What Are The Similarities Between Othello And Heart Of Darkness
It is not surprising that some great works of literature may have similar themes for they tried to engage and relate with real world. In both Shakespeare’s Othello, and Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, there are also similar themes even though the works were almost three centuries apart. They reflect racism and stereotype. Racism is the belief of a certain group or people that they are superior compare to other races and stereotype is a thought or idea on particular person or thing by oversimplifying because all members of that group have similar characteristics. In this essay, I will explore and analyze the above-mentioned two themes in those texts.
In the Othello, much of the racial discriminations applied to Othello. He is referred as …show more content…
Arise, arise;
Awake the snorting citizens with the bell,
Or else the devil will make a grandsire of you. (Othello 1.1.97-100)
Furthermore, Iago uses racist words when he wakens Brabantio with the news of his daughter Desdemona eloped with Othello. Iago racism attitude is obvious by his using the Elizabethan notions that the black men are hyper-sexuality and animal-like.
We can also obviously see that Brabantio who was racist believes that his daughter marriage is due to the Othello’s trickery and magic spell. He argues that his daughter would never fell for the black-skinned foreigner who she “feared to look on (Othello 1.3.116)”. Othello, himself in the play ambiguously use the racist dialogue such as
Her name, that was as fresh
As Dian's visage, is now begrimed and black
As mine own face. (Othello 3.3.441-443)
As he suspects his wife Desdemona is unfaithful to him with Cassio, he used the soiled reputation of her infidelity to his “begrimed and black” face. The Moor association of the blackness of his skin color with the dirty and stained characteristics is usually the kind of thing that racist Venetian characters might say all along. This makes to consider that the playwright might be racist or the common sixteenth century notions on …show more content…
Their best conscience
Is not to leave't undone, but keep't unknown (3.3.232)”. The claim indicate that the Venetian women cannot be trusted because they all can deceive their husbands with their sweet talks and their “pranks”. The serotyping of where women stand in the society also found in Iago answers of Desdemona’s query of their conversation, “To suckle fools and chronicle small beer (2.1.175)”. In Iago view, female are still only good for staying indoor, giving birth children and managing the household.
The protagonist Charlie Marlow in Heart of Darkness, is mere stereotype of women’s view by many of the men in society. As he spoke to his aunt, Marlow’s stereotype is delivered to the readers, “It’s queer how out of touch with truth women are. They live in a world of their own, there has never been anything like it, and never can be.”(Conrad, 10). This statement holds how prejudice the author to the women as naïve creatures and unaware of “truth”. This kind of stereotyping going on till the end as the main character met with Kurtz’s “Intended” fiancé. He feels pity to her naiveté that he would like to safeguard those feelings as they are. Therefore, his particular reason for lying to the Kurtz’s fiancé can view as
In the Othello, much of the racial discriminations applied to Othello. He is referred as …show more content…
Arise, arise;
Awake the snorting citizens with the bell,
Or else the devil will make a grandsire of you. (Othello 1.1.97-100)
Furthermore, Iago uses racist words when he wakens Brabantio with the news of his daughter Desdemona eloped with Othello. Iago racism attitude is obvious by his using the Elizabethan notions that the black men are hyper-sexuality and animal-like.
We can also obviously see that Brabantio who was racist believes that his daughter marriage is due to the Othello’s trickery and magic spell. He argues that his daughter would never fell for the black-skinned foreigner who she “feared to look on (Othello 1.3.116)”. Othello, himself in the play ambiguously use the racist dialogue such as
Her name, that was as fresh
As Dian's visage, is now begrimed and black
As mine own face. (Othello 3.3.441-443)
As he suspects his wife Desdemona is unfaithful to him with Cassio, he used the soiled reputation of her infidelity to his “begrimed and black” face. The Moor association of the blackness of his skin color with the dirty and stained characteristics is usually the kind of thing that racist Venetian characters might say all along. This makes to consider that the playwright might be racist or the common sixteenth century notions on …show more content…
Their best conscience
Is not to leave't undone, but keep't unknown (3.3.232)”. The claim indicate that the Venetian women cannot be trusted because they all can deceive their husbands with their sweet talks and their “pranks”. The serotyping of where women stand in the society also found in Iago answers of Desdemona’s query of their conversation, “To suckle fools and chronicle small beer (2.1.175)”. In Iago view, female are still only good for staying indoor, giving birth children and managing the household.
The protagonist Charlie Marlow in Heart of Darkness, is mere stereotype of women’s view by many of the men in society. As he spoke to his aunt, Marlow’s stereotype is delivered to the readers, “It’s queer how out of touch with truth women are. They live in a world of their own, there has never been anything like it, and never can be.”(Conrad, 10). This statement holds how prejudice the author to the women as naïve creatures and unaware of “truth”. This kind of stereotyping going on till the end as the main character met with Kurtz’s “Intended” fiancé. He feels pity to her naiveté that he would like to safeguard those feelings as they are. Therefore, his particular reason for lying to the Kurtz’s fiancé can view as