Ambiguity In Othello

Throughout act three of Shakespeare’s Othello, the conflict between opposing characters unfolds a complex set of emotions revealing the concept of the lesser “other” to the audience. Shakespeare does not explicitly state that Othello is an “other”, but references to his culture and ethnicity implies that Othello, while highly respected, is still of inferiority is some regards.
The idea that Othello is inferior to his peers is rather ambiguous and can vary among interpretations. To kick start the idea that he is indeed seen as a lesser person in the eyes of the Venetians, it is important to analyze how Othello is referred to when his back is turned. Going all the way back to the beginning of the play, Iago, a character out for revenge against Othello, refers to him as “The Moor”. While some may consider this as a reference to his African culture, one must take into account the history between Christians and the Moors and the conflict that in sued between them. Before Shakespeare and the time
While being strong at heart, Othello seems to reveal himself more when Iago begins to challenge his comfort. “As Dian’s visage, is now begrimed and black as mine own face” (I.III.399) compares Desdemona’s supposed impurity to Othello’s black skin. To some this may just be simply comparing the color black to Desdemona but considering the fact that Othello is already called “The Moor”, it may actually be him internalizing the fact that he is not the same as the Venetians. Bringing attention to one’s noticeable differences often times makes individuals believe that they themselves are not good enough. If this is to be true, it can be reasonably inferred that being known as “The Moor” has caused Othello to internalize the fact that he is not as good as the people around him. Even though he is held to high regards, he still is not the