Essay on Racism in Shakespeares Othello - 2541 Words

Racism in Othello 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 raise two questions - how central is the taboo of miscegeny to the play, and to what extent is Othellos reputation able to counter this prejudice? It is certainly not hard to conclude that Othello is probably Shakespeares most†¦show more content†¦Othello is structured so that the main premise of the play, introducing the main themes, appears near the beginning. It is obvious that Iago has an agenda planned of malevolent proportions with Othello at its target. He is the catalyst of all the destructive happenings within the play starting from the very beginning when he and Roderigo approach the residence of Brabantio in 1.1. He uses crude, racist language to appeal to the senators traditional beliefs, including such phrases as, IAGO: Even now, now, very now, an old black ram Is tupping your white ewe! Othello 1.1.87-88 Iago even goes so far as to propose that Brabantios grandchildren will be animals because of his daughters base marriage with an other. IAGO: ...youll have your daughter covered with a Barbary horse, youll have your nephews neigh to you, youll have coursers for cousins, and jennets for germans. Othello 1.1.109-112 Later we are told that Iagos motive is jealousy and he uses the rhetoric of racism to undermine Othello, playing on Brabantios prejudices to provoke him, even though, as Othello relates later, Her father loved me, oft invited me. [1.3.129] A shock and a few crude comments from Iago is all it takes to make a respected figure turn against a close friend of equal stature simply because of skin color. Technically, Brabantio wasShow MoreRelatedRacism in Shakespeares Othello2768 Words   |  12 PagesRacism in Othello Racism seems to be a big concern in Shakespeare’s tragic play, Othello. Because the hero of the play is an outsider, a Moor, we have an idea how blacks were regarded in England, in Elizabethan times. There are many references that bring about the issue of racism from the very beginning to the end. In the tragedy, where Othello is coming from is not mentioned, yet through the descriptions the reader is informed that he belongs to one of the Eastern nationalities such as AfricanRead 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. 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