is what Shakespeare has clearly done. The tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice, is one of Shakespeare 's most renowned plays. Through construction of intriguing characters, exploration of universal themes, use of comic relief and a well-written script featuring a compelling plot, Shakespeare ensured the tragedy of Othello would hold the interest of the audience; despite being over four centuries old. It possesses so many conditions that can be accentuated to hit nerves with both a Shakespearean and modern audience. The entire plot of Othello is very much like the attitudes and methods of our modern day society.

    Read More

  • Betrayal In Othello

    1477 Words  | 6 Pages

    He states, “the demi-devil Iago has ensnar’d my soul and body” Othello feels bad that Iago betrayed him into believing the worst of his wife. Betrayal can be harmful, it can not only cause emotional pain but physical as well. We witness the death of characters and broken bonds. Betrayal can destroy one’s life and have an immense impact on others. If Othello would have been a rationalized man he would have discussed his concerns and fears directly with his wife, rather than speculating

    Read More

  • Overt Racism In Othello

    1097 Words  | 5 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Theme Of Racism In Othello

    1960 Words  | 8 Pages

    Defining Racism To properly lay out the issue of racism in the play it is desirable to know how the term itself is defined. The Oxford English Dictionary explains Racism as follows: A belief that one’s own racial or ethnic group is superior, or that other such groups represent a threat to one 's cultural identity, racial integrity, or economic well-being; (also) a belief that the members of different racial or ethnic groups possess specific characteristics, abilities, or qualities, which can be compared and evaluated. Hence: prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against people of other racial or ethnic groups.

    Read More

  • Comparing Othello And In The Time Of The Butterflies By Julia Alvarez

    846 Words  | 4 Pages

    Othello’s confidence for a loyal man to maintain honesty and morals are contradicted through Iago’s actions: “in a man that’s just / They are close dilations, working from the heart, / That passion cannot rule” (3.3.123). Iago, due to the understatement to his name, is not perceivable as hateful. Othello’s willingness to sense Iago’s distress, and to believe his accusations, is because of the lack of awareness Othello has for his vengeance. Iago is of such little power and relevance within societal ranking that if he were to have intentions to sabotage anyone, which he does, are not considered, thus making him easily trustworthy to those of greater dominance. Society’s view of an individual determines how others consider and surmise their persona, though these conclusions may be false.

    Read More

  • Theme Of Racism In Othello

    1225 Words  | 5 Pages

    Manipulation of the African Race in Othello In William Shakespeare’s Othello, racism is a principal theme that drives the plot of the entire play. An outlier in Venice, Othello the moor or African, is targeted by his ensign Iago because Cassio who seems to be unqualified, was promoted to a lieutenant before he was. Iago is driven by envy and jealousy and creates a confusing and elaborate plan to deprive Cassio of his position. Iago also shares these envious motives with Roderigo, a man lusting over Othello’s wife.

    Read More

  • Masculinity In Othello

    1010 Words  | 5 Pages

    For Shakespeare’s plays to contain enduring ideas, it must illustrate concepts that still remain relevant today, in modern society. Shakespeare utilises his tragic play Othello, to make an important social commentary on the common gender stereotypes. During early modern England, Shakespeare had to comply to the strict social expectations where women were viewed as tools, platonic and mellow, and where men were displayed as masculine, powerful, tempered, violent and manipulative. As distinct as this context is to the 21st century, the play exposes how women were victimised by the men who hold primary power in the community in which they compelled women to conform to the ideal world of a perfect wife or confront an appalling destiny for challenging the system. Moreover, Shakespeare utilises the main antagonist, Iago, to portray how men are desperate to achieve what they want and to indirectly fulfil the stereotype of masculinity and power through manipulation.

    Read More

  • Themes In Harlem Duet

    1382 Words  | 6 Pages

    Othello is for instance not really Othello 's play. Othello is not Othello 's story” (Buntin). Othello is focused more on the schemes of Iago and the tragic life of Desdemona. By retelling this story Sears is putting Othello in the centre of the narrative and giving focus to the nuances of his life as a black man. Dickson

    Read More

  • Theme Of Racism In Othello

    1501 Words  | 7 Pages

    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.

    Read More

More about Postcolonial Criticism In Othello

Open Document