Within 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
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Iago plants seeds of doubt for
Cassioo within Othello’s mind. Othello then develops a headache, to which Desdemona aids him with her handkerchief. After this as they are leaving the handkerchief is dropped, it ends up being found by Emilia who then gives it to Iago, who then pants it on Cassio’s bed. Cassio finds it and asks Bianca to replicate the design. Iago tells Othello about the affair. Othello then threatens to kill him if he doesn’t provide proof of the affair. Iago claims he heard Cassio sleep talking about having sex with Desdemona and then dried his beard with the lost handkerchief. After this
Othello is convinced to kill Desdemona, as Iago agrees to kill Cassio. Iago is then appointed to lieutenancy. Jumping forward to the last act of the play everything comes to a close. Cassio is attacked by Roderigo, who he then stabs. After Cassio cries out he thinks Iago kept up his end of the deal to kill him, so now he must kill Desdemona. He wakes her up with a kiss and accuses her of having an affair with Cassio. She claims innocence but it is too late for that, he
Iago then has Emilia, his wife, get Othello’s mother’s handkerchief and plants in Cassio’s room, then warns Othello to watch out for Cassio and Desdemona. Iago then sent Cassio to ask Desdemona and for his job back. Othello then suspects his wife of cheating. When she comes to him soon later vouching for him to give Cassio his job
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.
Then once Montano comes to intervene the fight Cassio turns to fight Montano. This ruckus awakes Othello and Othello requires Iago to tell the story. Iago says it's basically all Cassio’s fault, so Othello takes Cassio’s position as lieutenant. Later on, Cassio pleads to Desdemona to tell Othello to give him his job back. The pleads Desdemona gives to Othello makes Othello think Cassio and Desdemona are having an affair.
At this point in the play Iago had told Othello just enough to make him start to doubt his relationship with Desdemona. Iago realized that the small details would begin to drive Othello mad and he would believe anything, even if it was not real evidence of a relationship between Desdemona and Cassio. Othello will eventually let the Jealously take over and kill his wife over the lies told by
A 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.
Othello starts to believe Iago’s lies about his friends and wife, leading Othello to change his behavior towards his closest allies. Iago instigates a fight between Cassio and Montano, and Othello must take charge of his soldiers, he says: Thy honesty and love doth mince this matter, Making it light to Cassio. Cassio, I love thee But never more be officer of mine. (2.3.210-213) Othello makes the decision to fire Cassio, and things get worse when Iago makes his wife, Emilia, steal Desdemona 's handkerchief.
He expresses his jealousy for Cassio when he says that Othello “already chose [his] officer” who he calls “One Michael Cassio, a Florentine” who “never set a squadron in the field.” Iago believes he should have gotten the promotion because he had more military experience and training. After he gets Cassio drunk and dismissed from service, he devises a plan to manipulate Othello into believing he is cheating with Desdemona in order that Cassio never gets his position again or even killed. Iago also hears a rumor that Othello slept with his
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.
The presence of racial discrimination and stereotypes throughout Othello is used to illustrate how individuals’ attitudes towards race contribute to the tragic events that unfold by dictating their behaviour. Iago’s immediate racial biases hastily present race as a prominent theme that influences how the characters treat and think about one another. In act 1 scene 1 while expressing his resentment towards Othello for promoting Cassio, Iago says to Rodrigo, “Michael Cassio, a Florentine,” as well as repeatedly referring to Othello as “the Moor”, a term commonly used in Elizabethan times relating to people originating from North Africa. The stress placed on Cassio’s foreignness and Othello’s dark skin, suggests that Iago’s anger towards Othello is not limited to being denied the promotion, but is more firmly rooted in his racial identity. This is then confirmed In Act 1, Scene 3 when Iago reveals his true feelings about Othello, expressing, "I hate the Moor /
The role of race and difference that’s in Shakespeare’s portrayal of Othello is significant. Throughout the play, Othello is often referred to as “the moor,” which highlights his blackness and his status as an outsider in Venetian society. Since he is considered as an outsider he is viewed with suspicion and distrust. The play also highlights the fact that Othello is a military General, which is a position that is typically reserved for white men. With all of the distrust and mistrust falling on Othello’s back, it leads to him being insecure and hard on himself in the play.
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.
As a scheming villain, Iago begins to ensnare Othello into his trap of vengeance by echoing in Othello’s mind prospect of an affair between Cassio and Desdemona. Iago begins his insinuations by reminding Othello that Cassio served as their go-between during their courtship through a rhetorical
did I today/ See Cassio wipe his beard with.” (3.3 445-447) Iago falsely accuses Cassio by telling Othello that Cassio was using Desdemona’s handkerchief, the one that Othello gave to her as a first gift. In the article, Navorro (2013) says, “...the narcissist often chooses a profession, guild, organization, occupation, or a job where he or she can manipulate others or the system like a puppeteer.” Iago pretends to be under Othello, meaning he shows honesty and royalty to Othello, and when he finally gains Othello’s trust, he starts to manipulate Othello’s thoughts and beliefs.
Unfortunately for Cassio, it was all a part of Iago 's plan, he then planted the handkerchief that Othello gave Desdemona as a symbol of love, in Cassio 's room. He told Othello of the connection between Cassio and Desdemona, and as she kept bringing his name up to reinstate him, it became more evident to Othello. Iago gradually drove Othello to the edge, he convinced him of the affair between the two and so he felt the need to kill her. Afterwards Othello found out that she didn 't cheat on him, and so he killed himself. The ultimate payback, driven by
The play othello makes many strudels for the main characters othello and Desdemona. One of the main struggles in this play is racism. Othello is a black man with low social status. People in the play make him a nuisance especially because he marries someone of high status both racially and socially. One main example of the racism that happens within the play is when Brabantio Desdemonias father tells him, “And she, in spite of nature, Of years, of country, credit, everything, To fall in love with what she feared to look on!