Analyses of Race and Gender Issues in Shakespeare's Othello
analytical Essay
3147 words
Analyses of Race and Gender Issues in Othello The discussion of race in Shakespeare's Othello has received a great deal of critical attention. Virginia Mason Vaughn, in her book Othello: A Contextual History, surveys this critical history, beginning with Marvin Rosenberg's 1961 book The Masks of Othello (a book documenting the nineteenth-century tendency toward representing Othello as light-skinned), and continuing through to Jack D'Amico's 1991 book The Moor in English Renaissance Drama. According to Vaughan herself, "The effect of Othello depends . . . on the essential fact of the hero's darkness, the visual signifier of his Otherness" (51). Arthur L. Little, Jr., in his article "'An essence that's not seen': The Primal Scene of Racism in Othello," claims that "The three crucial structural elements of Shakespeare's play are Othello's blackness, his marriage to the white Desdemona, and his killing of her" (306, emphasis added) as if there were no other "crucial structural elements." It is not my intention to undercut or undervalue the attention that has been given to the discourse of race, the opposition of black and white, in Othello; however, I contend that an exclusive focus on this discourse radically reduces and simplifies the play, and I wish to focus on a different discourse, a different opposition in the play-the discourse of honesty and whoredom, the opposition of falseness and loyalty. Dympna Callaghan, in her book Women and Gender in Renaissance Tragedy, makes the point that "Mysogynistic discourse . . . leads, directly or indirectly, to the death of the female tragic transgressor [among whose number in Renaissance drama she counts Shakespeare's Desdemona and Cordelia, and John Webster's Duche... ... middle of paper ... ... White Devil. New Jersey: Humanities Press International, 1989. · Gataker, Thomas. "A Good Wife God's Gift," Certain Sermons, First Preached, and After Published At Several Times. London: Printed by John Haviland for Edward Brewster, 1637. · Little, Arthur, Jr. "'An essence that's not seen': The Primal Scene of Racism in Othello," Shakespeare Quarterly 44 (1993), 304-324. · Raynolds, John. A Defence of the Judgement of the Reformed Churches. Printed by George Walters, 1610. · Swetnam, Joseph. The Araignment of Lewd, Idle, Froward, and Unconstant Women: Or the Vanitie of Them, Choose You Whether. London: Printed for Thomas Archer, 1616. · Anonymous, An Apologie For Womenkinde. London: Printed by Ed. Allde for William Ferebrand, 1605. · Vaughan, Virgina Mason. Othello: A Contextual History. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1994.
In this essay, the author
- Opines that the discussion of race in shakespeare's othello has received a great deal of critical attention. they argue that an exclusive focus on this discourse reduces and simplifies the play.
- Analyzes the discourses of renaissance misogyny in swetnam's the araignment of lewd, idle, froward, and vnconstatnt women.
- Argues that raynolds implies that it is men, husbands, who have gotten out of control. gataker's poem, an apologie for womenkinde, defends women against misogynistic strains.
- Analyzes how othello's attacks on and defenses of women center around the issues of chastity, sexual faithfulness to a single man, and honor/honesty.
- Analyzes how iago gives othello the appearance of honesty, while undermining the honesty in cassio and desdemona.
- Analyzes how honesty and whoredom come together in the crucial seduction scene.
- Analyzes how othello demands that iago "prove [desdemona] a whore" and how he manipulates cassio.
- Analyzes how othello's discourse of honesty and whoredom hits a new peak.
- Analyzes how emilia complains to iago that othello has "bewhor'd" desdemona, bitterly complaining that "a beggar in his drink / could not have laid such terms upon his callet"
- Analyzes how the renaissance figure of the cuckold makes his appearance in the conversation between emila and desdemona. emilia challenges misogynistic discourse in an apologie for womenkinde.
- Analyzes how the discourses of honesty and whoredom take their misogynistic course. iago explains cassio's misery as "the fruits of whoring." emilia rejects the comparison of her honesty with that of bianca.
- Analyzes how othello determines that desdemona "must die, otherwise she'll betray more men." emilia, who uncovers the plot near the play's end, is rewarded for her honesty by being called a
- Analyzes the irony of the misogynist discourses that permeate this play.
- Opines that combining analyses of race- and gender-based discourses in this play will better serve the richness of the play and the complexities of our response.
- Analyzes how a theriomorphic image for desdemona bestializes her and paves the way for whore, strumpet, and bawd references later in the play.
- Analyzes shakespeare's use of toads in a curiously sexual context in troilus and cressida.
- Analyzes how a theriomorphic image for bianca works nicely in the deception of othello, considering iago's earlier use of the same image to describe desdemona
- Explains that in shakespeare's time a bawd could be female or male.
- Describes parasites feeding on the blood of slaughtered animals as a reference to the ever-present possibility that othello may be killed in battle.
- Analyzes how the image evokes the whore of babylon-christendom's female figure of absolute human evil and degradation.
- Analyzes how the king says to diana, "i think thee now some common customer." diana responds, at v.i.292.
- Explains callaghan's book, women and gender in renaissance tragedy: a study of king lear, othello, the duchess of malfi, and the white devil.
- Explains that gataker, thomas, "a good wife god's gift," certain sermons, first preached, and after published at several times.
- Explains little, arthur, jr., "'an essence that's not seen': the primal scene of racism in othello."
- Cites raynolds, john, and walters' a defence of the judgement of reformed churches.
- Explains swetnam, joseph, the araignment of lewd, idle, froward, and unconstant women: or the vanitie of them, choose you whether.
- Opines that anonymous, an apologies for womenkinde, was printed by ed. allde for william ferebrand, 1605.
Related
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- Race in Five Film Versions of Shakespeare's Othelloanalytical essayWilliam Shakespeare's Othello is only moderately interested in questions of race and racism. For Shakespeare, Othello's blackness was mainly a plot device. Though the bard did demonstrate concerns about racial and religious prejudice, in Othello and The Merchant of Venice, his interest in the tragedy of the Moor was principally psychological. For Shakespeare and his contemporary audience, Othello was about jealousy, hatred, and vindictiveness.
In this essay, the author
- Opines that olivier's portrayal of othello was based on anthropological study of actual behaviors and appearances rather than a set of assumptions.
- Opines that fine's "o story of high school violence is a take on shakespeare’s." the gannett news service.
- Analyzes groen, rick, "othello, film review." the globe and mail review, 29 dec. 1995.
- Analyzes how film versions of othello reflect our time's preoccupation with race.
- Explains why it took 30 years for another widely distributed feature film to be made out of othello.
- Analyzes how baltake, joe, and brode, douglas, authored shakespeare in the movies: from the silent era to shakespeare in love.
- Describes taylor, charles, thomas, kevin, othello film review, and the l. a. times.
4160 wordsRead More - Prejudice And Racism In Shakespeare's Othelloanalytical essayShakespeare’s Othello features racism throughout the play. The overwhelming evidence of racism brings attention to all of the characters immorality. In Othello, the audience’s knowledge of the tragic hero depends on Iago’s and Roderigo’s description of him. For the first scene, the audience only knows that the Moor does something to enrage Iago. The audience understands what kind of person Iago is with his racializing report to Brabantio referring to Othello as, “an old black ram”. Through the primal scene, the structural elements of the play, and the racist ideology visible in Venice the racism in Othello is clear.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how shakespeare's othello features racism throughout the play. the overwhelming evidence of racism brings attention to all of the characters immorality.
- Analyzes how the primal scene has an effect on the person's personality permanently. much like othello’s skin color, it is what a person responds to and creates.
- Analyzes how othello's blackness, his marriage to the white desdemona, and his killing of her are structural elements of the play.
- Analyzes how the language used to describe othello shows that other races are treated differently in venice. the use of animal imagery differentiates the characters from one another.
- Analyzes how shakespeare's play features racism through the characters and setting. the primal scene disfigures as the play continues.
636 wordsRead More - Racism And Racism In Othelloanalytical essayRacism has always been a prevalent social force in European society; it is a lens through which every person living within has an altered view of the world around them. In literature, this topic has been widely explored, but few works provide as bold and as insightful commentary on the role of race as relative to the time period in which they were written as Shakespeare’s play “Othello.” In this tragic drama, the powerful racism hanging over the Venetian State in the 16th century contributes to the deteriorating self image of Othello, leading him to enact his own tragic downfall. This emphasizes the work’s theme of jealousy as an all-consuming evil that can make even the greatest of men succumb to their own wickedness and corruption.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how racism has always been a prevalent social force in european society, but few works provide as bold and insightful commentary on the role of race as relative to the time period in which they were written.
- Analyzes how shakespeare paints a picture of the racist views held by elizabethan society through dialogue of various characters. othello is subject to the contempt and disdain of all those around him.
- Analyzes how othello's character is established to be that of an honorable man. his virtue is rarely recognized, and his inability to escape the social ramifications of his ethnicity distorts his view.
- Analyzes how othello begins to view his race as a detriment, which becomes increasingly obvious as the play progresses.
- Analyzes how othello's low self-confidence proved to be his downfall. he is desperate to ensure that he is not looked down upon or mistreated by others because of his race.
- Analyzes how shakespeare portrays a compelling tale about the evils of jealousy and the morally destructive nature of racism in "othello."
1405 wordsRead More - Analysis of Othello's Racial Contextanalytical essayWilliam Shakespeare’s Othello gains fame for its thematic conflict between appearance and reality, Iago’s motiveless malignity, and the downfall of Othello when he naively believes Desdemona’s without any substantial proof. While all these factors are important, the historical aspects of Othello are even more important for they are the foundation of the more complex concepts the play explores. The context in which the play is written has underlying distinctions between races. Race plays a huge role in Othello because it sets boundaries that cause the tragic hero’s downfall.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how the historical aspects of othello are the foundation of the more complex concepts the play explores.
- Analyzes how brabnatio asks the duke to mediate the marriage between desdemon and the moor because it is implausible for her to fall in love with anyone that is not white.
- Analyzes how shakespeare draws the line of distinction between black and white through othello's acknowledgement of the fact that iago has something so essential
- Analyzes how othello's hamartia is jealousy, which is normal for a man to feel jealous if his wife cheats on him.
- Analyzes how shakespeare illustrates the theme of race and how it causes the downfall of the moor.
983 wordsRead More - Analysis Of Shakespeare's Othello, Damned By A Racist Societyanalytical essayOthello, Damned by a Racist Society “My parts, my title and my perfect soul / Shall manifest me rightly.” (Shakespeare and Neill, 2008, Act 1, Scene 2, Line 31-32). These were the words that were chosen by William Shakespeare to be spoken by a character, his protagonist “Othello,” in the Domestic “remains in the Domestic sphere” (Pacheco and Johnson, 2012, p.20) Tragedy “a literary work that deals with different matters which results in the death of the protagonist” (Pacheco and Johnson, 2012, p.373) Drama play “Othello, the Moore of Venice,” as a declaration (by Othello) of his unawareness of the existence of racism “the belief that people’s qualities are influenced by their race and that the members of others race are not as good as the
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how shakespeare's "othello, the moore of venice" was a declaration that his noble status, loyalty, virtues, worth and history should be enough to justify his love towards his wife "desdemona."
- Analyzes how othello is a dark-skinned character who is calm and majestic in speech and action, confident of his reputation and service, and married and in love with desdemona.
- Analyzes how shakespeare's play, "othello, the moore of venice," deals with the themes of love and death, class, gender, and race and prejudice.
- Analyzes how othello's attitude towards marriage was shared by other characters, which diminishes his noble character.
- Analyzes how the character "othello" was impacted negatively by racist attitudes, which led to his self-destruction.
- Opines that "othello, the moor of venice" is a play written ahead of its time due to the fact that racial injustice today is more powerful than their time.
- Concludes that shakespeare's domestic tragedy drama play "othello, the moor of venice" is a controversial piece of english literature that deals with prejudice and racial prospective.
1614 wordsRead More - Were Othello and The Merchant of Venice Racist Plays?analytical essayOrkin, Martin. "Othello and the 'Plain Face' of Racism." Shakespeare Quarterly Summer 1987: 166-88. Web.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how the merchant of venice is a problem play that raises more questions than it answers. it was written between 1596 and 1598.
- Analyzes how the 'anti-semitic canards' of the time were prevalent in shakespeare's merchant of venice.
- Analyzes how the play's title makes shylock the jew seem like a nasty character and right as the audience are introduced to him they see him as corrupt.
- Analyzes how shakespeare wanted to give as many bad qualities to shylock as possible and judaism was just one of them. he needed to have a strong argument to keep his audience from empathizing with the antagonist.
- Analyzes how antonio is so mean to shylock that he becomes a victim, not the perpetrator. shakespeare is making the audience mistrust antonio, like with iago in othello.
- Describes andrews, kenneth r.'s ships, money, and politics in the reign of charles i.
- Explains orkin, martin, "othello and the 'plain face' of racism." shakespeare quarterly summer 1987: 166-88.
- Analyzes how the usury aspect of the play, where shakespeare paints jews as sly people trying to thieve good christians out of their money, is anti-semitic.
- Argues that shakespeare's ill-informed rhetoric is the reason why some stereotypes about jews in othello have yet to be shaken.
- Explains chambers, david, the imperial age of venice, 1380-1580, new york: harcourt brace jovanovich, 1970. coleman, patricia t.
- Explains griffin, eric, lennard, and luckhurst's the drama handbook: a guide to reading plays.
- Explains that shakespeare, william, stanley wells, and gary taylor. "the merchant of venice." the oxford shakespeare: the complete works. 2nd ed.
1235 wordsRead More - A Underlying tale of racismanalytical essayIn 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.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how shakespeare's "othello" explores prejudice and racism in a tale of tragedy.
- Analyzes how shakespeare depicts rodrigo's racist view of the moor in the play.
- Analyzes how shakespeare's portrayal of othello through barbantio’s relationship can be a bit complicated.
- Analyzes how shakespeare's first portrayal of othello and brabantio’s relationship is that of disgust.
- Analyzes how iago's hatred stems from being passed up for a promotion by cassio, and his suspicion, that othello has slept with his wife.
- Analyzes how iago's ability to persuade others against othello with out detection is nothing less than extraordinary. he exploits the other characters weaknesses for his own gain, leaving them vulnerable to his racist influence.
- Analyzes how othello sees himself as an outsider and exploits his skin color and cultural differences a few times in the play.
- Analyzes how shakespeare's plays tend to have one specific character that influences the others in one way or another. iago uses his racial slurs to influence the portrayal of othello.
1077 wordsRead More - Othelli stereotypesanalytical essayIn many of William Shakespeare’s extant works, he studies the concepts of gender differences and racial tensions. Othello, a play well-known for making rash and unfair assumptions toward specific characters, provides an excellent example. The protagonist’s upbringing provides a display for analytical ideas of racial conflict. The presence of the opposing female characters, Desdemona and Emilia, adds gender rolls and plenty of texture to Othello. These exceedingly distinct themes of Othello are tightly bounded because of their connection to prejudgment. The play's usage of sexual dissimilarity complicates Othello’s structure.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how shakespeare studies the concepts of gender differences and racial tensions in othello, a play well-known for making rash and unfair assumptions. the presence of the opposing female characters, desdemona and emilia, adds gender rolls and texture to the play.
- Analyzes how desdemona is portrayed as a beautiful and virtuous lady. she entitles that she would never commit adultery against her husband.
- Analyzes how emilia, wedded to iago, is a stubborn young lady who has an attitude.
- Analyzes the conflict between traditional views of women and more feminist views in othello. emilia is a radical, firm, and liberated model of womanhood, while desdemona plays an ideal and obedient female character.
544 wordsRead More - Othello Reflects the Context and Values of its Timeanalytical essayTexts and their appropriations reflect the context and values of their times. Within Shakespeare’s Othello and Geoffrey Sax’s appropriation of Othello, the evolution of the attitudes held by Elizabethan audiences and those held by contemporary audiences can be seen through the context of the female coupled with the context of racism. The role of the female has developed from being submissive and “obedient” in the Elizabethan era to being independent and liberated within the contemporary setting. The racism of the first text is overtly xenophobic and natural, whilst the “moor” is unnatural whereas the updated context portrays Othello’s race as natural and racism as unnatural. Therefore these examples show how Shakespeare’s Othello, and it’s appropriation, Geoffrey sax’s Othello, reflect the context and values of their times.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how shakespeare's othello and geoffrey sax' appropriation reflect the context and values of their times. the role of the female has evolved from being submissive and "obedient" in the elizabethan era to being independent and liberated within the contemporary setting.
- Analyzes how brabantio's rhyming couplet "look to her, moor, if thou hast eyes to see/ she has deceived her father, and may thee" demonstrates his domineering and patronising attitude, as the elizabethan era was a patriarchal society
- Analyzes how geoffrey sax's appropriation of othello changes the context and values of the elizabethan era into the 21st century.
- Analyzes shakespeare's play othello, which reflects the prejudiced views of the elizabethan era.
- Analyzes how the context of racism and the value of public order and civil obedience in geoffrey sax's othello presents a reversal of the dichotomy within the play.
- Analyzes how shakespeare's othello, and geoffrey sax’s appropriation, reflect the context and values of their times. the role of the female has evolved from being submissive and obedient in the elizabethan era to being independent and liberated within the contemporary setting.
1338 wordsRead More - Othello - Values And Attitudesanalytical essayAlthough Othello is set in Venice and Cyprus, the attitudes and values shared in the text are probably reflective of the attitudes and values of Shakespeare's own society. It is difficult to assess the attitudes and values of people in sixteenth-century Britain to the relatively few blacks living amongst them. We are given an insight into those attitudes and values through the representation of race and gender in the text of Othello.These attitudes and values are indicative of what a culture believes in and supports.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how iago fuels the racist fires in brabantio and roderigo showing that those racist views were existent.
- Analyzes how shakespeare portrays the attitudes and values of elizabethan society in england in the sixteenth-century.
- Analyzes how iago's references to othello and the character of brabantio reflect the reflective view of race in elizabethan society.
- Analyzes how the attitudes and values of elizabethan england are represented through gender through the portrayal of women in the text.
- Analyzes how brabantio, who represents higher society's views of women, has an idealised view of them. emilia is a dramatic contrast to desdemona as she is realistic, pragmatic, capable of courage, loyal and self-sacrificing.
2383 wordsRead More