Racial Stereotypes In Shakespeare's Othello
Characters –
Othello –
Character –
o Tragic hero – Flaw - - Insecurity (Jealous) - Trust? o Controversial - Becomes racial stereotype - Is Othello responsible for tragedy or Iago? o Othello blames Iago ‘perplexed in the extreme’ o Conflict between dualities; • Black and white • Inferior and superior • Arrogant and self-doubt • General and husband • Public and private • Hero (Venetian) and villain (Turk) • Trusting and suspicious Becomes Elizabethan racial Stereotype: • Violent, sex-obsessed, primitive • Loses control (epileptic fit) – physically and emotionally …show more content…
– Sexual desire? (undressing at the time)
Language –
← Noble at the start – respectful but decisive ← Transparent – says what she means – no match for Iago ← Innocent – ‘not by this heavenly light’ – angelic ← ‘My lord’ – Othello or God – worships Othello like God ← Reluctant to say word ‘whore’ ← Little ‘voice’ – can’t change anyone through her words – no-ones listening ← Inconsistency in her character – joins in Iago’s crude jokes II.1
Cassio -
Character –
o Contrast Othello o Natural suitor for Desdemona – white, respected, charming o Relationship with Bianca socially acceptable in Shakespeare’s time – modern audience judges him more harshly o Popular with women o Abuses Bianca – fulfills Emilia’s idea ‘men devour women’ o Realizes power or reputation – ‘reputation, reputation, …show more content…
Cassio and Bianca’s relationship • Longs scenes – build up tension and are interspersed with short scenes – often violent scenes • IV.3 – sad scene that builds up Desdemona’s death • Lots of opposites • Lots of dramatic irony – Iago is the main source of this. • Play relies on repetition and reversal
• Reversal e.g – o Iago’s stereotype reversal – then partially fulfilled o Iago’s most powerful when Othello is weakest o Cassio’s reputation lost – then restored as is Desdemona’s o Iago’s ‘honest’ reputation is reversed by his wife’s real honesty o Othello is on trial in I.3 and is the judge ( who misjudges as he was misjudged by Brabantio) in I.3 and V.2
• Repetition e.g – o Iago manipulates confusion in darkness in I.1 and
Othello –
Character –
o Tragic hero – Flaw - - Insecurity (Jealous) - Trust? o Controversial - Becomes racial stereotype - Is Othello responsible for tragedy or Iago? o Othello blames Iago ‘perplexed in the extreme’ o Conflict between dualities; • Black and white • Inferior and superior • Arrogant and self-doubt • General and husband • Public and private • Hero (Venetian) and villain (Turk) • Trusting and suspicious Becomes Elizabethan racial Stereotype: • Violent, sex-obsessed, primitive • Loses control (epileptic fit) – physically and emotionally …show more content…
– Sexual desire? (undressing at the time)
Language –
← Noble at the start – respectful but decisive ← Transparent – says what she means – no match for Iago ← Innocent – ‘not by this heavenly light’ – angelic ← ‘My lord’ – Othello or God – worships Othello like God ← Reluctant to say word ‘whore’ ← Little ‘voice’ – can’t change anyone through her words – no-ones listening ← Inconsistency in her character – joins in Iago’s crude jokes II.1
Cassio -
Character –
o Contrast Othello o Natural suitor for Desdemona – white, respected, charming o Relationship with Bianca socially acceptable in Shakespeare’s time – modern audience judges him more harshly o Popular with women o Abuses Bianca – fulfills Emilia’s idea ‘men devour women’ o Realizes power or reputation – ‘reputation, reputation, …show more content…
Cassio and Bianca’s relationship • Longs scenes – build up tension and are interspersed with short scenes – often violent scenes • IV.3 – sad scene that builds up Desdemona’s death • Lots of opposites • Lots of dramatic irony – Iago is the main source of this. • Play relies on repetition and reversal
• Reversal e.g – o Iago’s stereotype reversal – then partially fulfilled o Iago’s most powerful when Othello is weakest o Cassio’s reputation lost – then restored as is Desdemona’s o Iago’s ‘honest’ reputation is reversed by his wife’s real honesty o Othello is on trial in I.3 and is the judge ( who misjudges as he was misjudged by Brabantio) in I.3 and V.2
• Repetition e.g – o Iago manipulates confusion in darkness in I.1 and