Othello and the Colour Prejudice

Natalia Grube
Othello Paper

The tragedy of Othello was caused by the insecurities and changing character of Othello himself. Racism and the villainous Iago both contributed to the evolution of Othello’s character.
G.K Hunter the author of “Othello and Colour Prejudice.” Discusses how the prejudices against Othello, both in the play and also the prejudices Shakespeare’s audience already conveyed towards darker skinned people, were framed to doom Othello from the start. Hunters article gives a historical background of how people of color where perceived by the Christian faith, Elizabethans and other European countries of that time. What did Othello’s race mean to Shakespeare and his audience? Well it goes to say that Shakespeare was well aware of the fact that his protagonist was black and uses this as a primary factor in his play. The coming of Christianity dating back to 1500-1600, Shakespeare’s Era, viewed Moore’s or people of Color as animals. Barbaric in nature and damned by god for the color of their skin, they had also the basic and ancient sense that black is the colour of sin and death. (Hunter 250) Shakespeare incorporates these views in the beginning of the play

Even now, now, very now, an old black ram
Is tupping your white ewe. Arise, arise!
Awake the snorting citizens with the bell,
Or else the devil will make a grandsire of you.
[1.1.42-43]

Iago and Rodrigo depict Othello as a barbaric lust filled beast that has stolen Barbantios innocent and pure Desdemona. Thus, when Shakespeare’s audience went to view the play, they already had an expectation of what The Moore of Venice would depict. An expectation of pagan deviltry set against white Christian Civilization. (Hunter 254) The first act of the play only re-enforces these ideals until we are introduced to Othello in Act I. When the second scene begins, it is clear that Othello is none of which Iago, Rodrigo and Barbantio accused him of being. “Barbary horse”, “black ram”, “lascivious Moor”, “charms by which the property (witchcraft).” Othello is actually a respectable general, honest, valiant and calm in his speech. This is no “lascivious Moor’, but a great Christian gentleman. (Hunter 254) It is Iago the “white civilized” man who is manipulative, villainous and barbaric in his manner. Shakespeare has, then, refuted the ideals held by Elizabethans by making Othello “the devil” in appearance, but honest and good in nature, and Iago “the white civilized man” crude, deceiving and devilish in his manner. It is Iago, not Othello, who gives birth to the dark realities of sin and death in the play. (Hunter 255) [To Iago] O Spartan dog,
More fell than anguish, hunger, or the sea!
Look on the tragic loading of this bed.
This is thy work. The object poisons sight;
Let it be hid.
[5.2.164]

Iago is a master manipulator; he is envious, selfish, and isolates himself from everyone by lying and concealing his true motives. Iago is able to distinguish a person’s character, pick them apart and uses it to his advantage. The dramatic function of Iago is to reduce the white “reality” of Othello to the “black” appearance of his face. (Hunter 258)
Othello is inadvertently susceptible to Iago’s will. Iago picks at Othello’s insecurities insinuating ideas that Othello puts into action.
Desdemona, another contributing factor to Othello’s downfall, is considered repeatedly throughout the play as pure. She represents innocence, virginity. To consider an interracial marriage between the “white virgin Marry” and an old black Moor, is something that is unthinkable in those times. Hence, Othello understands how different he is from his wife; she is superior to him in her “whiteness”, beauty and youth. Haply for I am black
And have not those soft parts of conversations
That chambers have, or for I am declined into the vale of year.
[3.3267]

It is understood the vision Shakespeare’s audience, and the character’s in his play, held against darker skin people. It marks how Othello, though he is a respected General, feels out casted from the rest of his subordinates.
Othello is so drawn into Iago’s lies that he begins to resemble Iago’s bitter, jealous and rash behavior. Iago is indirectly turning Othello into the barbaric Moore that everyone expected him to be. Act IV scene i, the scene when Othello strikes Desdemona, after Iago proves to Othello there is evidence of Desdemona’s infidelity, the handkerchief. In this particular scene Othello mocks Iago’s character, he is rude and dismissive towards Desdemona, hostile and irrational towards Lovidico. And becomes so frustrated with Desdemona’s persistent concerns, that he ends up striking her. Othello himself, it is true, loses faith not only in Desdemona but in that fair quality of himself which Desdemona saw and worshipped: (for she had eyes and chose me’ [3.3.191] (Hunter 259) The only character that isn’t deceived by Iago or the prejudice towards Othello is Desdemona herself. Desdemona through out the play is not aware of Othello’s jealousy. She chooses not to believe it because she herself knows she is innocent, and defends herself till she is lying on her deathbed. Emilia also defends Desdemona against the speculations of her being false. No, as I am a Christian!
If to preserve this vessel for my lord
From another foul unlawful touch
Be not to be a strumpet, I am none.
[4.2.133]

Act IV, ii Othello questions Emilia of Desdemona’s innocence. Emilia, though isolated from her husband, defends Desdemona. Pleading her case to Othello claiming that she would never be false. Othello is extremely rude to Emilia; he calls her stupid and compares her and Desdemona to a prostitute and a whore mistress. Othello ignores Emilia’s pleas and is completely consumed and convinced at this point of his wife’s infidelity. He is a different man from what we saw in the first 2 Acts of the play. The fact that the darkness of “Hell and night’ spreads from Iago and then takes over Othello. (Hunter 259) Othello was triumphed by Iago and his lies. Othello, ‘the play itself is primarily concerned with the effect of one human being on another’. (Hunter 260) It is not only Iago who contributes to Othello’s evolution in character. It is also the prejudices Othello faced in society at the time. Shakespeare uses his protagonist color as a primary factor in his play because Othello’s tragedy is ensued by racial prejudices, which leads to his insecurities, allowing Iago to take advantage and exploit these insecurities by claiming Othello’s wife false.
` Hunter, discusses these themes in his essay. He gives a historical background of religious and racial views of that time and compares it to Iago and Othello’s relationship.
Hunter’s article supports arguments, concluding that racial prejudices, the villainous Iago and Othello’s easily manipulated character doom Othello from the very beginning of the play. Shakespeare also concludes this theory because, back in his time, to consider a sexual interracial marriage would have been viewed negatively. Othello was destined to be a tragic play. To suffice the appetites of Shakespeare’s audience, and the racial views of society during those times worked against Othello.