The Theme Of Racism In Shakespeare's Othello
Key question 48: Racism in Othello
Right from the beginning of history, racism has been the most devastating matter. It has always been a subject of debate from that time and is still being debated. Racism is evident everywhere; it is not limited to time or places. Actually, it is the most repeated theme in most of literature works across the globe. Racism deflects the interpersonal relationships because every race exalts their own and looks down on other races. Othello is one of the fascinating literature work by Shakespeare that describes the evident of racism in societies, its destructive effects on society and people’s attitudes. The tragedy in Othello may seem to be as a result of jealousy but deep inside, it is a tragedy rooted deeply in racial conflict. This play was written in a time when the minorities were less important and could easily be ignored by the majority race: it was almost impossible for a black man to hold a higher rank in the society and earning respect from the white people. This paper will discuss the theme of racism in Othello, show its effects on society and specific characters like Othello who felt the impact of prejudice.
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He starts by showing the society how honest and pure hearted a black man can be in order to let the white community understand, accept and tolerate the black people. The central person in the whole theme of racism is Othello and the community thinks it is the worst disgrace for Desmodena to marry a black man. The novel turns out to be a tragedy because despite Shakespeare efforts to portray black people as being kind, Othello gets overwhelmed by his jealous and exposes his evil side. Racism has proven to be like a resistant infection that keeps recurring in all generation: efforts have been put to end racism in the modern society but to no avail because it has deep roots back in
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