Othello Identity Essay

Parker’s filmic interpretation of Othello attributes power to the appearance and identity. While a large proportion of Shakespeare’s poetics have been left out, Parker maintains the vast majority of the play’s timeless themes placing particular emphasis on the importance of appearances and identity. Parker’s film contracts Othello’s decline of the inevitable consequences of the protagonist’s oxymoronic identity within a society who judges based on aesthetics. These are portrayed as threats to Othello’s power and lead to a disintegration of his upright power.

The excerpt viewed illustrates Iago loading his weapon and Othello, with a jealous fury. Parker’s care of constructing contributes to characterisation of Othello’s black clad garment
The same insecurities are enunciated in Parker and Shakespeare’s versions but through different means due to the medium. Following Brabantio’s accusations, cutaway shots to Venetian men gossiping reveal the tainting of Othello’s public image and the judgemental response of Venice. These shots underscore the Venetian mentality that form assumptions founded on how things appear before Othello can provide his own account. It is this social infrastructure that breeds the villain, Iago, and allows him to function so effectively. Othello is spatially distanced from other characters and positioned in front of a war strategist’s table symbolising his military background and ethnic isolation. His costuming is the most dramatic; his cape an allusion to modern day superheroes imbues him with heroic characteristics. Othello’s speech is overlayed with flashback scenes of his relationship with Desdemona illustrating the ‘world of sighs she gave me for my pains’. A low angle shot of Othello standing over the sitting Brabantio implies his triumph over him. Parker constructs their relationship as a competition for Desdemona’s love and makes her a symbolised war trophy to Othello. Othello’s identity is built on the basis of his ethnicity, relations with officials, and occupation. Iago uses these to his advantage and strips Othello of his power by undermining these aspects of his