ipl-logo

Stereotypes In Othello

664 Words3 Pages

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. Othello is aware that any threat he has would be overlooked because he is a high priority to the Duke of Venice. In Act 1 Scene 2, Othello mentions to Iago “My services which I have done the signiory shall out-tongue his complaints”. This was lead by the comment which Iago stated related to the pursuing of Desdemona that brabantio is up to. This is a source to the stereotypical “ As a moor, Othello should succeed as officer in the military. This is actually scene moreso as a positive stereotype for Othello because he gains …show more content…

Being a Moor is a strong contribution of Iago’s scheme to ruin Othello. One way Iago tries to get Othello in trouble is by snitching on his marriage with Brabantio’s daughter. Iago comments “... An old black ram is tupping your white ewe,” and “... the devil will make a grandsire of you,” when informing Brabantio of the marriage situation between Othello and Desdemona. The negative stereotype of Othello being sexually permissive comes from the society in Venice which sees Black males to have a strong need to be sexually

Show More
Related

Stereotypes In A Midsummer Night's Dream

776 Words | 4 Pages

Has an adult ever come up to you and start with the phrase “when I was a kid” or “back then”. They make it seem as our lives are so different, but are they? Yes, our world has created new technologies, but we still have one thing in common; negative stereotypes. In A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare,the video “Slap Her”, and the poem “For women who are ‘difficult’ to love” By Warsan Shire all three texts use negative stereotypes in a negative way because they all describe women negatively.

Read More

How Does Shakespeare Present The Theme Of Race And Marriage In The 17th Century

949 Words | 4 Pages

The love Barbantio had for Othello illustrates his integrity and trustworthiness, which are the contrasting characteristics of a stereotypical black man. However, even under the shadow of his label, the moor, Othello, holds a higher status uncommon for a black man in the 17th century. By having an audience such as a "pilot...", a "senate...", and a "mayor..." Othello held a rank higher than that of a white man, allowing him to promote or take away a white man's status. Upon his demotion, Iago declares in a pompous and violent tone, "I know my price!" Expressing his superiority, Iago undermines Othello's status as his general, highlighting the perspective of the colored in the 17th century as inferior.

Read More

Examples Of Stereotypes In Othello

567 Words | 3 Pages

Today you see Hispanic culture everywhere; from the taco trucks to the blabbing of Donald Trump’s offensive comments to Hispanics, we are everywhere. Every ethnicity has its stereotypes, Hispanics are no exception. If you think really hard about it, Othello relates to stereotypical generalisations just like any other race. 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.

Read More

Othello Gender Stereotypes

1977 Words | 8 Pages

Currently in the United States less than one percent of domestic abuse is reported to police. Nevertheless, about thirty five percent of the American population will endure such cruelties. There is often a separation between public and private matters pertaining to relationships for fear of judgment. Gender stereotypes have the ability to inflict tremendous pressure upon a person’s reaction to mistreatment for there is emotional, physical, sexual and financial abuse. Currently in the media a relevant discussion about sexual abuse in the workplace has surged a mass discussion.

Read More

Examples Of Stereotypes In Othello

1718 Words | 7 Pages

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.

Read More

Examples Of Stereotypes In Othello

1230 Words | 5 Pages

We see that today it’s happening again and has been affecting many people, but the one that has been targeted is the Hispanic/Latino community. In “21 Stereotypes About Latino Men That Latino Men Want To Dispel”, the author Kyli Singh shows us how some of the negative stereotypes that Non-Hispanics have towards the Hispanic/Latino community in the United States. “3. “That we’re uneducated.13. “That if you don’t speak English, you’re undocumented.

Read More

Cultural Norms In Othello

1138 Words | 5 Pages

Every country is like a snowflake: there is no two the same. Every country has its own culture, and they usually have more than one. Cultures also tend to change over time. A culture is the social norms of a particular time period. When most people think about culture, they think about race, but there is more to culture than that.

Read More

Who Is Responsible For Othello's Downfall

882 Words | 4 Pages

When fighting a war, you must be obligated to the fight and the mission dictated down through the ranks. Othello was conditioned to command a military fleet and to lead in ways that folks serving him would respect his command and carry out the command fluently. Othello was better conditioned to believe the lies been told to him or revealed to him by his military commandos, who was obligated to each other possibly by oath. He had only been married to Desdemona for a short while and was a socially weak person. He was not conditioned to evaluate her truths over the lies been told.

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

Self Identity In Othello

1050 Words | 5 Pages

This racism towards Othello is indicative of Shakespeare is having Iago lash out so early in the novel when he is the person who starts the killing and destruction. Shakespeare brilliantly uses the race of othello to gain power for Iago the the beginning of the novel. Ruth Nevo writes “The entire presentation of othello in the first act is geared to this perception of him, and it is in this light that both Iago’s contemptuous references to black rams and the barbary horses and othello’s exotic evocation of antres vast and deserts idle, his free unhoused condition and his descent from men or royal singe, become fully operative in the dramatic scheme.” (1) This statement perfectly describes the mood of the first act as this is when othello really becomes affected by his race and the racist comments that he receives even though he seems to not let them get to him the comments affect him a great deal. It may also be perceived as Othello believed everyone who told him wrong things, did he do this while he was coming to power in the military?

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

Racism In Othello

1684 Words | 7 Pages

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

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

Theme Of Racism In Othello

1960 Words | 8 Pages

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.

Read More

Theme Of Racism In Othello

1225 Words | 5 Pages

Manipulation of the African Race in Othello In William Shakespeare’s Othello, racism is a principal theme that drives the plot of the entire play. An outlier in Venice, Othello the moor or African, is targeted by his ensign Iago because Cassio who seems to be unqualified, was promoted to a lieutenant before he was. Iago is driven by envy and jealousy and creates a confusing and elaborate plan to deprive Cassio of his position. Iago also shares these envious motives with Roderigo, a man lusting over Othello’s wife.

Read More

More about Stereotypes In Othello

Open Document