Othello

Seniqua Payne
Dr. McMullen
English 200
23 April 2013
Analytical Paper 2
Identity: Othello Othello is a tragedy play that was written by William Shakespeare around 1603. Although William Shakespeare came up with the concept of Othello, he did not write any of it down. We have a recollection of the play from actors’ telling what they remember from acting it out and some even wrote down what they remembered using stenography. Today, this is how we have the magnificent play, Othello. Othello is a play that tells the story of the powerful General of the Army of Venice. Othello is the first great black protagonist in Western literature, and is still one of the most famous. Othello stages a hero’s fall from grace to an insane, violent and jealous husband who murders his own wife after he is convince that she is unfaithful. William Shakespeare’s Othello, clearly illustrates how Othello’s identity is manipulated by others and shapes his actions. Throughout the play, racism is a major issue that helps shapes Othello’s actions. Othello receives some pretty overt racism from Iago and Brabantio. Brabantio did not really care about Othello being a moor of such high rank in the Venetian army. It was not until Iago, being the master manipulator that he is tells Brabantio about the marriage between his daughter, Desdemona, and Othello (1.1.9). Brabantio starts to fear of what the result will be of mixing races, miscegenation. Things start to running through Brabantio’s head about how Othello tricked Desdemona into marrying him. He also believes that Desdemona did it out of fear of Othello (1.3.6). On the other hand, Iago show his racism because he was jealous of Othello. Iago manipulates everybody to help convey his evil plan to destroy Othello. Whenever Othello appoints Micheal Cassio to be his second-in-command this infuriates Iago, as he wanted to be lieutenant. Iago cannot understand how Cassio got the promotion, seeming that he has any experience at war (1.1.21). Iago uses Cassio’s weaknesses to exploit him. Knowing, that Cassio is a heavy drinker, Iago gets Cassio drunk and sends him to fight Roderigo. With, Cassio being too much of a lady’s man angers Iago, as Cassio's kissing Emilia in front of Iago is a bad idea. It also comes back to bite Cassio in the end, since his flirtatious charisma helps convince Othello that Cassio is having sex with Desdemona. Next, he uses Roderigo as his wingman, basically just to get want he wants financially.