The Theme Of Racism In Shakespeare's Othello

The Moor Shakespeare’s play Othello displays the theme of racism towards the tragic hero Othello. According to Dictionary.com, racism is defined as, “a belief or doctrine that inherent differences among the various human racial groups determine cultural or individual achievement, usually involving the idea that one's own race is superior and has the right to dominate others or that a particular racial group is inferior to the others.” In Othello, racism seems to overpower what a great leader and husband Othello is. This theme of racism is shown by Iago using racial slurs when awakening Brabantio, Brabantio arguing about Desdemona and Othello’s love being unnatural, and everyone referring to Othello as the Moor. Within the first scene of the play, the racial slurs are made towards Othello by Iago when he awakens Brabantio. Iago and Roderigo yell to Brabantio to
Brabantio does not believe that Desdemona could have fallen for someone like Othello even though he is the General of the Republic. In act one, scene three Brabantio explains, “She is spite of nature, of years, of country, credit, everything to fall in love with what she feared to look on”(96-98)! In this quote, Brabantio is completely blindsided by his daughter's marriage and does not think Desdemona could have fallen for a black man. Although Othello is a high rank general, Brabantio is convinced that Othello used some type of magic on Desdemona to make her fall in love with him. In act one, scene three Brabantio states, “By spells and medicines bought of mountebanks; for nature so prepost’ rously to err, being not deficient, blind, or lame of sense, sans witchcraft could not”(61-64). Again Brabantio is trying to deny Desdemona’s love for Othello saying it is witchcraft. Brabantio is not the only person who is racist towards Othello. In fact, everyone is racist towards