The Unbiased In William Shakespeare's Othello

One of the most important tools which humanity has ever created was that of writing. For millennia it has allowed for the exchange and long term storage of information. One of the greatest repercussions of the development of writing is that of literature. Specifically, the novel, the play, the poem, and all other artistic manifestations of writing. While the impartial recording information proves incredibly useful for the unbiased recording of history, the story created through the creative filter allows for an insight into the customs and mindsets of the time in which the text was produced. Literature is, after all, the manifestation of the thoughts and opinions of authors, often hidden and wrapped in a thick veil of metaphor. Literature is

While the first act does not offer Shakespeare’s view into the racial issue, which would have been much more subtle and unimportant at the time, he clearly sets an ethnic dynamic between the upper class Europeans, and the slave soldiers. In the first scene, where we see Iago and Roderigo plotting their revenge against Othello, they only ever refer to him as “him” and “he”. If not these pronouns, then they use derogatory terms such as “thick-lips” and “The Moor”. This sets a very clear line between the main characters. He is the moor, and they are the gentlemen. While today, this might seem like an overused dynamic, this play was written in a time where tolerance was almost non-existent, and, in a society where the vast majority of people were Christian, moors were seen as the ultimate enemy. This would mean that making the protagonist of your play one of African descent would have very likely caused a stir in the audience. However, with the play being a tragedy, the intent of Shakespeare could very well be left up to