Role Of Sexism In Othello

Shakespeare’s Othello was written in the early 1600’s and the story still holds a place firmly within the literary teachings of English Professors even in 2016. The play has seen its fair share of face lifts throughout the years but with the introduction of a homosexual Othello and his secret love affair with Desmond (the male counterpart of Desdemona) while attending a modern day high school in Alabama, it would be more appealing in a 2016 curriculum. The characters have had their sexes, religions, and races changed so that the focus of the play is not on the racism or even sexism of the time, but rather focused on the frailty of the human spirit and homophobic tendencies that have stopped love for years. With the new take on the play
the characters have gone under major changes, Desmond’s father is a baptist preacher and has no idea that his son is in love with another boy. Iago translates into Izel, a girl and friend of Othello who feels betrayed after he tells Cassio that he thinks of him as his best friend. Izel plans to seek revenge for this emotional offense by telling Desmond’s father that Othello and Desmond are in love, and by planting drugs in Cas’s locker getting him kicked out of school. In the original play Iago has a monologue discussing the ways he wishes to ruin Othello and Cassio, “ But for my sport and profit. I hate the Moor/ Cassio’s a proper man. Let me see now/ After some time, to abuse Othello’s ears That he is too familiar with his wife.” (Othello, 1.3. 354,360,363-364.). The betrayal that Iago feels towards Othello is the same betrayal that Izel feels, attempting to replicate the same style of petty pain being mutated and shaped into complete loathing. With Othello and Desmond’s love, it is a good change for the distasteful love that was shared between Othello and Desdemona. Changing Othello from a black Moor in Venice , into a homosexual young man in a high school in the Bible Belt creates the same distaste and looked down upon love, while it puts it into a modern day issue especially in a generally homophobic atmosphere. The United States Bible Belt is a collection of southern states that are well known for being highly religious. There have been many incidents with religion being intolerant of homosexuality and condemning its existence and this is doubly true within southern states. So having a homosexual tragic hero located in a high school deep within the south, creates a deeply similar setting for the play while being vastly more applicable for today’s society.