The Importance Of Race In Othello
In William Shakespeare’s play Othello, an African general named Othello is tricked by one of his officers, Iago, into thinking that his wife, Desdemona, is cheating on him with his lieutenant, Cassio. Iago continues to insert jealous and distrustful thoughts about Desdemona in Othello’s mind, ultimately leading to Othello murdering his wife. Because blacks during Shakespeare’s time were viewed as being quick to anger and jealous, many people believe that Othello’s somewhat sudden acceptance of Iago’s claims and jealousy towards Desdemona and Cassio was due to Shakespeare making Othello a stereotypical black man. Michael Hays, in his article Othello is Not About Race, argues that race does not play any major role in Othello’s demise; instead, he argues that the courtly love system made Othello suspicious of Cassio.
Hays’ first claim is that if Shakespeare had intended for Othello to be about race, then he would have made Othello act like what Africans were stereotypically portrayed as; moreover, he would have made the characters discuss ethnicity more frequently. He brings up two stories which influenced Othello, Gli Hecatommithi by Giraldi
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He claims that because “[m]odern audiences have little or no knowledge of the tradition of chivalric romances, particularly of courtly love or the role of intermediaries,” most people are unable to fully understand why Othello is so quick to believe Iago (Hays 9). Because people don’t understand courtly love, they blame his jealousy on race, for it is “a matter obvious in itself and particularly important in America because of its history long stained by … racism” (Hays 9). Hays claims that people don’t blame courtly love as the cause of Othello’s jealousy because they don’t completely understand it; instead, they blame jealousy on racism because it’s something that’s relevant in today’s culture and in recent history, especially in
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White Supremacy In Othello
468 Words | 2 PagesIn Cohen’s elucidation of Othello, he comments on the strong and prominent theme of white supremacy. Othello has pushed aside most, if not all, of his cultural characteristics in favor of adopting Venetian traits. He does this as a way to earn back some respect that he lost because of his skin color. Throughout the whole play, Othello is the victim of racial slurs that would demand serious punishment if they were directed at a white man. Cohen contradicts himself in this article when he says that Othello’s suicide “proclaims the triumph of the white civilization”(325) while demeaning himself, but then comments on how Othello reasserts his value with a simple statement.
Examples Of Prejudice In Othello
1010 Words | 5 PagesThe 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.
What Are The Interlopers In The Great Gatsby
312 Words | 2 PagesSince 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
Desdemona Is To Blame In William Shakespeare's Othello
1237 Words | 5 PagesHe thinks of himself as no one, someone on the periphery of social and political power. Furthermore, he also believes that being black will impact his interactions with people, especially his relationship with Desdemona. The critics who believe that Othello’s skin color is important for the character and for the interpretation of the play also suggest that this is in fact the reason why he experiences lack of confidence. Racism is a powerful issue as Shakespeare presents the color and ethnicities as social constructs that can be made to havoc with one’s own sense of self. The author shaped his character in that way in order to assert that race and implications of being an individual in the position of power push Othello’s into his own self-destruction nature rooted in doubt and fear.
Annotated Bibliography: Othello's Racial Identity
1443 Words | 6 PagesAnnotated 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.
Racism In Othello
1684 Words | 7 PagesThe correlation between relationships and experiences are co-existing functions that assist in operating societies. Since ancient times, social classes have existed within all communities and cultures; a sense of belonging is often determined by one’s position in the social hierarchy. Shakespeare’s Othello highlights determinants including race and gender that affect one’s standing in the hierarchy. An excerpt of Act 1, Scene 1 (Lines 110-112) explores this concept when Iago exclaims “Because we come to do you service and you think we are ruffians, you’ll have your daughter covered with a Barbary horse, you’ll have your nephews neigh to you.” Shakespeare cleverly incorporates animalistic imagery to showcase the role that race has in a society
Examples Of Racial Bias In Othello
659 Words | 3 PagesWithin 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
The Effects Of Racism In Othello
1640 Words | 7 PagesA wise philosopher once stated, “Racism is man’s gravest threat to man — the maximum of hatred for a minimum of reason” (Schwartsz). It is no revelation that racism often manifests hatred towards minorities. This concept has been widespread throughout the world for centuries. Racism has prevailed through several works of literature including “Othello” by William Shakespeare. In this particular play, the character, Othello, is allegedly a black man who experiences several accounts of racism from other characters, which eventually leads to his downfall.
Overt Racism In Othello
1097 Words | 5 PagesWhen 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.
Theme Of Racism In Othello
1960 Words | 8 PagesDefining 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.
Theme Of Racism In Othello
1225 Words | 5 PagesManipulation 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.
Theme Of Dishonesty In Othello
750 Words | 3 PagesIn the opening act of the play, Iago and Roderigo wake Brabantio, Desdemona’s father, from his sleep, informing him of his daughter’s marriage to the Moor, Othello. Knowing of Brabantio’s prejudice towards Othello because of his race, Iago says, “Even now, now, very now, an old black ram is tupping your white ewe.” (1.1.94-95). Iago feeds anger into Brabantio’s mind using
Theme Of Racism In Othello
1501 Words | 7 PagesThroughout 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.
Effects Of Jealousy In Othello
621 Words | 3 PagesShakespeare’s play, Othello, deeply explores the effects of jealousy on a person. Shakespeare also portrays the different types of jealousy and alludes to the causes of them. Othello is a tragic play written by William Shakespeare around 1603, about a man, Iago, who plots to take revenge on a Moorish soldier, Othello, for he has “done my (Iago’s) office”. The deaths of several people, including Othello’s wife Desdemona, Iago’s wife Emilia, Othello and Iago’s companion Roderigo, were all directly linked to Iago’s actions. Othello illustrates that jealousy often leads to revenge, jealousy can prevent a successful relationship, and jealousy leading to one’s downfall.
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