Similarities Between Keep Ya Head Up And Othello

Tupac’s hit song, “Keep Ya Head Up”, and William Shakespeare, “Othello”, share several similarities when speaking out on the topic of race and gender. In Othello, Emilia talks with Desdemona about the double standards they both deal with as women. In Tupac’s song, he speaks out on the challenges black women face and how they are both objectified and mistreated. Emilia, Iago’s wife, is a very important character in Shakespeare’s Othello. She is a powerful female character that shows examples of women's empowerment. Throughout the play, Emilia was constantly challenging society and their expectations of what a woman should and shouldn’t be. She is an inspiring character for many women during her time considering women weren’t expected to act

For example, in Act 5, Scene 2, Emilia states, “' Twill out, ’twill out.—I peace? / No, I will speak as liberal as the North. / Let heaven and men and devils, let them all, / All, all cry shame against me, yet I’ll speak.” Emilia’s retaliation against Iago is a clear act of empowerment. Back then, men were also notorious for neglecting their wives and being controlling. Emilia claims that men are responsible for their wives' actions, “(...) But I think it is their husbands’ fault/ If wives do fall. Say that they slack their duties, / And pour our treasures into foreign laps; / Or else break out in peevish jealousies, / Throwing restraint upon us. Or say they strike us, (...)” (Act IV, Scene 3). She then continues to talk about how just like men, women also have their own desires and their own weaknesses. She claims that it is the man's fault if their wives choose to be unloyal due to the men's neglect of their women and prioritization of

The song was dedicated to a young African-American girl, Latasha Harlins, who was shot and killed in the 1992 Los Angeles riots. It was also dedicated specifically to black women, It is a perfect example when talking about women's empowerment. There are a number of lyrics that praise women for their strength. Shakur acknowledges the hardships of women, whether it be sexism, assault, poverty, etc. Throughout the song, Shakur highlights the importance of self-respect and encourages women to believe in the best of themselves. A very well-known part of the song speaks out against the violence that is acted out against women, “(...) I wonder why we take from our women Why we rape our women, do we hate our women? (...)”. This is almost a nod to men that they must take responsibility for their actions and treat women with basic respect. He also takes a hit at misogyny, shaming men for disrespecting the people who give us life, “(...) Time to heal our women, be real to our women, And if we don't we'll have a race of babies, That will hate the ladies, that make the babies (...)”. It is no doubt that Shakur was ahead of his time when releasing this song. This song is very powerful with its positive message and is still very much relevant in today’s