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Annotated Bibliography: Othello's Racial Identity

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Annotated Bibliography
Butcher, Philip. "Othello's Racial Identity." Shakespeare Quarterly 3.3 (1952): 243-247. file:///C:/Users/user/Downloads/Article%204.pdf
The article discusses the race of Shakespeare's Othello that has been debated since the publication of Joseph Hunter's New Illustrations of Shakespeare in 1845. Scholars and critics have taken Shakespeare's references to Othello as "black" and "thick-lipped" literally. While some interpret him as a swarthy or light-brown Moor from northern Africa, others believe he is an oriental or from Mauritania. Shakespeare's use of the term "Moor" does not provide a simple solution to the problem, as it sometimes refers to people from different regions. Brabantio's attitude towards Othello's marriage …show more content…

Iago's diabolical character creates a universe where he sees the darkness in Othello's blackness, and he wants Othello to do the same. Adleman use Kleinian theory to demonstrate how racism is the mental trait of the racist, not only the victim, and to assess the application of psychoanalytic theory to racial issues. He talks on the differences between Iago's and Othello's personas. Adleman portrays Othello as an idealist, not the deranged "old black ram" that Iago depicts him as. Othello's experience of race is made worse by the play's racist society since it dominates his perception of himself as filthy and unworthy of Desdemona. Despite the play's racist society, Brabantio's prejudice is validated and reinforced by Iago's early sexualizing and racializing characterization of Othello. Iago's relationship to the world he conjures up is discussed in the article's conclusion since the play itself appears to come from Iago's wounded "I." He is an expert at dividing people in two and luring them into his realm of self-alienation. Lago's character shows how Racism is a psychological problem that affects not only its victims but also its …show more content…

The article's primary audience is likely scholars of Shakespeare, literary criticism, and race studies. However, the article's ideas are also relevant to college students studying these topics or anyone interested in examining the cultural attitudes that shaped Shakespeare's work and continue to shape their understanding of race today. Racism that shaped the characters' actions and attitudes. The article challenges readers' thinking about the portrayal of race in literature and questions how it can promote and fight against discrimination. The article could be improved by providing more context and analysis of contemporary South Africa, referenced but not examined in great detail as it overlooks some important aspects of contemporary South Africa's attitudes towards race. The writer's ideas are relevant as they continue to shape our understanding of how race and Racism are portrayed in literature and how societal mythologies perpetuate

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