Power, Race and Women in Othello by Shakespear and Sax

Othello, from the onset, is shown to us a play of love and jealousy. There is however more to this play than just love and jealousy; there is underlying racism, hate, deception, pride, and even sexism between these pages. Othello is a transcendent play, one that will survive the perils of time simply because it is still relevant. Even today, over 400 years later, there are still issues of racism and sexism. Hate is as natural as love in humans and Othello gets right to the root of that. We witness this from the very first scene, “…you’ll have your daughter covered with a Barbary horse/ you’ll have your nephews neigh to you” (I.i.112-14); to the very last, “Moor she was chaste. She loved thee, cruel Moor” (V.ii.258). Moor however is

Texts and their appropriations reflect the context and values of their times. Within Shakespeare’s Othello and Geoffrey Sax’s appropriation of Othello, the evolution of the attitudes held by Elizabethan audiences and those held by contemporary audiences can be seen through the context of the female coupled with the context of racism. The role of the female has developed from being submissive and “obedient” in the Elizabethan era to being independent and liberated within the contemporary setting. The racism of the first text is overtly xenophobic and natural, whilst the “moor” is unnatural whereas the updated context portrays Othello’s race as natural and racism as unnatural. Therefore these examples show how Shakespeare’s Othello, and it’s

Macbeth, an ironic tragedy of the 17th century, is perhaps one of the most appraised works by renowned playwright William Shakespeare. Such fame, though, can be justified through the play’s effective utilization of themes and their evocative subtext; however, Shakespeare particularly focusses on the theme of power and has done so with intent. Macbeth visualises power in two forms, being that of divine and supernatural. The play forms a representation that, alike with the socio-cultural beliefs of the Elizabethan era, divine power should not be tampered with. Otherwise, the consequences can be detrimental, as demonstrated by the painful ends of characters Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. Both individuals use the process of illegitimate power to

In Millicent Bell’s “Othello’s Jealousy”, she explores the idea that Othello’s downfall is ultimately caused by his distrust for and apprehensiveness towards society due to him being a racial outsider. He knows not only does he not fit in to this strict European society, but he probably never will. Bell argues Othello’s racial weariness was used and molded by Iago into sexual jealousy, a jealousy Othello was never able to recover from, as Iago accused Othello’s venetian wife Desdemona of cheating and ultimately convinced Othello of such to his demise. I argue, that Shakespeare made a point to exemplify not only the racial discord in society in 1604, but just how deep that disgust for racial outsiders ran, and how it could easily sway the individual to begin to feel the same way about themselves, along with the sometimes fatal consequences that can accompany those beliefs and insecurities.

The infectious discrimination of Elizabethan racists is derived from fear unnatural a racist’s hate plagues a vulnerable community of black slaves, with religion and war corrupting diverse cultures in the attempts to purify the existence of sin. This enlightening argument of what inspires William Shakespeare’s to compose the play Othello contaminates romantic relationships,

John Steinbeck’s quote, “Power does not corrupt. Fear corrupts. . . perhaps the fear of a loss of power.” It was the continuous losses faced by Hamlet in his life filled with extreme tragedies that forced him to avenge his father’s death from Claudius. In the play, Hamlet: Prince of Denmark, by William Shakespeare; the protagonist, Hamlet throughout the play is perceived to be a crazy, mad teenager. However, Hamlet’s insanity was more than just an act to some. The life of Hamlet involves countless tragedies including the death of his father, his mother’s incestuous marriage, his own madness, and his own death at the end. An analysis of the roles of power in Hamlet: Prince of Denmark, reveals many challenges- one being power.

Shakespeare’s play Othello is not only a tragedy of a man’s downfall but a tragedy of race as well. Shakespeare assigns Othello his black color and African characteristics to create a special distinction between him and the other white characters in the play but in doing so Shakespeare also demonizes the black race as individuals susceptible to manipulation and jealousy. It can even be speculated that Shakespeare designed Othello’s blackness as a source of comic relief and to pander to his Elizabethan audiences. In the play, Othello’s color and race is mocked and associated with wild animals and savagery by individuals who seek his downfall. Because Othello is black his marriage to the white Desdemona is called to question by his peers and

In many of his works, William Shakespeare explores ideas of gender differences and racial tensions. Othello, a play whose characters are judged again and again based on appearances and outward characteristics, is one such work. The protagonist's different ethnic background provides a platform for probing ideas of racial conflict. Similarly, the presence of well-developed yet opposing female characters adds a dimension of gender conflict and feminist views. These seemingly separate themes of Othello-sexual difference and racial conflict-are closely connected because of similar ties of prejudgment and stereotype. The play's treatment of sexual difference and gender roles strengthens Othello's racist tones and

When discussing themes within William Shakespeare’s Othello, issues of racial prejudice becomes a topic that invariably demands discussion. Although it was highly unusual in the Renaissance period to see a Moor protagonist in a work of drama, much of the language, setting and character motivations utilized within the play reflect the attitudes of the English towards the blackamoors during the time; It could be argued that by making Othello a tragic hero, thereby forcing the audience from an artistic standpoint to view him as sympathetic, Shakespeare may have been using his work as a platform from which to deliver commentary on the relationship between race, politics, and the rampant poverty that was impacting Renaissance England.

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

Othello is one of the first black heroes in English literature. As a general in the army he has risen to a position of power and influence despite his race and his status as a foreigner in Venice. Othello constantly faces insidious racism from other characters such as Iago, Brabantio and Roderigo. The racism focuses on his sexual relationship with a white woman Desdemona. Othello himself defies many stereotypes but it’s no coincidence that he’s a tragic hero. Being a Moor he comes from a different culture. Othello’s race and outsider status are central to his vulnerability to Iago’s plotting and the racism towards him.

In the opening scene of the play, Iago and Roderigo are discussing their common enemy, Othello. Surprisingly, there is no mention of Othello’s name, as a result, the audience can only interpret him by the remarks the characters used to describe him. The two characters often mention Othello as “the Moor” or “thick-lips” (I.i.68), but also indicate that by his race he is not human or undeserving of a name. Before the audience is given information about the true identity of Othello, there are only the descriptions of animals. This illustrates a similarity between the blacks and animals - that they are not entirely human beings, therefore unworthy of the use of a name instead of such representation. Consequently, the reader is manipulated into the same racist attitude of the characters in the play solely because of the descriptions Shakespeare provided.

Shakespeare’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.

Racism in English Culture Racism is not something one thinks about when thinking about or reading Shakespeare’s works. But in William Shakespeare’s Othello, racism is a driving force in the storyline. Noticing how Othello is referred to in Othello gives us a glimpse into how people of African descent were treated in the Elizabethan era. In Othello, the racism is imbedded in a way that is almost undetectable at first glance.

Shakespeare educates us an acquaintance about human nature at best and worst. His language is mature and complex, so studying it is an excellent exercise in analysis. His works are integrated into every area of our culture, depicting the challenges such as true love, betrayal and grief. Shakespeare helps us to understand what it is to be human and to be aware of major problems occurring at different time and places of the world. Shakespeare wrote “Othello” featuring a black Muslim man to chronicle the political and racial tensions between Europeans and non-Europeans during the Elizabethan era towards Moors. Furthermore, it was widely believed that the play was written particularly to suit the interests of King James I, who had an interest in Turkish history and customs. Histories of racism and cultural approaches appears to stretch back to into the sixteenth century, where the English had domination. Under those circumstances, it suited the dominant group to judge people as being inferior.