Shakespeare Should Not Be Taught In Shakespeare's Othello

Since the 1900s, Shakespeare’s plays have been taught and read in high school literature classes. In his plays you can see a trend of tragedy, romance, and racism, which are almost always analyzed within the classrooms. Some argue Shakespeare should no longer be taught in classrooms due to how eurocentric is writing is, other argue his use of language is rich and just about all of his themes still resonate today. All of his plays consist of the same type of cast, white males and females and if there is a person who is anything other then white and catholic, they would be the “antagonist” throughout the book. In Shakespeare’s play Othello, Othello is happily married and a greatly respected general in the Venetian army, even though he is his

The society he lived in at the time was all united, everyone was Christian, white, and mainly shared the same values. Anyone that was different was automatically inferior. Shakespeare never included persons of other color or religion in positive lights in his plays. It’s clear he viewed black skin (people) as sinful, evil, and associates with the devil. According to author Cram from the Gale database, Shakespeare did have a negative view on black people that was shared with his own society at the time. Cram wrote “In his plays there we no Jews, no Hispanics, no Muslims or Africans either. And if there was they would only connote to negativity. The allegation of Shakespeare being a racist is further confirmed after reading Othello. An English Drama journal that publishes scholarly research, including essays, studies, and reviews all by William Shakespeare analyzed Shakespeare’s writing on Othello “While a desire to exorcise 'collective psychological demons'" might well be at work in the texts Daileader studies” that Shakespeare deposits that Anglo-American culture's obsession with sex between black men and white women. It old realities of imperialism and slave culture, it has less to do with race per se than with an imaginative appropriation of black men to control women, both black and white”. Another source with an unknown artist from Gale touches on

When Iago runs to tell he discovered about Brabantio about Desdemona he says with disgust “Brabantio I am one sir, that cares to tell you your daughter and the moor are now making a beast” (1.1.199). A beast is referring to a mixed race baby, which is very insulting to say to black people because historically black people are referred to as animals. This signifies how it was wrong to mix races, especially between a white and black person. Moreover Iago earlier said “even now, now, very now, an old black ram is tupping your white eve/ Arise, arise! Awake the snorting citizens with the bell, or else the devil will make a grandsire of you” (1.1.97-101). Iago continues his revenge over Othello by manipulating Roderigo, who wanted to marry Desdemona himself. Roderigo displays his jealousy and envy by calling Othello racial slurs: “What a full fortune does the thick-lips owe/If he can carry ‘t thus!” (I.i.65-66). Both Iago and Roderigo plan to bring Othello and Desdemona’s marriage by telling Desdemona’s father, Brabantio, that Othello kidnapped her. Iago says to Brabantio, “An old black ram/Is tupping your white ewe” (I.i.87-88). Iago and Roderigo allude to Othello and Desdemona’s future child will be half-breeds who will become the disfrace of society and bring a great deal of shame upon Brabantio. They persist, “You’ll have your daughter covered with a Barbary/Horse; you’ll have your nephews neigh to you; you’ll