Topic: During the Elizabethan era, many white people held racist beliefs and superstitions, which is exemplified in Othello.
Thesis: In the play, Othello, William Shakespeare uses the characters Iago, Roderigo, and Brabantio racist personalities to illuminate race relations during the Elizabethan era. .
Annotated Bibliography
Cohen, Derek. "Othello's Suicide." University of Toronto Quarterly, vol. 62, no. 3, Spring93, pp. 323-330, 332-333. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=4436143&site=ehost-live. Summary: Derek Cohen argues that Othello’s suicide comes from a conglomeration of political, cultural, and social aspects. He also argues that Othello has two distinct identities; one is of him being a violent Turk
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While most characters in the story disapprove of Othello and Desdemona’s interracial marriage, they both believe it is their right to do so. They act separately from the racist ideologies surrounding them. Iago shows a racist backlash, and Brabantio thinks it will overthrow society if Othello and his daughter stay wed. Ryan debates that the worldview at the time was against interracial marriages and black equality. Iago, Roderigo, and Brabantio racially degraded Othello, especially when mentioning his relationship with Desdemona. Othello begins to use his color as a reason for Desdemona’s supposed downfall. Othello’s race makes him an easy target for Iago and causes insecurities within him. Iago thinks it evil for Othello to marry a woman who is supposed to be a higher status than people of his skin color; twisted ideologies like this are an integral part of Iago’s identity. He wants to transform Othello into a monster so everyone’s racist superstitions will be affirmed. Synopsis: Kiernan Ryan shows different aspects of the inherent racism in Shakespeare’s Othello, especially Iago’s racist ideologies and tainted thinking. She proves that most characters’ racist worldview obscured their judgment of Othello since they all held certain beliefs about those with black skin and also thought of themselves as a much higher social class …show more content…
Shakespeare presents Roderigo, a lower class man who has an immense infatuation for Desdemona, Othello’s new wife. In affiliation with Roderigo is Iago, a man who lost a promotion, and is resentful towards Cassio, Othello’s lieutenant who just received the position. In an attempt to discredit Othello directly, Iago tells Brabantio, Desdemona’s father, about the marriage, and he opposes it and takes him directly to the Duke for a trial, on the basis of racial stereotypes. The Duke finds nothing wrong, and dismisses the case. In the second act, Iago further schemes on ways to get Cassio out of duty, and he also wants to get a form of revenge on Othello since he believes he slept with his wife. Iago tries to get Cassio decommissioned by persuading him to get drunk. Under the influence of alcohol, Cassio gets into a sword fight with Montano and wounds him, and Othello dismisses him. Iago uses this to get Cassio to get closer with Desdemona, asking her to plead for him on his behalf in an attempt to try and build a bridge back to Othello. Iago manipulates both Othello and Cassio, making them both think that he is on their side when he is in fact betraying them both. Roderigo still does not obtain Desdemona’s love and gets irate with Iago. In the third act, Cassio attempts to appease Othello by sending musicians under his window,
Racial prejudice against Othello is introduced early in the play and is present throughout. Iago and Roderigo approach Brabantio with news about his daughter Desdemona. They inform Brabantio his
Roderigo has a desire for Desdemona but the lady is already married to Othello. Roderigo asked his friend Iago to help him. Iago is Othello’s trusted but jealous and traitorous ensign since Othello promotes a younger man named Cassio above him. Iago convinced Roderigo to ask Brabantio and tell him about his daughter’s elopement. Brabantio went to Cyprus to know about her daughter Desdemona being married to Othello. News has arrived in Venice that Turks are going to attack
By analyzing this play, we can come to understand the dangers of racial injustice. If I may take the liberty of paraphrasing: "O beware, my lord, of racial prejudice! It is the green-eyes monster, which doth damage the society it thrives in." In the character of Iago, Shakespeare demonstrates the dangers of holding racial prejudices. Othello is the victim of the pervasive social stereotypes which lead to his downfall. This play should serve as a warning of the horrid plague of racism which festers in our society.
J. Adelman. "Iago's Alter Ego: Race as Projection in Othello," Shakespeare Quarterly v48 Summer 1997: 130.
Iago takes on many different persona’s to enact his plan of revenge upon Othello. He plays the friend, a trustworthy and credible source of information for Othello in his feat of drama with his innocent wife, Desdemona. He also plays the wingman for Roderigo who is madly in love with Desdemona, encouraging him to make advances towards her to woo Desdemona away from Othello. Iago even persuades Roderigo to kill Cassio with his lies about Cassio and Desdemona’s affair. “...you may take him at your pleasure: I will be near to second your attempt, and he shall fall between us.” Iago promises to assist Roderigo in the murder of Cassio and he will be rewarded with Desdemona’s love (Navigators.) Iago’s true persona, though, is a heartless, woman-hating villain who would go to great lengths to get revenge against Othello for preferring Cassio over him for the military promotion.
Orkin, Martin. “Othello and the “plain face” Of Racism.” 2nd ed. Vol. 38. N.p.: n.p., n.d. 166-88. Shakespeare Quarterly. Folger Shakespeare Library in Association with George Washington University, Summer 1987. Web. 12 Mar. 2014. .
The play, Othello, is certainly, in part, the tragedy of racism. Examples of racism are common throughout the dialog. This racism is directed toward Othello, a brave soldier from Africa and currently supreme commander of the Venetian army. Nearly every character uses a racial slur to insult Othello at one point in the play. Even Emilia sinks to the level of insulting Othello based on the color of his skin. The character that most commonly makes racist remarks in Othello is Iago. It is very apparent that Iago uses racism as a scapegoat to hate and blame Othello. Societal racism takes its toll on its victims. The effect of racism on Othello is quite evident and is one of the main causes for his insecurity about his marriage. However, Othello is not wholly the tragedy of racism. The theme of jealousy is also extremely important in Othello. Racism may play a large part in the tragedy, Othello, but it certainly does not adequately explain the entire play.
Berry, Edward. “Othello’s Alienation.” Studies in English Literature 30.2 (1990): 315-33. JSTOR. Web. 17 Feb. 2014.
In the Sixteenth century, as we see clearly from Othello and other works of both Shakespeare and Cinthio's original version of Othello, race was a topic of great debate and discussion. Today, in the twenty-first century the debate retains its controversy and passion. However, attitudes towards race have taken a dramatic turn during the last century. In the developed world people are now living in an increasingly cosmopolitan society would undoubtedly be more tolerant and would reject or even be offended by racial discrimination to any person or sections of the community. Openly 'racist' people today are seen as outcasts. Taking this into account, the way a modern audience would react to race and racism in Othello is dependent upon the way in which that modern audience would interpret 'Othello'. This prompts the questions of what sort of message Shakespeare wanted to send to his audience and was Othello the moor portrayed as a tragic hero or did his character eventually come to resemble the prejudices of which he was a victim. Shakespeare also discusses the issue of race with other characters such as the hateful Iago and the prejudices hidden deep in Barbantio.
Iago is willing to prattle on Othello and Desdemona for animosity. Iago's poisoned language builds up Brabantio's fearness of mixed race marriage and especially his pure daughter. Iago's manipulation of Roderigo and Brabantio sets up the battle between Othello and Brabantio. Later on in the play Iago still seeks help from Roderigo by forcing him to kill Cassio whom is drunk with just a few words. Montano which is the governor of Cyprus stepped in to resolve the problem between Cassio and Roderigo. Unfortunately Cassio stabs Montano since he lost control of himself from Iago's...
Berry, Edward. “Othello’s Alienation.” Studies in English Literature 30.2 (1990): 315-33. JSTOR. Web. 17 Feb. 2014.
One reason we sympathize with Othello is because of the harsh racism that he experiences. The increase of trade and slavery in the Elizabethan era brought a clash of cultures, leading to discrimination. Othello, a moor in Shakespeare’s play Othello, is often victimized by these standards because of his appearance, bringing forth his insecurities. His love for his wife Desdemona, a white woman, is looked down upon far too often. Brabantio, Desdemona’s father, is especially unsupportive of their relationship, claiming that his “daughter is not for [Othello]” (1.1.109).
In the tragedy Othello, Shakespeare creates a mood that challenges the way a person sees his or her self and the world. Subjects like racism, sexism, love, hate, jealously, pride, and trickery are thoroughly developed in the play of Othello to enable the audience to view the characters and also themselves. The Shakespearean tragedy of Othello was written in a time of great racial tensions in England. According to Eldred Jones, in 1600 just three years before Othello was written, Queen Elizabeth proclaimed an Edict for the Transportation of all "negars and blackmoores" out of the country ("Othello- An Interpretation" Critical Essays 39). It is in this atmosphere that Shakespeare began the masterpiece of Othello, a drama about a noble black Arab general, Othello, who falls in love with and marries, Desdemona, a young white daughter of a senator. From the above knowledge one may conclude that Shakespeare wrote Othello to express that all people, of all ethnicity, are basically the same in human nature. Shakespeare borrowed the idea of Othello from an Italian love story by Giraldi Cinthio. However, Shakespeare focuses more on the differences in color and age between Othello and Desdemona than Cinthio. Shakespeare does this to escalate Othello’s isolation from the rest of Venetian society and to display Othello’s vulnerability due to his color. In the tragedy not only is Othello susceptible to weaknesses but so is every major character . The tragedy reminds humans that even one’s good nature can be taken advantage of for the worse. The drama Othello expresses, through relationships and emotional attitudes, a theme that all humans are vulnerable to destruction even if they are in positions of power and glory.
His plan is to continue giving Roderigo unfulfilled promises. Iago continues to manipulate Roderigo. He convinces him that Desdemona will soon grow tired of Othello and begin to search for a younger, handsome man to fulfill her desires. Continuing to build on Roderigo’s rationality, Iago tells him that Desdemona will fall for Cassio, and the only way to win Desdemona is by taking Cassio out of the picture.... ...
"I follow him to serve my turn upon him," said Iago (9:45). From the beginning of the story Iago has a cruel intent bent on destroying Othello merely because the job that he sought after was given to young Cassio. Exactly why his hatred burns so bright is unclear because it was not uncommon to lose a position to another soldier. With or without reasonable justification for revenge, Iago immediately starts to tear Othello apart by informing Brabantio (Desdemon's father, Othello;s wife) that she is out with a black ram and committing unjust acts. As time progresses Iago becomes more wrapped up in his lies that he even begins to believe that Othello has slept with his own wife, Emelia, and now he has even more reason to hate "the Moor", "I hate the Moor and it is thought abroad that `twixt my sheets `has done my office"( 55:429-431). Iago is so obsessed with his revenge on Othello that he does not care what happens to anyone else so long as he is happy. In the process of hurting Othello he manages to have Roderigo killed, Cassio severely injured, his own wife Emelia is slain by his own hands, Desdemona dies at the hands of her husband Othello, and after everything Othello kills himself. Sadly Iago accomplishes his revenge but with so many casualties and then he himself is tortured and killed for his part in the great conspiracy, but before he is punished he has to see that Cassio will be the one to take Othello's place (a strange irony since it was Cassio that Iago was jealous of).