Othello †Race and Stereotypes Essay - 637 Words

Othello’s race does not prominently impact his demise, although Shakespeare touches upon the issue of race, the reason for Othello’s demise lies somewhere else. However, the allegations of race directly lead to its tragic ending. Feelings of inadequacy and distrust without question aid in the tragedy. The fact that Othello’s skin color is important alters the interpretation of the tragedy within the play. The racism represented in Othello is not just about an instance of prejudices and prejudgments made by a crowd of people against another, but in fact has much more subtle and devastating consequences, specifically, that it is proliferated not only by the discriminatory section of society, but also by the target of this discrimination.†¦show more content†¦It then hit me that through Iago’s judgments Othello is â€Å"the Moor† and should therefore exemplify the common idea of a moor, which is not admiration, self-worth, and fortune; it is o ne of disconnectedness and dependency. When he says that â€Å"nothing can or shall content his soul/ Till he is evened with the Moor, wife for wife† (Act 2: Scene), he means that he is satisfied until Othello’s life is made equal with his involving feelings of inadequacy and jealousy, which are all qualities fitting to a â€Å"moor†. Throughout the play Iago repetitively uses derogatory remarks when speaking of Othello so to encourage certain people in the play to endure racism and confirm that it was the norm. Even so, some of Iago’s semantics reveal his own prejudices. For example, Iago only refers to Othello as a â€Å"Moor† with the exception of when he refers to Othello as the â€Å"black Othello† (Act 2: Scene 3). Iago hates Othello because he is â€Å"the Moor† yet does not symbolize the expected role of what is thought of to be a black man in these times. There is neither reason nor logic behind his hatred, but discrimination against one seldom has reason, for it is characteristically irrational thinking. Iago is a clear illustration of what racism is and will justify his irrational thoughts with anything, just as Iago contributes to Brabantio and Rodrigo’s reasoning behind their actions and Othello’s reasons for acting out onShow MoreRelatedRace, Religion, and the Significance of Stereotypes in Othello1688 Words   |  7 PagesAccording to author Chinua Achebe, â€Å"The whole idea of a stereotype is to simplify. Instead of going through the problem of all this great diversity†¦you just have one large statement; it is this.† These broad simplifications have been found throughout history and often reflect the attitudes of an entire society at a specific time period. In particular, one can discover much about the prevailing attitudes of a society through its literature. Shakespeare, specifically, has written multiple works thatRead MoreOthello Discrimination Essay1020 Words   |  5 Pages Othello: Downfall by Discrimination When Shakespeare wrote Othello, black people were seen as inferior to white people. The play takes place in Venice in the 1500’s, a progressive city growing rapidly with new ideas and cultures. Not all introductions were welcomed, however. The Arab culture, known as the Moors, was seen as â€Å"brute, cowardly, lustful, savage, and diabolical† (Toker 1). They were stereotyped as inferior based on skin color, religious beliefs, and attitudes. To Venetians, the appearanceRead MoreThe Tragedy Of Othello, The Moor1720 Words   |  7 PagesThe Tragedy of Othello, the Moor the Venice: The Fall of A Man for His Race by Josà © Pineda. Professor Arzola English 2322 5 July 2015 Outline. Thesis: The tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice written by William Shakespeare, the author uses a characters to express the complex social circumstance of race at the time and how the white men’s ideas about black people leads to their hate and downfalls throughout the play. Sociological Approach. I. Summary plot. II. Description of the mainRead MoreRacism In Othello Essay1414 Words   |  6 PagesShakespeare’s Othello depicts the downfall of a highly respected war general and explores themes such as jealousy, gender, and deception. The exploration of these themes evinces the racial, cultural, and social climate of Venice. The primary philosophies of the seventeenth century about race are a substantial part of Othello’s doubt and insecurity, which ultimately lead to his tragic demise. The encounter between worlds with differing values and ideas plays a considerable role in the context of Othello. ThereRead MoreOthello And The Western Canonical Presentation Of His Race Essay1505 Words   |  7 PagesOthello and the western canonical presentation of his race, has been reproduced numerous times throughout history. The post-colonial writings of Morrison and Chatterjee tackle how Othello and the presentation of his race are exploited as a form of entertainment. They write back and explore the relationship between Othello’s racial identity and the harm viewing race as a form of entertainment can have culturally in a globalised world. Othello is presented as a story devised by Desdemona inRead MoreThe Movie Othello By William Shakespeare Essay1493 Words   |  6 PagesSpeech = talk more about the rape scene, how it connected to sexualism or race. At the end, he finally revealed his true self by allowing the society’s expectation to be a part of him, society’s typical stereotype of young black men. The movie showcases the modern adaptation of Shakespeare’s â€Å"Othello† and includes how teen violence and racism can relate to each other and can lead to a tragedy. His own hatred of his race affects his personality and changed his way of acting. Within any movie thatRead MoreSexism In Othello Analysis846 Words   |  4 PagesOthello explores the concepts of manipulation and evil through Iago, the character that is the source of evil in the play, but when analyzed closely, the reader can see that it not only is Iago the subject of evil, but Desdemona and Othello are too. Othello reinforces racism and sexism in a very subtle way; while some argue that Shakespeare undermines the racist and sexist ideas imposed on the characters by calling attention to the racism and sexism in the times, the play seems to disprove this.Read MoreOthello, By William Shakespeare1709 Words   |  7 Pagesstereotyped. The character Othello is a unique character in English literature, because unlike the other members of society, Othello is an outsider in Venice. He is a black man living in a white world, married to a white woman, and a leader of white men in battle. Ot hello is persuaded that his wife, Desdemona, is cheating on him, leading him to murder her. Some argue that because Othello was the typical black stereotype he killed Desdemona, but evidence suggests that Othello viewed his own racial identityRead MoreOthello, The Moor Of Venice, Is One Of The Principal Tragedies1180 Words   |  5 PagesOthello, the Moor of Venice, is one of the principal tragedies by Shakespeare. This tragedy contains many themes which are important in society today. Many aspects of people s lives have changed, but the way people think is still the same . Shakespeare s Othello wants to underline the psychological and social impact of racism; and the power of manipulation as well as jealousy. These are the most important themes throughout this drama. Othello takes place in Venice, Italy. He was a black generalRead MoreRacism in Othello by William Shakespeare Essay1235 Words   |  5 PagesHave you ever thought about how much Othello’s race and the racism around him affected his life? Othello struggled a lot during the play because of his dark skin color. He was called several racist names like â€Å"the Moor,† â€Å"old black ram,† â€Å"Barbary horse,† and â€Å"thick lips† (Shakespeare 1.1.40; 1.1.88; 1.1.111; 1.1.66).The term â€Å"racism† has been around for several years; it started in the twentieth century (Bartels 433). By the way the Elizabethan era viewed black people was similar to how racism is