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Adiche's Othello: A Single Story

792 Words4 Pages

Stories can be used to empower, to break, and to rebuild human nature. Moreover, the most dangerous kind of story is a single story. Single stories are so incredibly dangerous because they create stereotypes and, as Adiche said, “the problem with stereotypes is not that they are untrue, but they are incomplete” (Adiche). A single story about Africa being a completely destitute and hopeless place caused Adiche’s college roommate to immediately have extreme feelings of melancholy for her; her roommate even believed she was unable to work a stove which was far from the truth. In William Shakespeare’s Othello, other characters assume Othello’s traits, habits, and abilities simply based on his single story. Othello’s single story is exceedingly normal; he is Muslim, from Northern Africa, and black. Adiche says, “a single story robs people of their dignity” (Adiche), basing their assumptions on facts they do not like, characters such as Brabantio …show more content…

Waking up Brabantio and immediately stating his daughter has been robbed from him by the Moor eliminates any other possibilities of why Desdemona would run away with Othello; even love. Iago says, “sir, you’re robbed. For shame, put on your /gown! /Your heart is burst. You have lost half your soul. /Even now, now, very now, an old black ram /is tupping your white ewe” (1.1.94-98) When Iago says, “you’re robbed”, it is much easier for Brabantio to believe that Othello has stolen his daughter because of where Othello is from and his appearance hence; his single story. Also, as Iago says, “an old black ram is tupping your white ewe” he tries to use animalistic imagery to disturb and manipulate Brabantio’s thoughts for the worst. This animalistic imagery and incredible wordplay from Iago comes straight from Othello’s ordinary single story yet Iago somehow makes it spiral into something so much

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The mischance Othello was facing was the announcement of his wife faithlessness,Iago and Othello worked on that because they hate Othello by reason of his blackness, the announcement caused Othello downfall because he murdered his wife after this declaration. All of that coupled with Brabantio accusation, in the original Brabantio twice incriminated Othello of using sorcery to seduce his daughter (I.1 172-173 and I.i.i 73-80). Also the Venetians society was commonly a white civilization, to confirm it when William Shakespeare used this metaphor: “an old white ram is tupping your white ewe...” tupping mean having a sexual intercourse with a woman. By using this metaphor Iago is comparing Othello to a black animal and Desdemona to a white ewe (Act 1. Scene 1), this represented racial tension.

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Then Iago adds even more insult to injury–––he describes Othello as an “old black ram” who is “tupping” Brabantio’s “white ewe,” which only serves to dehumanize both Desdemona and Othello. It is as if Iago views women and people of color as no better than barnyard animals. Not only does he paint Brabantio an image of his daughter having sex, Iago repeats the word

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In the opening act of the play, Iago and Roderigo wake Brabantio, Desdemona’s father, from his sleep, informing him of his daughter’s marriage to the Moor, Othello. Knowing of Brabantio’s prejudice towards Othello because of his race, Iago says, “Even now, now, very now, an old black ram is tupping your white ewe.” (1.1.94-95). Iago feeds anger into Brabantio’s mind using

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As humans we all have been where rumors have been spread about us or where we do the opposite. They, however, all tend to do some harm to us and it can cause certain conflicts to occur during the process. Death can be the outcome of something like this because this did happen to three innocent people. They were all wrapped up in a bed of lies that ended their lives sooner than expected. Thesis statement: Othello Desdemona and Emilia ended up with unfortunate deaths because of Othello 's integrity towards Iago.

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As the tragedy begins, Othello and Desdemona had run off and gotten married without telling Desdemona’s father. When Iago finds out he did not get the job he wanted, he tells Roderigo to “Proclaim him in the streets; incense her kinsmen”(I. I. 76-80). Brabantio, who did not know about his own daughter’s marriage, is finding out from two strangers. This allows Iago to take advantage of Barbantio’s surprise and to come in between the newly weds with his disapproval.

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The exploitation of Othello’s race leads to the manipulation Roderigo, Cassio, Brabantio, the Venetians, and the audience to see Othello as inferior although, the only difference between him and the Venetians is his lineage. In the first act of the play, Iago and Roderigo go to Brabantio’s house to rile him out of his sleep. This is seen as the first step of defaming Othello’s character. The two

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