ipl-logo

Stereotypes In Othello Essay

1955 Words8 Pages

FINAL PAPER: Race is currently a hot topic in contemporary society. How minority populations are represented in the media, literature, and other modes of communication is constantly criticized. Although, societies are slowly eliminating and punishing racial prejudices, they still exist. Stereotypical portrayals of non-white characters have existed in western civilization for thousands of years. Literature produced in a predominantly white European context has historically been plagued with politically incorrect renderings of minorities. Marginalized characters have frequently embodied stereotypical traits that negatively and inappropriately represent them. Patriarchal ideologies helped to establish hegemonic societal views on other races, …show more content…

Iago had a great deal of influence in shaping Othello’s identity. He could almost be considered the main character simply due to the amount of lines he has. Iago “employs his comic verve to try to destroy his virtuous antagonist and whose colloquial intimacy with the audience often half-succeeds in winning the audience over” (Greenblatt 427). Although, Iago’s devious actions transform his character into a villain his style of speaking help spectators and readers to easily identify with him. Iago provides the first description of Othello before the protagonist is even seen. During the opening scene he informs Brabantio that his daughter is in love with Othello the moor. Iago expresses his distaste for this nuptial by referring to Othello as an “old black ram” (1.1 66) and “barbary horse”. He essentially is trying to convince Brabantio that Othello is comparable to a savage beast. Iago offers a prejudiced initial description of Othello and would go on to persistently uses racial slurs to describe him. The frequency of these racial insults would shape the audience's view of Othello that negatively portrayed him. Although, Shakespeare attempted to shatter these horrendous descriptions of Othello with third party flattery, iago’s persistence ensures that spectators would recognize Othello’s racially stereotypic

Show More
Related

Othello Cultural Criticism Essay

439 Words | 2 Pages

Othello is the General of the Cyprus army with honest Iago by his side. During this time racism was happening and Othello was a part of it. Othello tried his best for everybody to like him; people would talk behind his back, call him names, and would eventually ruin his life. Iago was an ensign in the army, and his “good” friend, who would put lies into Othello's head, which eventually, he took control of Othello. In this essay Othello will display cultural criticism and how it displays him as a person in the story.

Read More

Theme Of Sacrifice In Othello

565 Words | 3 Pages

In the beginning of the novel, Shakespeare describes Iago as a mastermind of manipulating others. Iago holds a grudge and resentment towards the Moor, Othello, because another soldier, lieutenant Cassio, has been promoted

Read More

Othello Rhetoric Analysis

1095 Words | 5 Pages

Rhetoric is an incredibly powerful tool capable of seducing even the most obdurate of people. As one of the most illustrious playwrights ever, Shakespeare was no stranger to the power of rhetoric. Rhetoric served as the fountainhead of Shakespearian allure. We watch the dramatic works of Shakespeare because we enjoy having our emotions manipulated; we enjoy the catharsis and self-reflection that accompanies a trip to the theater. Shakespeare truly was a master manipulator, but his manipulation was generally beneficial.

Read More

Comparing Othello And In The Time Of The Butterflies By Julia Alvarez

846 Words | 4 Pages

Othello’s confidence for a loyal man to maintain honesty and morals are contradicted through Iago’s actions: “in a man that’s just / They are close dilations, working from the heart, / That passion cannot rule” (3.3.123). Iago, due to the understatement to his name, is not perceivable as hateful. Othello’s willingness to sense Iago’s distress, and to believe his accusations, is because of the lack of awareness Othello has for his vengeance. Iago is of such little power and relevance within societal ranking that if he were to have intentions to sabotage anyone, which he does, are not considered, thus making him easily trustworthy to those of greater dominance. Society’s view of an individual determines how others consider and surmise their persona, though these conclusions may be false.

Read More

I Am Black By Adrian Piper

736 Words | 3 Pages

Since a certain few have narrated much of the history of art, the voice of the other is open to constructs that often misrepresent the oppressed. When the oppressed are deprived of their identity us, a character is assigned to them that defines us for centuries. The result is a generalized negative stereotype that persists through time to describe entire groups of people, rather than seeing people as individuals. Stereotypes serve as cognitive shortcuts; our brains want to make a rash judgment about somebody based on their gender, race, or age.

Read More

Overt Racism In Othello

1097 Words | 5 Pages

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.

Read More

Self Confidence In Othello

1344 Words | 6 Pages

(III.iii.230-234). Thus he reminded Othello that possibly he was not considered suitable for her love. Knowing that his blackness placed him in society as an outsider, Othello began to suspect that his personality and accomplishments could never overcome his inferior background. He questioned his confidence in the reputation and social standing he thought he had gained, and he failed to notice the presence of evil and dishonesty in others. Iago’s appearance, as a

Read More

Theme Of Dishonesty In Othello

750 Words | 3 Pages

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

Read More

Masculinity In Othello

1010 Words | 5 Pages

For Shakespeare’s plays to contain enduring ideas, it must illustrate concepts that still remain relevant today, in modern society. Shakespeare utilises his tragic play Othello, to make an important social commentary on the common gender stereotypes. During early modern England, Shakespeare had to comply to the strict social expectations where women were viewed as tools, platonic and mellow, and where men were displayed as masculine, powerful, tempered, violent and manipulative. As distinct as this context is to the 21st century, the play exposes how women were victimised by the men who hold primary power in the community in which they compelled women to conform to the ideal world of a perfect wife or confront an appalling destiny for challenging the system. Moreover, Shakespeare utilises the main antagonist, Iago, to portray how men are desperate to achieve what they want and to indirectly fulfil the stereotype of masculinity and power through manipulation.

Read More

Theme Of Racism In Othello

1501 Words | 7 Pages

Throughout the play, Iago, Roderigo, and Brabantio display covert or overt racism towards Othello. At the beginning of the play, Iago, Othello’s ensign, and Roderigo, a wealthy man in love with Desdemona, discuss Othello’s marriage and their hatred for Othello. During their dialogue, the first references made of Othello are “his Moorship” and “the Moor,” which is how most of the characters refer to Othello (Shakespeare 687). Rather than referring to Othello nominally, they refer to him by his ethnicity, showing their inherent racism.

Read More

The Effects Of Racism In Othello

1640 Words | 7 Pages

This extent of hostility and aggression coming from several other sources in the play was enough to ruin Othello. Thus, Othello’s downfall was more of a result of his race being that the main underlying motive behind the characters’ efforts to destroy him was racism.   It is inadequate to bypass the sociology behind racism, the concept of race, prior to defining what racism actually is. The common understanding of race suggests the division of groups based upon the color of one’s skin, hair, eyes, etc. “Although biologically meaningless when applied to humans – physical differences such as skin color have no natural association with group differences in ability or behavior – race nevertheless has tremendous significance in structuring social reality” (Clair).

Read More

Theme Of Racism In Othello

1225 Words | 5 Pages

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

Read More

Postcolonial Criticism In Othello

1159 Words | 5 Pages

In the beginning of the play Othello, although being a skin-colored Moor, he acted very decently and was good mannered in his relationship towards his wife, the Duke and other characters; he seems to be very light-hearted. In the middle of the play, where the climax of the play has happened as Iago lied and deluded him about his wife’s infidelity, suddenly his inner beast came forth and treated everyone especially his wife in a wildly and brutalized manner. Since he believed Iago’s feigned plot as a result his expressions has changed up to the point that he called his wife a ‘whore’. It might be useful to recall that there exist a truly fact in the real world that bad things happens to good

Read More

Othello Act 3 Scene 3 Analysis

982 Words | 4 Pages

Act 3, Scene 3 of Shakespeare’s Othello embodies a pivotal point in the play, as it is a transition act that grounds the foundation of Iago’s development as an antagonist and the play’s development as a tragedy. In fact, Othello is written by William Shakespeare in the early 17th century. In Act 3 Scene 3, Iago begins his insinuations of an affair between Cassio and Desdemona, which petition Othello to consider the likelihood of Desdemona’s infidelity and Cassio’s disloyalty. In this particular scene, Shakespeare makes meticulous use of linguistic and dramatic techniques to characterise Iago as an scheming, deceptive and hypocritical antagonist.

Read More

The Theme Of Racism In Shakespeare's Othello

1713 Words | 7 Pages

Racism deflects the interpersonal relationships because every race exalts their own and looks down on other races. Othello is one of the fascinating literature work by Shakespeare that describes the evident of racism in societies, its destructive effects on society and people’s attitudes. The tragedy in Othello may seem to be as a result of jealousy but deep inside, it is a tragedy rooted deeply in racial conflict. This play was written in a time when the minorities were less important and could easily be ignored by the majority race: it was almost impossible for a black man to hold a higher rank in the society and earning respect from the white people. This paper will discuss the theme of racism in Othello, show its effects on society and specific characters like Othello who felt the impact of prejudice.

Read More

More about Stereotypes In Othello Essay

Related Topics

Open Document