Impact of Race in Othello Essay - 1267 Words

Impact of Race in Othello One of the major issues in Shakespeares Othello is the impact of the race of the main character, Othello. His skin color is non-white, usually portrayed as African although some productions portray him as an Arabian. Othello is referred to by his name only seventeen times in the play. He is referred to as The Moor fifty-eight times. Websters Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) states that a Moor is Any individual of the swarthy races of Africa or Asia which have adopted the Mohammedan religion. In Spanish history the terms Moo, Saracens, and Arabs are synonymous. This indicates that Othello is constantly being degraded and set up as an evil person throughout the play. What this really means is that†¦show more content†¦Shakespeare occasionally used the word to mean brunette or just dark-complected1. Roderigos comment that he has thick lips indicates that he is of African descent, though (1.1.67). Using the modern understanding of these references, Othello would most likely be portrayed as an African on modern stage or film. Othello himself was a slave before he was an important military official (1.3.137). However, he wasnt sold into slavery as most African slaves were. He was captured by the enemy and forced into slavery as a prisoner of war. Hence, the slavery of the play and of the time is viewed as a financial or military misfortune rather than a racial inferiority which would be commonly accepted for several hundred years after the play was written. Black and slave were not interchangeable terms at the time as it was during Americas early history. European slaves were commonly Tartar, Greek, Armenian, Russian, Bulgarian, Turkish, Circassian, Slavonic, Cretan, Arab, or African. As if to distance the issue of slavery even further, it was often portrayed as happening long ago or far away on the English Renaissance stage2. As Shakespeare wrote the play, feudalism was eroding, but it was still strong in the minds of the audience. Slavery is very similar to feudalism in that they both involve the lower c lasses being subject to higher classes. Slavery had to be distanced from the English in order to not be threatening and to reassure themShow MoreRelatedDiscuss how age, social position and race impact the relationship between Othello and Desdemona749 Words   |  3 Pagesposition and race impact the relationship between Othello and Desdemona? â€Å"She loved me for the dangers I had passd, And I loved her that she did pity them This only is the witchcraft I have used.† –Othello (act 1, scene 3, 167-169) Othello and Desdemona’s manifestly love-filled relationship was somewhat shielded by society’s views of the age, social position and race differences, that would evidently cause implications. 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Thesis: The tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice written by William Shakespeare, the author uses a characters to express the complex social circumstance of race at the time and how the white men’s ideas about black people leads to their hate and downfalls throughout the play. Sociological Approach. I. Summary plot. II. Description of the mainRead MoreOthello Research Paper1226 Words   |  5 PagesCarly Niedert Dr. Helen Davis English 120 1 December 2011 Othello In the play Othello written by Shakespeare, the issue of racism is addressed. Othello, the protagonist of the play, is African American or black. â€Å"According to Lois Whitney, many of Othello’s specific attributes probably derive from Shakespeare’s reading of Leo Africanus, whose Geographical Historie of Africa which was translated and published in London in 1600†(Berry, 1990). Many critics have different views on this. â€Å"If ShakespeareRead MoreExploring the Causes of the Tragedy of Shakespeare ´s Othello1014 Words   |  4 Pagesunfavorable circumstances. In the play Othello, William Shakespeare uses the literary device characterization in sequence to convey that Othello’s tragic flaw is the main reason that brings Othello to his downfall --- death. The causes of the tragedy of Othello are Othello’s gullibility to Iago, jealousy of Desdemona’s affair, and male pride. To begin, one factor that causes Othello’s downfall is that he is characterized by gullibility. Firstly, Othello is tricked by Iago, who leads him to believe