Social And Religious Context Of Shakespeare's Othello

As with many of William Shakespeare’s plays, Othello reflects the social and religious context of the time. From the 11th -15th century, Spain underwent an intense reconversion to Catholicism. King Philip III of Spain decreed that all those who affirmed to be of another faith would be expelled from Spain. While many of other faiths began to convert to Catholicism, suspicions rose against these new “Moriscos” –the term the Spaniards used to describe Muslim convert to Catholicism. Moreover, during Shakespeare’s time in England, the views on “Moors” –their term to describe not only Islamic Arabs but also Islamic Africans and largely anyone of a darker skin color –while not as hostile nonetheless proved infused by prejudice and racism. Furthermore,
from this historical context of religious persecution and prejudice towards Moors, Shakespeare sets his Tragic play Othello. Othello’s status in the play as a Moor and moreover his status as a stranger or “other” in Venice shapes not only his perception of himself but also how the rest of the characters perceive him. Ultimately, Othello’s status as Moor leads to his tragic fall.
Through the disparaging views of the other Venetian characters towards Othello, Shakespeare highlights the prejudice against Moors and “others,” which ultimately leads to Othello’s downfall. Othello’s status as Moor intrinsically affects how the other characters perceive and treat Othello. Through Othello has both converted to Christianity and achieved prominence as a general in the Venetian army, he is nonetheless still treated as a stranger, representing the “other” that will never fully be accepted by Venetian society. His rejection by Venetian society –resulting only because of his race and skin color, his “Moorishness” –is demonstrated through the prejudice other characters have against him. Namely, through characters like Brabantio, Desdemona’s father; Iago, a manipulative officer in the Venetian army who feels slighted by Othello; and Roderigo, Desdemona’s rejected suitor who becomes one of Iago’s greatest allies in trying to ruin Othello. These three characters each demonstrate the key role Othello’s status as Moor plays in how others perceive and treat him. All three characters use disparaging racial descriptions when refers to Othello to denigrate him as somehow being lesser because he is a
Moor. In the very first scenes of the play, both Iago and Roderigo use these racial stereotypes of Moors’ physical characteristics when describing Othello. Iago describes Othello as a “…Barbary horse…,” (531) to Brabantio, mocking Othello and comparing him to this African animal. He continues saying, “…you’ll have nephews neigh to you; you’ll have coursers for cousins and jennets for germans” (531). Iago not only compares Othello to an African horse but moreover he compares him to animal. This act of dehumanizing Othello on account of his being a Moor proves another consequence of Othello’s status as a Moor as well as another recurring theme throughout Othello. Similarly, Roderigo uses a racial stereotype when refereeing to Othello, saying, “What a full fortune does the thick-lips owe” (530). Here, Roderigo is referring to Othello through the racial stereotype of Moors having large lips. Both Roderigo and Iago use such disparaging racial stereotypes as these to describe Othello in order to denigrate him as well as dehumanize him: Othello in their eyes is nothing more than those physical characteristics of a Moor or an animal. Therefore, Othello’s status as moor negatively affects how other characters perceive him. Similarly, Brabantio echoes Roderigo’s and Iago’s racial prejudice in his disbelief of Desdemona’s love for Othello and his harsh disapproval of their marriage. Upon finding out of their elopement, Brabantio refuses to believe that his daughter, the fair and beloved Venetian, could possibly be in love with Othello and therefore have willingly accepted to marry him. Brabantio’s racial prejudice against Moors affects how he perceives Othello. When he finds out about their elopement, he exclaims, “O thou foul thief…damned as though art, thou hast enchanted her! For I’ll refer me to all things of sense… [Desdemona] runs from her guardage to the sooty bosom of such a thing as thou…” (535). Here, Brabantio also uses racial stereotypes in order to disparage Othello. He refers to Othello’s darker skin in calling him “sooty” and scorns him as a “thief” and “damned”. Ultimately, Brabantio’s incredulous view of Dedemonda’s love for and willing marriage to Othello illustrates how Othello’s status as a Moor negatively affects how others perceive him. Furthermore, the racial prejudice against Othello affects how he himself perceives himself: his insecurities and self-doubt lead him not only to doubt Desdemona’s fidelity but ultimately her love for him. As aforementioned, various characters used racial stereotypes to denigrate Othello and make him feel that as a Moor, he was “other” and therefore not their equal. By referring to him through racial markers and by comparing him to animals and thereby dehumanizing him, characters like Brabantio, Roderigo, and Iago attempt to denigrate Othello. Moreover, the effects this has on Othello’s psychology can be seen through his self-doubt and insecurities regarding Desdemona and her love for him. Though Desdemona has proven her fidelity and love to Othello in more ways than one, his quickness and willingness to believe the lies Iago plants highlights his underlying insecurities. His status as a Moor and the racial prejudice that this entails makes Othello doubt Desdemona’s love for him because his perception of self is being influenced by the society’s perception of him. Iago devises a plan to manipulate and fool Othello into believing that Michael Cassio, Othello’s lieutenant, is having an affair with Desdemona. With no more than mere hearsay and circumstantial evidence, Othello proclaims, “…Haply, for I am black and have not those soft parts of conversation that chamberers have….She’s gone…and my relief must be to loath her…” ( 571). Here Othello’s insecurities are revealed. He attributes Desdemona’s infidelity to his being “black,” or perhaps because he lacks softer manners or “conversation”. These are all characteristics and attributes that Cassio would have: he is a Venetian (and therefore not black), his social rank would give him the manners and softer conversation necessary to function in society, and he is a “chamberer,” or a gentleman. Cassio exemplifies the good and well-mannered Venetian and everything that Othello is not. Moreover, by emphasizing what he lacks in comparison to Cassio, Othello is revealing his insecurities and self-doubts which revolve around his being a Moor. Therefore, his status as a Moor also negatively affects his perception of himself. Consequently, Othello’s negative perception of himself leads him to his downfall: doubting and killing Desdemona and eventually himself.
He allows his self-doubt and insecurities to blind him and persuade him to doubt Desdemona. Though Desdemona vehemently pleads her innocence to Othello and ultimately, with her final breathes, attempts to expunge his guilt by telling Emilia that she has smothered herself, Othello nonetheless doubts her love for him (606). Emilia eventually explains Iago’s cunning and unravels all of his lies to Othello. He then realizes how he was driven by jealousy and self-doubt and acted rashly. Encumbered by his guilt at erroneously murdering his faithful wife, he prepares to kill himself and tells a story, saying, “ …in Aleppo once, where a malignant and turbaned Turk beat a Venetian…I took by th’throat the circumcised dog and smote him, thus” (612). In this his final scene, Othello parallels himself to this “malignant and turbaned Turk”. By seeing himself both as the Turk –the “Other” –and the dutiful soldier who avenges the Venetian, Othello reveals how harmed his own perception of self was by his status of Moor. He refers to himself in the same disparaging manner that other characters would use to refer to him: he calls this Turk a “circumcised dog,” in reference to how Christians do not practice circumcision. Moreover, his status of Moor and the negative perception this creates of him for the other characters affects how Othello views himself,
which ultimately leads to his downfall: murdering his faithful wife and committing suicide. Overall, the cultural and religious unease present at the time Shakespeare wrote Othello permeates into the relationships between characters in the play and Othello. Though Othello converts to Christianity and holds the coveted rank of general in the Venetian Army –winning various battles and acquiring great wealth –he is still rejected by the other characters because of his status as a Moor. He remains a stranger and the “other” amongst his own peers. This rejection and prejudice consequently effects how Othello sees himself, resulting in acute self-doubt and insecurities. Therefore, his status as a moor ultimately leads to his downfall as he doubts Desdemona’s love for him and her fidelity. In his final scenes in the play he is blinded by his insecurities and murders Desdemona and eventually himself.