The Moor In The Elizabethan Era

There were two ways a Moor could be characterized in Elizabethan era literature; one could be either a “white Moor” or a “villainous black Moor” . Literally, being a moor meant one was a muslim from northwestern Africa, but, in this era, being moorish had very bad connotations and attributes. White Moors often held respectable military or governmental positions and were portrayed diplomatic and civil. On the other hand, black Moors were depicted as lustful, savage barbarians and were even feared (Shaw 87). Multiple characters, such as Iago and Brabantio, from the play Othello tried to force Othello into these two boxes; even Othello himself referenced conventional images of a Moor while speaking. These characters stayed true to the racist tendencies of white citizens in the Elizabethan era, and gave insight to how Europeans viewed Moors and other cultural minorities. In William Shakespeare’s play Othello, Othello was often stereotyped by others because of his race, and this negatively affected his perception of himself.

From Iago’s perspective, Othello fits under the “villainous black Moor” category, and before Othello even enters they play, Iago profiles him countless times because of his ethnic status. Othello is compared to “an old black ram”, and is even referred to as “thick-lips,” (Shakespeare 1.1.97,72). These racial

Othello was self conscious of his race and often felt inferior to his peers, even though he held a prestigious position in the military. When speaking to the Duke and Brabantio, Othello described himself as “rude...in [his] speech,” (Shakespeare 1.3.96). This is an example of how Othello viewed himself as a lesser being, and overestimated his faults, even though he is fairly eloquent and was able to charm Desdemona by his stories alone. Moreover, Othello refers to Desdemona’s tarnished reputation as “begrimed and