A Underlying tale of racism

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“Othello the Moor”

In 1604, the most influential writer of his time, William Shakespeare, wrote “Othello.” This play a tale of race, tragedy, and revenge. Contrary to most stories, in “Othello” black represents good and white represents evil, but why did Shakespeare do this? Was it to shed light on society’s ignorance to racism? On the other hand, perhaps, to show that good and evil come in all colors. “Othello” explores prejudice and racism in a tale of tragedy. While Othello is a highly skilled general, some people still show great disdain for him. The characters commonly call Othello “The Moor” throughout the story. “A moor is a person of Arabic decent living in North Africa who is of a Muslim religion and who is of an uncultured, crude, coarse, and cruel background.” (1) The use of “the Moor” paired with other vulgar terms emphasizes the portrayal of Othello, proving that race played a key role in “Othello.” Thus, Shakespeare sheds light on society’s ignorance to racism and that good and evil come in all colors through the relationships between each character and the protagonist, Othello.

The play begins on the streets of Venice where Iago, the white villa and Rodrigo are arguing. Rodrigo wants nothing more than to suit Desdemona (a white Venetian); however, he learns that the Moor has just married Desdemona. Enraged by this he accuses Iago of stealing his money and loving the Moor. Iago convinces Rodrigo that this is untrue; he is only serving the moor in order to serve himself. Iago tells Rodrigo of his hatred toward the moor for passing him up for a promotion. Beside himself, Rodrigo exclaims “What a full fortune does the thick-lips owe if he can carry’t thou.” (2) Here, Shakespeare begins to depict the ...

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...peare’s plays tend to have one specific character that influences the others in one way or another. In Othello, Iago plays this role. Othello has done nothing wrong, except that he is black and comes from another culture. Because he is black, Brabantio does not want his daughter married to him. Iago’s portrayal of the Othello as “barbarian”, “devil”, and “the moor” unknowingly influences the other characters. Iago’s ability to use his racial slurs to influences the portrayal the others have of Othello. Iago’s manipulation of the relationships between Othello and the other characters affect how Othello sees himself. Society’s conception of good and evil is black and white; however, Shakespeare switches these roles in Othello. Doing so, Shakespeare is able establish that society ignorant to racism that constantly surrounds them. Thus, race does play a role in Othello.

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