Racism In Othello
Othello, a great tragedy written by William Shakespeare was written in Shakespeare’s great tragic period along with Hamlet. Othello was a play first performed by the King’s Men on November 1, 1604 at the court of King James I. The story revolves around its two main characters: Othello, a general in the Venetian army and Iago an unfaithful commissioned officer. A commissioned officer or an ensign is the lowest rank in the army, which is how this whole feud started. Iago gains a strong hate for Othello for ranking a younger soldier over him. He believes he is a better soldier than Cassio and deserves to be ranked that way. Some scholars argue that Othello is accessible to us today because of the issues of racism, love, betrayal, and jealousy still have a strong relation to us now. The question of Othello’s exact race is not quite known and some still debate over it. The word Moor was used very openly in this period and was sometimes applied to Africans from other regions; the word now refers to the Islamic Arabic inhabitants of North Africa who defeated Spain in the eighth century. Othello’s darkness is implied many
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times in the play, but Shakespeare and other playwrights frequently described darker than average Europeans as black. The use of imagery about blacks and whites runs throughout Othello being a certain marker of difference between Othello and his European peers, but the difference about blacks and whites is never as racially specific as a modern reader might assume it to be. There are many instances where Othello is called out for his race; Othello is a noble figure of great authority, respected and admired by the duke and senate of Venice as well as by those who serve him, such as Cassio, Montano, and Lodovico. Iago is one of the only ones that voices his stereotypical view of Othello, describing him from the beginning as a heartless, cruel, and foolish outsider.
Iago uses racist slurs when he wakens Brabantio with the news that his daughter, Desdemona, has eloped with Othello.
He says “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: Arise, I say!” (1.1.97-101). Othello is referred to as a "Barbary horse" (1.1.113) and a "lascivious Moor" (1.1.127). Most readers do not understand the meaning behind these sayings, but they are profoundly rude and incredibly racist. Desdemona's physical whiteness is sometimes compared to Othello's dark skin: 5.2 "that whiter skin of hers than snow". In 3.3 Othello declares Desdemona's supposed sin as being "black as mine own face". The word "black" could suggest many concepts beyond the physical color of skin, including a wide range of negative
suspicion.
The racial slurs said in Othello are mostly due to the fact that Othello, a black man, hold such a high position in the army. In the 1600’s, the battle of the races had not reached it’s all time high, but it was still a big issue due to colored persons being of minority. Even now, racism is still a common occurrence in work places, schools, and on the streets. The fact that Othello was the only black man in a white society put him in a disadvantaged situation. This is why the story of Othello still lives on in schools today; because of the relation to racism in the United States today, Othello holds an important lesson that students need to learn. Othello as a literary character has appeared in many representations within popular culture over several centuries. There also have been over a dozen film adaptations of Othello because of the significance it plays in today’s society. Now a days we have recognized the issue of racism and are moving towards controlling it. We are making a strong effort to treat everyone the same no matter what their color, race or religion. In conclusion, the tragedy of Othello should continue to be taught around the world not only to teach students about racism, but to teach them about the jealousy, love, and betrayal that still affects us today. Othello did not deserve to be lied to and taken advantage of, he was a strong, modest, caring, and self-confident leader. If it weren’t for the racism and jealousy of Iago, Othello would have ruled with his honest wife Desdemona.
times in the play, but Shakespeare and other playwrights frequently described darker than average Europeans as black. The use of imagery about blacks and whites runs throughout Othello being a certain marker of difference between Othello and his European peers, but the difference about blacks and whites is never as racially specific as a modern reader might assume it to be. There are many instances where Othello is called out for his race; Othello is a noble figure of great authority, respected and admired by the duke and senate of Venice as well as by those who serve him, such as Cassio, Montano, and Lodovico. Iago is one of the only ones that voices his stereotypical view of Othello, describing him from the beginning as a heartless, cruel, and foolish outsider.
Iago uses racist slurs when he wakens Brabantio with the news that his daughter, Desdemona, has eloped with Othello.
He says “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: Arise, I say!” (1.1.97-101). Othello is referred to as a "Barbary horse" (1.1.113) and a "lascivious Moor" (1.1.127). Most readers do not understand the meaning behind these sayings, but they are profoundly rude and incredibly racist. Desdemona's physical whiteness is sometimes compared to Othello's dark skin: 5.2 "that whiter skin of hers than snow". In 3.3 Othello declares Desdemona's supposed sin as being "black as mine own face". The word "black" could suggest many concepts beyond the physical color of skin, including a wide range of negative
suspicion.
The racial slurs said in Othello are mostly due to the fact that Othello, a black man, hold such a high position in the army. In the 1600’s, the battle of the races had not reached it’s all time high, but it was still a big issue due to colored persons being of minority. Even now, racism is still a common occurrence in work places, schools, and on the streets. The fact that Othello was the only black man in a white society put him in a disadvantaged situation. This is why the story of Othello still lives on in schools today; because of the relation to racism in the United States today, Othello holds an important lesson that students need to learn. Othello as a literary character has appeared in many representations within popular culture over several centuries. There also have been over a dozen film adaptations of Othello because of the significance it plays in today’s society. Now a days we have recognized the issue of racism and are moving towards controlling it. We are making a strong effort to treat everyone the same no matter what their color, race or religion. In conclusion, the tragedy of Othello should continue to be taught around the world not only to teach students about racism, but to teach them about the jealousy, love, and betrayal that still affects us today. Othello did not deserve to be lied to and taken advantage of, he was a strong, modest, caring, and self-confident leader. If it weren’t for the racism and jealousy of Iago, Othello would have ruled with his honest wife Desdemona.