In William Shakespeare's play "Othello," racism and ignorance emerge as prevailing themes, delving into the complexities of societal prejudice and the devastating consequences they impose on individuals. This essay examines the role of race in the play, contextualizes racial prejudice in the Elizabethan Era, and analyzes how specific characters and their interactions highlight racial belittlement. Through the effective use of textual evidence, vivid description techniques, and the exploration of Geoffrey Sax's cinematic adaptation, the essay explores institutionalized racism, film techniques intensifying racial injustice, and the presence of racist ideologies through the character of Iago. By comparing and contrasting the film adaptation with
white have created conflict between the members of the play. Since the 16th century dictates that black people, or Moors, are inferior to white people, Othello is stuck in the darkness as an outsider; thus suggesting that interlopers are alone, not part of a community. Within these contrasting worlds, outsiders, like Othello, try to integrate into society, but can’t. For instance, this ingrained mindset portraying the inferiority of black people is further shown when Othello exclaims, “Her name, that was as fresh as Dian’s visage, is now begrimed and black / As mine own face.”
It is society that labels both Othello and Iago as outcasts, Othello for being dark skinned and Iago for being shoved down the social hierarchy. Both of these outsiders are uncomfortable in their current social system. Regardless, they are deeply submerged within it and are shaped by it. Their obsession over their circumstances and characteristics leads the men to destroy themselves. Shakespeare represents the outsiders in society through the three men of Othello.
Othello: A Close Reading This is an analysis of the lines 260-279 of the third scene of the third act of Shakespeare’s Othello. In an attempt to fulfill the incessant need for comfortable dichotomies, societies tend to be divided into two groups: the ‘in-crowd’ and the ‘others’. These strict dualities, constructed upon the inherent need for adversaries, are often as arbitrary as they are false and based on nothing but fear.
People assume things about a person based on how they look or how they act. By those assumes, it makes the people to believe people based how they look and act. Some assumes like if moors always a moor and people who learning disabilities are not enough smart. Not all stereotypes are bad, some of them are positive which still made someone feel little, that only society who not accept them. These stereotypes, or assumptions, are dangerous to them because in end the people who have learning disabilities made this difficult to them feel accept in theirself.
Othello is for instance not really Othello 's play. Othello is not Othello 's story” (Buntin). Othello is focused more on the schemes of Iago and the tragic life of Desdemona. By retelling this story Sears is putting Othello in the centre of the narrative and giving focus to the nuances of his life as a black man. Dickson
When people of one race believe themselves to be superior to those of another, only catastrophe can result. In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, racism was extremely prevalent, and white supremacy was much more pronounced. In William Shakespeare’s play Othello, both covert and overt racism, assimilation, and jealous dispositions all foreshadow the untimely death of Desdemona and Othello. Most characters in Othello display both covert racism and overt racism towards Othello.
Throughout the course of history, Hispanic males tend to be stereotyped for certain reasons, similar to Othello in his society. In Shakespeare’s tragedy Othello, the title character is a 16th century Moorish general of the Venetian army who, because of the cultural and historical background of the play’s setting, the playwright, and the original intended audience, is portrayed as both well-respected for his military prowess and disparaged for his race. Similarly, because of the history in America of undocumented immigrants tending to work blue-collared jobs, hispanic males in today’s society are praised for being hard working men and yet are often seen as misogynist for having stay at home wives. In Venice, Othello has proven to high powered individuals that he has a stronger contribution to the results of wars.
Once upon a time, there was a girl named Darcy, she lied all the time. When her mother said,“Darcy did you clean your room?” Darcy answered back,“Yes” Though she didn’t. When her friends asked her if she had ever been to concerts, she said, “Yeah, I’ve gone to so many.”
The correlation between relationships and experiences are co-existing functions that assist in operating societies. Since ancient times, social classes have existed within all communities and cultures; a sense of belonging is often determined by one’s position in the social hierarchy. Shakespeare’s Othello highlights determinants including race and gender that affect one’s standing in the hierarchy. An excerpt of Act 1, Scene 1 (Lines 110-112) explores this concept when Iago exclaims “Because we come to do you service and you think we are ruffians, you’ll have your daughter covered with a Barbary horse, you’ll have your nephews neigh to you.” Shakespeare cleverly incorporates animalistic imagery to showcase the role that race has in a society
Throughout history, societies have succumbed to the toxic concepts of racism, causing an unthinkable amount of chaos and devastation. While racism on its own can lead to many societal evils, racism coupled with jealousy can create a truly catastrophic force that can only lead to pure destruction. When someone of a different race and culture is placed in this kind of society, this destruction will only naturally follow. In the play Othello, William Shakespeare focuses on the tragic outcomes of Othello, a Venetian general and black Turkish Moor, and Desdemona, his white Venetian wife. Throughout the play, both covert and overt racism, assimilation, and jealous dispositions all foreshadow the untimely death of Desdemona and Othello.
Defining Racism To properly lay out the issue of racism in the play it is desirable to know how the term itself is defined. The Oxford English Dictionary explains Racism as follows: A belief that one’s own racial or ethnic group is superior, or that other such groups represent a threat to one 's cultural identity, racial integrity, or economic well-being; (also) a belief that the members of different racial or ethnic groups possess specific characteristics, abilities, or qualities, which can be compared and evaluated. Hence: prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against people of other racial or ethnic groups.
These two villains slander Othello to the point of eradicating any pity the audience could have developed towards Othello. The Venetians also have a hidden fascination for Othello and his foreign qualities but, they mask feelings with negative slurs. The audience also affected by the portrayal of Othello, and are persuaded to feel pity for him because of his circumstances; being betrayed by his ensign and being looked down upon because of his Moorish descent. Shakespeare also uses racism as a creative apparatus to generate a metaphor between Desdemona and Othello.
Although, Parkers choices in people to play the roles of his characters is on point the way some characters are portrayed in the production is off. In Shakespeare 's original othello, the character of othello seems to be more on the insecure side. Othello is filled with jealousy over Desdemona and goes a little insane after the handkerchief incident. In the original I believe that Othello was made out to be this insecure man with no back bone, this is seen in the scene where he is talking about loosing Desdemona. Othello goes on a rant saying “She’s gone.
The play Othello is one of Shakespeare’s great tragedies. Since its first performance in 1604 (Kermode 165) the play has always held immense appeal for all its audience. This appeal is partly due to the relative simplicity and tangibility of its plot and argument (It is the least
