Race in Othello
3 paragraphs of Act 1 in Othello ----Sally Fu
RACE
William Shakespeare’s Othello explores the issue of race in his portrayal of the protagonist as a Moor which represents his tending marginal role in a Venetian society. In the play, characters are judged again and again based on appearances and outward characteristics. The protagonist's different ethnic background provides a platform for probing ideas of racial conflict. This is exposed initially through the title of this play, “Othello, the Moor of Venice”, where the juxtaposition of “Moor” and “Venice” imbued within, reveals Othello’s loss of identity and the outsider nature in Venetian society. The dramatic opening of Act 1 Scene1 captures the audience’s attention and gives us a first impression of Othello as an obnoxious “Moor” and hateful “black creature.” This mocking tone is heightened through Roderigo’s description of Othello as “thick-lips owe” and reduces him to mere racial stereotype by referring him as his physical feature. The discriminatory language is amplified further when Iago later portrays Othello and Desdemona's relationships as "an old black ram…tupping your white ewe" and "making the beast with two backs". The use of animal imagery of “ram” and “ewe” disparaged Othello to a simple beast and is stereotyped as sexually overactive as well as bestial force, to foil white people’s nobleness. The antithesis of “black” and “white” instilled within emphasizes the racial discrimination and gap between different ethnic groups at the Elizabethan time, when white people don’t admit black (African) people as part of their Christian society. This antithesis of contrasting colour is widely used throughout the entire play to create character’s hatred toward the Moor, and it is also frequently placed next to biblical justification such as “black devil” and white “noble angel”, as people in the Elizabethan period like to cite examples from Christian theology to support the view that
RACE
William Shakespeare’s Othello explores the issue of race in his portrayal of the protagonist as a Moor which represents his tending marginal role in a Venetian society. In the play, characters are judged again and again based on appearances and outward characteristics. The protagonist's different ethnic background provides a platform for probing ideas of racial conflict. This is exposed initially through the title of this play, “Othello, the Moor of Venice”, where the juxtaposition of “Moor” and “Venice” imbued within, reveals Othello’s loss of identity and the outsider nature in Venetian society. The dramatic opening of Act 1 Scene1 captures the audience’s attention and gives us a first impression of Othello as an obnoxious “Moor” and hateful “black creature.” This mocking tone is heightened through Roderigo’s description of Othello as “thick-lips owe” and reduces him to mere racial stereotype by referring him as his physical feature. The discriminatory language is amplified further when Iago later portrays Othello and Desdemona's relationships as "an old black ram…tupping your white ewe" and "making the beast with two backs". The use of animal imagery of “ram” and “ewe” disparaged Othello to a simple beast and is stereotyped as sexually overactive as well as bestial force, to foil white people’s nobleness. The antithesis of “black” and “white” instilled within emphasizes the racial discrimination and gap between different ethnic groups at the Elizabethan time, when white people don’t admit black (African) people as part of their Christian society. This antithesis of contrasting colour is widely used throughout the entire play to create character’s hatred toward the Moor, and it is also frequently placed next to biblical justification such as “black devil” and white “noble angel”, as people in the Elizabethan period like to cite examples from Christian theology to support the view that