Comparing and Contrasting the Chiaroscuros Between Othello and Iago

Othello is a loyal, honest, brave hero, and he won Desdemona’s love with his own performance and the legendary hero life; however, his low self-esteem causes his doubt for himself about his black skin, age, and manhood, his rudeness, reckless, paranoid personality seized him and

Othello is a play that has been surrounded by controversy throughout history, even in relatively modern history. The thought that a main character (with a respectable position) could be black was fairly absurd at the time. Edward Berry shows in his article on Othello, Othello's Alienation. Shakespeare was well aware of what he was doing. Berry makes many strong points about what Othello being black means for the play and how it drives Othello and the characters around him. However, Berry does make a few assumptions about Othello's character. Berry also leaves out information that could have been relevant to the attitude surrounding the play, such as the history of the portrayal of Othello. Berry has obviously done a lot of reading into the

Othello or The Moor of Venice by William Shakespeare is a tragedy of race. Shakespeare creates a hero who does not fall under a racist stereotype, Othello is a nobleman, a decorated soldier, very well respected by his men (with the exception of Iago). One of the few characteristics that harms, rather than helps him, is that he is dark-skinned in a society utterly dominated by men prejudiced against those with dark skin. At the start of the play, he appears confident that, "My parts, my title, and my perfect soul / Shall manifest me rightly." (Shakespeare, 1, 2, 36-37) But Iago makes sure to use Othello's race against him as much as possible. As a brave soldier from Africa and recently instated supreme commander of the Venetian army, Shakespeare still allows Othello to succumb to the subtle racism that surrounds him. Most of it comes forward through the dialog, and is directed toward Othello. Shakespeare makes no effort to hide this colorful language, nearly every character uses a racial slur to insult Othello at some point in the play. Even Emilia, who doesn’t trust her own husband, sinks to the level of insulting Othello based on the color of his skin. Though the main character to make racist remarks in Othello is Iago, making him a representation of white supremacy. The effect of racism on Othello is quite evident and is one of the main causes of his insecurity about his marriage. These black stereotypes show up in the play and lead to the problem with trying to produce

Othello by William Shakespeare raises the issue of how rampant beliefs and attitudes in a society can cause a person to question their sense of self. In a society where racial equality is near non-existent, Othello, a black skinned foreigner in the Venetian society, is constantly reminded of his status as an outsider. Othello, however, is not depicted in a stereotypical manner and despite occupying a highly respected position he is often confronted with blatant racism throughout the play. The prevailing attitudes and beliefs of Venetian society towards Othello are exploited by Iago in order to manipulate Othello’s self confidence and emotional state.

William Shakespeare’s character development is one of his many super powers as a prolific playwright of the late 16th century. His amalgamated presentation of contrasting characters, in a backdrop of comparison where they share some similar traits but contrast massively in others, is unmatched in literature. In his play, “Othello,” we see sets of characters who are reminiscent of opposite colors on a color wheel: Cassio and Othello, Iago and Desdemona, Emelia and Roderigo; however, the most ambiguous foil is Othello serving as his own polar opposite. Cassio and Othello are military men; however one is white and one black, one shows great respect for his woman and the other little, one is impish and the other honorable. Iago and Desdemona serve

“Othello” is a tragic play of jealousy, racism and struggle for power. Right from the beginning, Shakespeare has created vigorous dialogue and conflicting situations. There is a direct contrast between black and white in this play, with black meaning something negative and evil and white meaning pure and fairness. The clash between these two colours leads to severe hatred and enmity between a few people.

He fears the exposure of his actual character and wants to execute his plan by keeping other individuals believing that he is an honest and a trustworthy man. Firstly, Iago undermines Emilia not to say another word in regards to the handkerchief that he utilizes as a major aspect of the arrangement to devastate Othello. He advises Emilia to “Be wise and get you home.” (Act 5.2.221). Emilia disagrees with what Iago says and soon after, Iago draws his sword. This shows Iago really thinks about his personality and notoriety, his trepidation of presentation is fierce to the point that it drives him to execute his own particular wife. Also, there is not a single line written in the play, which uncovers Iago presenting his reality to someone else. In spite of the fact that everybody makes sense of Iago's two-sided personality towards the end of the play, despite everything he doesn't have the quality to uncover his actual two- sided character or translate why he has done such offensive deeds. When Othello demands Iago for a reasoning behind his actions, he responds back saying, “Demand me nothing; what you know, you know. / From this time forth I never will speak word” (Act 5.2.300-301). Iago's instability of character is powerful to the point that is prohibits him to talk up and give a sensible reaction to Othello regarding why he has done such malevolence activities. Identity, as well as reputation, is what a man is acknowledged for, a wide range of wrong decisions will destroy this part of Iago

Had Othello not been black, Iago’s ploy of questioning his manhood may have not been as effective. There is a sense of intersectionality between the understanding of the racial tensions and the feelings of inferiority as a man. It is because Othello is black that Iago is able to question his manhood. Race is the issue that drives Iago, that makes Othello question, and pushes Desdemona away hereby creating the tragedy that is seen in the end. Othello’s race is what drives the tension of the play and yet he still has a place in society. His blackness is not “enough” to render him a total outcast or too low to conceivably woo a virtuous white woman. Yet he is addressed throughout the play as an Other. The reader and the audience are never allowed to forget that he is black and thus lower within the racial hierarchy. Critic Arthur Little argues that by killing himself, Iago reaffirms the racial hierarchy within Venetian society. Othello’s death is used to end the racial anxieties of the play and restore the hierarchy of comfort, “Because the physical blackness of this ‘fair’ courtier is always visible to the audience, he threatens the proper codes of Venetian discourse. As a mercenary he helps return this Venetian culture to its deeply embedded racial codes by smiting himself, the Other” (Little 322). Othello’s blackness is never forgotten or ignored. His role as a racial inferior

There was characters who sincerely admired him for his military prowess and achievements. When Brabantio told of the robbery of his daughter to the duke he promise to find the thief but when he found out that it was Othello he didn't mind after he explained to the duke how she fell in love with him. The duke then told the father “I think this tale would win my daughter too.” The duke had also fell for the love story , so the duke told Brabantio to make at best for the situation as Othello is also “Your son-in-law is far more fair than black” What the duke is implying here is that Brabantio shouldn't put too much importance on Othello’s skin color but more on virtuous deeds and accomplishments as soldier. Before any of these racial slurs towards Othello made by Iago and Roderigo , Brabantio didn't have a negative depiction of Othello ““lov’d me; oft invited me”. Thanks to these stereotypes of the Moor “Barbary horse” characters in the play are looking down upon

Rather than take pride in his culture, Othello claims to have grown out of being a minority: “I am not a minority” and “I used to be a minority when I was a kid.” (Sears, 73) Othello believes that with enough education a person of color can escape the stereotypes and societal condemnation of being black. The language Othello uses suggests that, due to his level of education, he is no longer attached to the same culture as all other African-Americans. Instead, Othello is accustomed to “Wordsworth, Shaw, Leave it to Beaver, Dirty Harry” and not “the culture of [his] ancestors.” The way Othello speaks to Billie suggests that he is above racism, and that

Aside from Iago, his wife Emilia, also shares in his racist outbursts. Berry clarifies that when Othello tells Emilia that he has killed Desdemona and Emilia calls him “[a] blacker devil. ” (Berry 321) she shows that she has always thought him “a black devil” (Berry 322). Her racist tendencies are exemplified in this statement and ascertain that she has always harbored bad sentiments toward Othello regarding his race. Even when Emilia finds that her husband, Iago, is mostly responsible for the crimes that had occurred, she still feels hatred towards Othello for no reason other than his skin color.

Othello’s obsession with his reputation initially stems from his insecurities about his race. As a native African in a position of power in a 1600’s Europe, this is understandable, however the position of power, or

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 African, Ottoman Turk or Arab. In this paper I am going to analyze some episodes involving a prejudicial, racist attitude and try to discuss whether Shakespeare was a racist or not. Even though the play is full of offensive definitions of black

Critics have debated the significance of Othello’s race in terms of portraying his identity for a long time. The negative connotations of “blackness” have led to the creation of many racial constructs associated with the “Moor”; this denigration has infused the opinions of many critics, such as Albert Gerard, proposing that Othello’s “negroid physiognomy” reaches down to the “deepest levels of personality” and that he is a “barbarian”. However, many other critics like Edward Berry and Martin Orkin believe that colour is merely a “surface indicator” compared to the outward virtue of beneficence, defining identity. Beneficence could be defined by the will to practice good acts, in conjunction with the aversion of practicing evil, and the prevention and removal of evil.

Along with critics making references to Othello’s race, many characters in the play do as well. The characters that are most racist refer to Othello by his real name less than the people who are least racist. “Othello’s blackness is not only a mark of his physical alienation but a symbol, to which every character in the play himself included must respond” (Berry, 1990). Othello does not refer to himself as African but rather as an exotic Venetian. Other characters do not see Othello as that. Many characters call Othello numerous names other than his real one. “For Iago Othello is an old black ram, the devil, and a barbary horse” (Berry, 1990). Many see Othello’s blackness as a symbol of ugliness, bestiality, treachery, and demonic. None of those words describe how Othello really is. Those words are the stereotypical definition of what a black man is. This stereotypical definition puts Othello is a predicament and makes his acceptance in the Venetian society difficult. “Once such critics conclude that Othello is not a stereotype, he tends to lose his individuality as a Moor and to become a representative of humanity” (Berry, 1990). The stereotypical image of a black man plays an important role in the play’s ending.