The reader is rendered unsure whether the character of Heathcliff is actually black, white or Other. Desdemona hides her relationship with Othello from her father, knowing he will disapprove due to Othello's race. When analyzing this scene using a cultural lens, a modern audience can understand Othello’s position in society because of his race… from University of Oxford M.A. This difference becomes a barrier when Brabantio objects to their marriage, however, it plays much more of a role in facilitating Iago’s manipulation and amplifying Othello’s paranoia. In nearly every case, the prejudiced characters use terms that describe Othello as an animal or beast. Educators go through a rigorous application process, and every answer they submit is reviewed by our in-house editorial team. 13 February 2016.]). From Shakespearean Tragedy by A. C. Bradley. The character of Othello is comparatively simple, but, as I have dwelt on the prominence of intrigue and accident in the play, it is desirable to show how essentially the success of Iago's plot is connected with this character. As this was stated by the Duke, it undermines the fact that Othello is civil in the eyes of nobility, despite the colour of his skin. Lie with her! eNotes.com will help you with any book or any question. Shakespeare perhaps does not want to introduce Othello until the audience fully understands Iago, so that this deceitfulness can be seen immediately as he enters, and to form the audience’s opinion of Othello through the words of Iago to create the same sense of unsure curiosity in the audience as to his real character. Othello Analysis . Othello's race sets him apart, and makes him very self-conscious; it makes him work hard and look carefully after his reputation, so he is regarded … Note how he describes Othello to Brabantio, Desdemona's father: "an old black ram is tupping your white ewe." Top subjects are Literature, Arts, and History, Latest answer posted May 03, 2012 at 11:56:23 PM, Latest answer posted December 15, 2018 at 3:55:37 PM, Latest answer posted June 10, 2019 at 5:16:54 PM, Latest answer posted December 08, 2016 at 2:37:48 PM, Latest answer posted May 31, 2015 at 9:00:42 PM. Many of Othello's insecurities are derived from his race and from the perception that he is lowlier than his wife. Nevertheless, I think the duke does not let race effect his judgment and bases his verdict on what each party has to say, so he gives his blessing and sees nothing wrong with Othello’s and Desdemona’s relationship. He knows this will outrage Brabantio far more than if Othello had been a white man, and is an example of animalistic language being applied to Othello. ( Log Out / The language used by the other characters makes this very clear—the racial epithets Iago applies to Othello ("the thick lips," for example) all form part of Iago's hatred toward him. Othello, undeniably heroic even if ultimately flawed, is the most prominent black protagonist in early Western literature. Shakespeare displays irony, as he intentionally reverses stereotypes as he illustrates Iago to have most of the negative descriptions of the black people and Othello to have the typical English Christian man influence: “Most potent, grave, and reverend signiors, My very noble and approved good masters” “Rude am I in my speech” (1:3). Brontë simply describes him as “a Lascar” (an Indian seaman) and a “dark-skinned gipsy”, leaving the rest to us to interpret. from University of Oxford Ph.D. from University of Leicester, Top subjects are Literature, History, and Law and Politics. Iago’s façade of obedience mirrors that offered to Jesus in Matthew 4:8 “Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendour…. Tragically his wife Desdemona was unable to persuade him to see beyond his colour as she does, but as others' have said elements of the society at the time, and Othello's … However, the allegations of race directly lead to its tragic ending. Enjoy eNotes ad-free and cancel anytime. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. In Act 3, Scene 3, Iago tells Othello As (to be bold with you), not to affect many proposed matches, of her own clime, complexions (3,3,29). ( Log Out / Although Iago uses honesty to manipulate at several stages in the play, there is one scene where he is brutally honest with Othello regarding race and his relationship with Desdemona. This is unusual, we presume his opinion concerning race would be similar to the rest of society. In addition to Shakespeare’s reverse in Iago and Othello’s characters; Iago’s devilish implications also reinforce biblical allusions to Lucifer. We say lie on her, when they belie her. Virtue is the way we see Othello characterised in the beginning because he is humble etc. Lecture on Othello - Othello's Jealousy. We should also note that it's impossible to discuss gender and sexuality without considering race: Several characters in the play, including Othello, believe that black men sexually contaminate white women, which may partially explain why Othello sees his wife as soiled. B.A. Othello and Race. In the very first scene, Roderigo and Iago disparage Othello in explicitly racial terms, calling him, among other things, "Barbary horse" and "thick lips." Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Iago doesn't hate Othello just because of his race—he says he hates Othello because he believes Othello has slept with his wife; he also hates him for passing Iago over for promotion. The marriage of black and white seems always to have been repulsive to an Elizabethan, and dramatists before Shakespeare had always presumed that to be the case. Many take great issue with Desdemona’s nonconformist decision on including herself in this interracial marriage and Iago’s repetition of “Knee crooking knaves” reinforces his insecurities in his social position; seeing Othello as an Over-Reacher as a result of his race. b. 81–82). At the end of Act II, Scene 1, he reiterates the real motivation behind his plots against Othello: I do suspect the lusty Moor Hath leap'd into my seat: the thought whereof Here, Othello’s position of power and influence together with his desire to love Desdemona is influenced by Iago’s ill advice which he, Othello acknowledges and finally leads to his failure. Our summaries and analyses are written by experts, and your questions are answered by real teachers. Othello is one of the first black heroes in English literature. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Furthermore, the setting of the play creates great significance in Act 2 Scene 1 when the action shifts to Cyprus; he turmoil Cyprus reinforces Othello’s nature as a savage “Moor”, as he can no longer dominate his reactions, but rather, as Shakespeare previously quoted: “wears his heart on his sleeve” as his emotions are on the surface of his “blackness”; in reference to F. R. Leavis’ ‘Diabolic Intellect and the Noble Hero’: “The noble Othello is now seen as tragically pathetic”. What is Othello's tragic flaw that causes his downfall. The portrayal of the eponymous character in the play was stereotypically insinuated to be savage, violent and aggressive; however, was based on falsehood in order to expose Iago’s duplicitous character and ultimately Othello’s hamartia. See also our discussions of "Race" and "Sex" for more on this topic. In Othello, most male characters assume that women are inherently promiscuous, which explains why all three women characters in the … As stated in Shakespeare Unlimited ‘Othello and Blackface’ Podcast: “People weren’t interested in seeing the play in the way in Shakespeare’s time [which] is really sort of startling, because of the very clear and numerous derogatory references to skin colour in the play.” In Act 1 Scene 1, Iago cowardly confesses to Brabantio through Roderigo’s shadow that “even now, now, very now, an old black ram is tupping your white ewe.” Exposing Iago’s malevolence in his stealthy manner that is hidden behind his duality; which further reiterates the “derogatory references”. It holds us enthralled, (Dramatic effect, external) as it does the Duke. ’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.. Log in here. In the play “Othello,” by William Shakespeare, the main protagonist can be very much interpreted as a victim who has been treated differently in comparison to the Venetians due to his race. Yet when Othello is overcome by jealousy, he does become beast-like, falling into epileptic fits that rob him of the ability to speak intelligibly. However, race clearly plays a part; there is a suggestion that Iago dislikes having a black man superior to him. The play's performance history has been marked by racism. ( Log Out / ©2020 eNotes.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved. As referenced in an article created by Virginia Mason Vaughan: “Othello was crafted at the dawn of the 17th century, shaped by complex social and geopolitical issues”. In conclusion, as stated by Ania Loomba, in ‘Othello, Race and Society’: “black-skinned people were usually typed as godless, bestial and hideous…highly emotional and even irrational, and prone to anger and jealousy.” As the play progresses, Othello illustrates: “a capacity for tenderness as well as a propensity to violence.” As the theme of race in Othello was debated to be relevant to Shakespeare’s intention, some have come to conclude that it is, in fact, majorly about race; to reinforce this, the ‘Blackface’ podcast exclaimed: “the only world in which Othello is not about race is in a white privileged world.” This is vastly highlighted through the demeaning descriptions and characteristics of the so called “Moor” known as Othello; as the Venetians conveyed him in a condescending manner. Shakespeare uses Othello to underscore the animosity between “blackness” and the Venetians, to emphasise the vivid marginalisation of the ‘Other’ that was occurring at that contemporary era. We’ve discounted annual subscriptions by 50% for our End-of-Year sale—Join Now! However, the theme of race was overlooked by the audience, as it was not considered a significant problem at that time; no matter how eloquently Shakespeare interweaved it throughout the play. Further linking back to the ‘Blackface’ podcast where they negotiated that Iago felt that he “can hide what’s inside behind this white privilege that” he has; linking to Thomas Dekker’s Lust’s dominion, one of Shakespeare’s contemporaries. Othello may be impressive on the battlefield, but his own personal insecurity leads to the tragic end of the story. He eventually becomes so convinced by Iago's lies that he kills his wife.. Facts we learn about Othello at the start of the play: … Shakespeare’s play ‘Othello’, set in early Venice, focuses on the key relationship between titular character Othello and his wife Desdemona, to comment on the human condition through the text. Start your 48-hour free trial to unlock this answer and thousands more. Noses, ears, and lips. Othello starts looking confused at various points in the drama and acts against his conscience but when we see it in the context of his race, the situation becomes clearer. Further linking back to the dominant ideology of the predilection, prejudice and paragon image of race. Othello. But in Act IV, he crumbles. Racism very much affects the way Othello interacts with all the characters in the play. The very first act of deception is done by the character Desdemona. Moreover, Iago’s malcontent is derived from his hunger for power, through his hatred towards Othello: “A frail vow betwixt an erring barbarian and a super-subtle venetian be not too hard for my wits and all the tribe of hell” (1:3). While Othello is never rude in his speech, he does allow his eloquence to suffer as he is put under increasing strain by Iago’s plots. What reason does Iago give for his hatred of Othello? While the prejudiced characters in the play denigrate Othello as an animal or a beast based on his race, Othello's obvious honor and intelligence makes these attacks obviously ridiculous. All things Educational. These further highlight Othello’s nobility and regal respect: “If virtue no delighted beauty lack, your son-in-law is far more fair than black.” (1:3). Othello faces constant racism from other characters, especially when he marries Desdemona, a privileged white woman whose father disapproves of the union. Desdemona herself does not seem to judge Othello for his skin color at all—on the contrary, she is attracted to him because he is so different... (The entire section contains 2 answers and 532 words.). Analyse how a key relationship was used to comment on the human condition in the written text(s). Othello explores some common sixteenth century anxieties about miscegenation (interracial sex and marriage) by examining the relationship between a black man who marries a white woman, accuses her of being unfaithful, and then strangles her on her wedding sheets. Iago keeps fingering his wound to take him away from his beloved wife Desdemona. Iago corrupts Othello “for sport” and as part of his perceived revenge more than personal gain which makes him the embodiment of evil, not unlike Lucifer’s temptation of Christ. “Haply for I am black, And have not those soft parts of conversation That chamberers have…” (Othello, Act 3 Scene 3, Line 267) Iago and Roderigo describe Othello at the start of the play, without even naming him, using his racial difference to identify him, … Change ). As revenge for what Othello has done, Iago decides to use Othello’s marriage. Further reassuring the racist implications on Othello’s “blackness”. 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