Racism In Othello Essay - 941 Words

Since the mid-sixteenth century there has been a presence of Native West Africans in England, Eldred Jones argues that by 1601 there were enough in England for queen Elizabeth to express her dissatisfaction with the great number of ‘blackmoors’. Eldred Jones later puts forward the argument that Elizabethan Englishmen saw the African Natives as being barbarous and treacherous. These views are present in Shakespeare’s Othello through the characters of Iago, Rodrigo and Brabantio. However, these opinions were not shared by most of the characters until tragedy strikes and darkness of jealousy consumes Othello. Shakespeare expresses the racial prejudice that is evident in his period through the characters of Iago, Roderigo and Brabantio. The†¦show more content†¦It is at this point that Othello’s race is used against him. Moreover, Brabantio’s dislike for Othello is the fact that the marriage to his daughter flatus the loyalty she Is meant to have to him. The language Brabantio uses at the end of act 1 scene 3 had connotations of grief and anger towards Desdemona’s dishonesty (â€Å"she has deceived her father, and may thee†) (I.iii.289-290) Although those three characters are openly prejudice towards Othello not everybody in the play does share the same bigoted ideas. Such as the court, the courts men ignore the blatant racism by Brabantio; they have appointed Othello general of the venetian army and they refer to him many times as the â€Å"noble Moor† whom is â€Å"sufficient† (IV.i.265). The fact that Othello a black man and non -venetian has been put in a position with so much power just amplifies the respect they have for him as a worrier, and that the colour of his skin is not considered when it comes down to his integrity. It is noted that some critics argue that this respect for Othello is only there because of the threat of the Turks and they need Othello on their side if they have any chance of beating them. However, the situation at hand does have indicate that may the council me do have a hidden agenda. The language used by does not hint to them having shared racist ideas as Brabantio. When the truth of how Othello won Desdemona’s heart the Duke acknowledges the fact that â€Å"this tale would win my daughter too†Show MoreRelated Othello: Racism Essay1909 Words   |  8 PagesOthello: Racism  Ã‚        Ã‚   Just how serious is the problem of racial prejudice in William Shakespeare’s tragedy Othello? Is it pervasive or incidental? This essay intends to answer questions on this subject. Blanche Coles in Shakespeare’s Four Giants maintains that the racial discrimination in the play may be overstated by critics: In the first scene, Roderigo has referred to Othello as â€Å"thick lips.† No other character in the play attributes any such negroid features to Othello, and itRead MoreEssay on Racism in Shakespeares Othello2541 Words   |  11 PagesRacism in Othello      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Samuel Taylor Coleridges Literary Remains is just one of the essays that presents an attack on Shakespeare for his lack of realism in the monstrous depiction of a marriage between a beautiful Venetian girl, and a veritable negro, in Othello. He sees Shakespeares transformation of a barbarous negro into a respected soldier and nobleman of stature as ignorant, since at the time, negroes were not known except as slaves. (Appendix) The extract seems to raiseRead 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: A Covert Discussion on Racism Essay1625 Words   |  7 Pagesas outcasts. In this essay I will tempt to show how even though it was the norm in Victorian England, Shakespeare already had another mind set, and was trying in this creative way that the mind set of the people was not correct even for that time. 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It is this that questions what sort of message Shakespeare intended to convey to his audience; was Othello the black ‘moor’, portrayed as a tragic hero? Or did his character eventually come to resemble the prejudices of which he was a victim? A text rich with ethical debate, Othello is a story of black and white, culture, fate, and ultimat ely good versus bad. Racial ‘otherness’Read MoreEssay Race and Racism in Othello1793 Words   |  8 PagesIn What Way Would A Modern Audience React To The Way Race And Racism Is Portrayed In Othello? In the Sixteenth century, as we see clearly from Othello and other works of both Shakespeare and Cinthios original version of Othello, race was a topic of great debate and discussion. Today, in the twenty-first century the debate retains its controversy and passion. However, attitudes towards race have taken a dramatic turn during the last century. In the developed world people are now living in anRead More Racism in William Shakespeares Othello Essay1059 Words   |  5 PagesRacism in William Shakespeares Othello The play, Othello, is certainly, in part, the tragedy of racism. Examples of racism are common throughout the dialog. This racism is directed toward Othello, a brave soldier from Africa and currently supreme commander of the Venetian army. Nearly every character uses a racial slur to insult Othello at one point in the play. Even Emilia sinks to the level of insulting Othello based on the color of his skin. The character that most commonly makes racistRead MoreRacism in Othello by William Shakespeare Essay1235 Words   |  5 Pageshow 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 4 33). By the way the Elizabethan era viewed black people was similar to how racism is today with all of the racial