Racism In Othello
William Shakespeare’s plays all form a similar structure of a tragic, romantic story that concludes only in a remorseful ending. However, Shakespeare achieves this structure and morbid ending in Othello in a much differing way compared to his other plays. The play, Othello, is a tragedy resulting from racism, which ultimately ends up leading to the main character Othello and his wife’s demise. Othello, the lead character in the play, is a brave soldier from Africa who is the supreme commander of the Venetian army. Although he holds such a mighty and powerful position in society, it is evident that due to his race, the people of this traditional Venetian society, including his soldiers whom he commands view him as inferior. They address him
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Initially, she follows Iago in her wifely duty, but as the play progresses, she develops a strong loyalty to Desdemona and Othello and despises her husband Iago. However, even Emilia in her state of extreme loyalty to Desdemona and Othello reverts back to her racism to explain what has happened when she discovers what Othello has done to Desdemona. Rather than simply being enraged and distraught, and perhaps criticizing his actions, she relates this back to race and roars at him, “O, the more angle she, and you the blacker devil!”(Shakespeare v.ii.8) This is yet another example of people in this Venetian society classifying the color black with evil and wickedness contrasting to the color white which is supposed to symbolize purity. Emilia is an example that racism takes roots deep into Venetian society during the 17th century, and that even she, who is an ally of Othello, has racist thoughts present in the back of her …show more content…
Even Othello himself is not fully aware how deeply this prejudice has penetrated into his own personality. It is an insecurity that roots itself into him to the point that he himself even believes the racial prejudice directed towards him; He begins to believe these negative societal views of himself to the point where he questions whether he is worthy of having someone such as Desdemona and whether it is possible for somebody such as Desdemona to truly love him. This insecurity that Othello has within himself continues to enlarge through Iago’s lies ultimately leading him to killing
Initially, she follows Iago in her wifely duty, but as the play progresses, she develops a strong loyalty to Desdemona and Othello and despises her husband Iago. However, even Emilia in her state of extreme loyalty to Desdemona and Othello reverts back to her racism to explain what has happened when she discovers what Othello has done to Desdemona. Rather than simply being enraged and distraught, and perhaps criticizing his actions, she relates this back to race and roars at him, “O, the more angle she, and you the blacker devil!”(Shakespeare v.ii.8) This is yet another example of people in this Venetian society classifying the color black with evil and wickedness contrasting to the color white which is supposed to symbolize purity. Emilia is an example that racism takes roots deep into Venetian society during the 17th century, and that even she, who is an ally of Othello, has racist thoughts present in the back of her …show more content…
Even Othello himself is not fully aware how deeply this prejudice has penetrated into his own personality. It is an insecurity that roots itself into him to the point that he himself even believes the racial prejudice directed towards him; He begins to believe these negative societal views of himself to the point where he questions whether he is worthy of having someone such as Desdemona and whether it is possible for somebody such as Desdemona to truly love him. This insecurity that Othello has within himself continues to enlarge through Iago’s lies ultimately leading him to killing