Sergio Perez Imagining Shakespeare An Analysis of Othello In William Shakespeares play Othello, we are presented with an interesting main

character. Othello is a moor in an all white society and this part of the play helps to create an environment of animosity and fear. Othello is a well respected general in the Venetian army, an extraordinary accomplishment made even more fascinating considering his ethnicity. He is the only black person in the entire play, a fact that will later help to shape the play. Shakespeare makes Othello a smart and well articulated character throughout the play, but in later acts we can see that he has been slowly transforming into something quite different by Iago. He transforms into something so evil and malicious that it become hard to even recognize Othello. It is hard to speculate what Shakespeares intention was for having this character change so dramatically, but it raises a few thoughts. What exactly is Shakespeare trying to say about black and white relationships? Is his play truly racist and if so what was he trying to accomplish with this racism? Lets start by observing the character of Othello, a Venetian General who falls in love with the daughter of a senator. It is hard to speculate what the attitude of Venetians at this time period was towards the black race. One can only imagine that since Othello was not originally European, then they must have considered him uncivilized and savage-like. This is not the same type of racism that is prevalent in modern day, but we can also guess that skin color played a big part in what was thought about Othello. His skin color does not fully impede his social standing, as he holds the title of General in the army. This is an interesting point that Shakespeare presents, if he was trying to present a racist view why would he give Othello such a high standing?

Shakespeare presents Desdemona as Othellos love interest. She is a white female, who engages in sexual activity with Othello. Once this becomes known to her father, he makes a big scene of it. He is so outraged that his daughter is with a black man that he wishes to have Othello arrested. In this power struggle we can see that Shakespeare is presenting the audience with a view of society. Such an act in his day would certainly have provided so many backlashes from society and may have warranted punishment. What makes the play more fantastical and less realistic is the outcome of their confrontation. Othello, who has been established as an important figure in this society, has the ability to stop the fighting between his men and Brabanzios men with his words. As they stop, Brabanzio decides to bring this issue to the Duke and have him settle it. In this scene we see small hints of racism again when Brabanzio accuses Othello of using magic to obtain his daughters love. It is quite a peculiar accusation, but it helps the audience see the mind state that Brabanzio is in. He doesnt understand how his daughter could marry a man of another race; the only things he can come up with are supernatural methods. The duke is quite a refreshing voice of reason; as he claims that even his own daughter would fall in love with Othello if she had heard his life story. He says to Brabanzio, Noble signor, If virtue no delighted beauty lack, your son-in-law is far more fair than black. (1.3.285-6). Here the Duke shows his admiration for Othello. He defends Othello against Brabanzios accusations that Othello used magic on his daughter. It must be noted though that the Dukes comment of Othello has a double meaning to it. On one hand he is complimenting Othello by saying he is virtuous and fair. On the other hand, his words hinges on the idea that blackness has negative connotations. Ultimately, the Duke implies that Othello is "fair" despite the fact that he is black. He proves to be one of the more tolerant characters that Shakespeare presents. It shows the

audience that Shakespeare was trying to change the mentality of his people towards the black race. Now let us take a look at the villain of the play, Iago, who presents us with the most racist lines and views of the play. Iago sees himself as the most deserving person of fortune. He has a problem with having Othello being his superior, mainly because of his skin color. Iago is only further enraged when Othello chose Cassio to be his lieutenant. He believes himself to be the better and more logical choice considering that Cassio has no actual war experience. This indiscretion creates the plot of the story. He decides to destroy Othello without any regard for who gets hurt. We have already mentioned the scene where Iago tells Brabanzio about his daughter and Othello. It is in this scene where Iago says one of the more racist comments in the play. He says, "Even now, very now, an old black ram is tupping your white ewe. Arise, arise, Awake the snorting citizens with the bell Or else the devil will make a grandsire of you." (Act 1, Scene 1). The metaphor is an obvious one, but he is comparing Othello to being an animal. He is also saying that Othello who is much older is having sex with his innocent white daughter. He also warns Brabanzio about having a mixed grandchild which Iago claims is the work of the devil. So in essence Iago is saying that Brabanzio needs to stop this or else he will be plagued with a black grandchild. He then also says, Because we come to do you service and you think we are ruffians, you'll have your daughter covered with a Barbary horse; you'll have your nephews neigh to you; you'll have coursers for cousins and gennets for germans (1.1.114-8). We've seen how Iago uses animal imagery to describe Othello in his racist rants. Brabanzio does not believe Iago and objects to his rude late night allegation of his daughter eloping. Iago claims that Desdemona is having sex with a "barbary horse" and as a result Brabanzios relatives will "neigh to him." This is a jab at Brabanzios honor, by implying that Othellos race and offspring

will bring shame to his family. Iago uses the line about his relatives to show that the shame is so bad that his own family will look down upon them. It is also saying that Othello's animal-like sexuality corrupts Desdemona. This is touches the extreme view on race relations and what Iago stands for. So not only does Iago not like Othellos skin color, but he views it as a plague that will destroy and humiliate white people. This kind of thinking can be compared to Nazi Germany and there indiscriminate hate of all things Jewish. Later in the play Othello allows himself to be confused by Iago and believes that Desdemona is cheating on him, by act three Othello begins to believe Iagos accusations. He contemplates these ideas by saying, Her name, that was as fresh/ As Dian's visage, is now begrimed and black/ As mine own face (3.3.396-8). He suspects that Desdemona is being unfaithful to him with Cassio. These allegations which have ruined her reputation, he claims is so clean, and is now dirtied. The main point that Othello tries to convey here is that a wife's fidelity to her husband determines a man's good reputation. He also makes a compares her dirty reputation to his skin color. It would seem that at this point all the negativity about blackness is beginning to affect Othello. So much so that he makes racist and bigot comments on himself. Taking another look at the comment it can be inferred that fresh as Dian's visage represents the purity of the color white. That he compares to his own begrimed face. This is a significant moment in the play for Othello as he has allowed those around him to belittle his own worth as a human being. He has internalized the racist ideologies of other characters and begins see himself as a soiled and soiling black man. At the end of the play Othello has realized that he was tricked by Iago and killed his own wife for no good reason. As he unveils Iagos plot and is taken away to Venice to trialed he has one last words for those around him. He says, Speak of me as I am; nothing extenuate,/ Nor set

down aught in malice: then must you speak/ Of one that loved not wisely but too well;/ Like the base Indian, threw a pearl away/ Richer than all his tribe.(5.2.358-64). Othello is no longer the great and upstanding character presented at the beginning of the play. He doesnt ask for pity, he wants to be spoken of as an ordinary man who allowed jealousy to get the best of him. This is something that has plagued all types of people and shows how that he sees himself as a normal human being like all the rest. One can speculate that his revulsion for his own color is dissolving a bit, but then he makes a slight racist comment about the Indians. He compares the murder of his wife to being like a base Indian who threw a pearl away without knowing its true worth. He uses the word base to describe the Native Americans, which would mean dumb and uncivilized. He likens his own race to be like the Native American who he claims are ignorant to the true value of anything. Shakespeares Othello is quite an interesting play as it shows the audience the social dynamics of race relations. The audience is presented with a stiory in which racism is prevelant and at one point is the play severely affects Othello. The play allows the reader and audience to make many assumptions as to what Shakespeare was truly trying to convey. Reading the play critically we can infer that Shakespeare does not really want to make racism his main theme for the play, but it still plays a major role in the play. It is more of a play in which Shakespeare show the effects of racism on a specific character.