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Introduction
Shakespeare’s Othello is a play that touches upon the issues that have not lost their relevance throughout the centuries. While in developed countries nowadays, racial and gender inequalities are widely criticized, they are considered the norm in the Venetian society of Othello. Shakespeare challenges these norms, mainly through his portrayals of Othello and Emilia. Overall, Shakespeare’s ideas make Othello a play well ahead of its time.
Brabantio’s Case as an Example of Shakespeare’s Anti-Racism
Numerous characters throughout the play demonstrate implicit racial attitudes, and Brabantio, Desdemona’s father, is one of those. In Act 1, Scene 2, he expresses his disbelief in the genuineness of his daughter’s feelings for Othello and states that the latter must have seduced her using some sort of magic. Witchcraft practice was considered a serious offense in medieval Europe; hence, Brabantio’s accusations are indicative of his extremely negative perception of Othello. Brabantio concludes the scene with the phrase “for if such actions may have passage free, Bond slaves and pagans shall our statesmen be” (Shakespeare 23). His racism is most evident when he expresses his disgust for Othello’s appearance at the Duke’s palace, angrily exclaiming “to fall in love with what she feared to look on!” (Shakespeare 30). While many characters in the play make brief remarks, which are indicative of their racial attitudes, Desdemona’s father is the most persistent in his ignorance.
For Shakespeare, Brabantio’s views are representative of the racial prejudice of the society in general, rather than of his personal feelings towards the protagonist. Othello, telling his story of falling in love with Desdemona, states that “her father loved me, oft invited me” (Shakespeare 32). It proves that Brabantio does not hate Othello, but he can not see him as an equal and definitely can not fathom his daughter loving someone like him. His denial most likely comes from his upbringing and conservative values.
As Desdemona’s father can be considered the voice of the conservative elites in Venice, Shakespeare’s portrayal of this character can shed light on his take on racial issues. Two-character juxtapositions can help to understand the author’s position. Brabantio can be compared to Othello as they both present their points to the Duke. A less obvious, but equally important juxtaposition is the one between Brabantio and the Duke. Much like Desdemona’s father, the Duke belongs to the ruling class of the society, but he exhibits an entirely different attitude and behavior.
From the moment Brabantio enters the palace, he can barely control himself, interrupting other speakers and throwing repetitive accusations at Othello (Shakespeare 28-30). His argument lacks logical reasoning and is based purely on his perception of race. On the other hand, Othello’s story is cohesive and believable; he is humble and respectful of his opponent. Moreover, he expresses willingness to sacrifice his career and even life if Desdemona does not confirm his story (Shakespeare 31). While the Duke shows sympathy for Brabantio’s cause, he demonstrates a lack of racial bias and doubts the accusations, saying “to vouch this is no proof, without wider and more overt test” (Shakespeare 31). When Desdemona confirms the true nature of her feelings for Othello, Brabantio’s witchcraft theory is proven wrong, and he has no other choice but to accept Othello as his son-in-law (Shakespeare 36). The outcome hardly pleases Desdemona’s father, but he admits its fairness. Therefore, Shakespeare does not only expose the flawed logic of racists, but he also demonstrates how empirical evidence can be used to destroy dangerous stereotypes.
Racism as an Attribute of a Villain
Iago regularly uses offensive metaphors to demonstrate his contempt for Othello and manipulate people. For example, Brabantio is enraged when Iago tells him that “an old black ram is tupping your white ewe,” referring to Othello and Desdemona (Shakespeare 9-10). However, as the play progresses, it becomes clear that Iago’s opinion of other characters is equally low. His misogyny is especially noticeable, as he compares women to guinea-hen in his conversation with Roderigo, and mocks Desdemona and Emilia later (Shakespeare 58-60). He calls his only ally and accomplice “my sick fool Roderigo” (Shakespeare 75). Overall, the analysis of Iago’s speeches leads to the conclusion that he despises humankind in general.
As the play progresses, it becomes clear that Iago has the traits of a psychopath. He completely disregards the feelings of others and sees other people as dispensable. He uses Roderigo and his wife, Emilia, to achieve his goals and eventually kills both. When Iago encourages Roderigo to kill Cassio, he reveals his true thoughts, saying “now, whether he kill Cassio, or Cassio him, or each does kill the other, every way makes my gain” (Shakespeare 176). Overall, Iago is the most immoral and unlikable character in Othello and one of the most notorious villains in Shakespearean plays.
Shakespeare shows that racism and hatred are integral to Iago’s character. While Iago probably hates Othello more for promoting Cassio instead of him, rather than for his skin color, he masterfully uses the others’ racism to turn them against the protagonist. The racial bias of Roderigo and Brabantio might be a result of ignorance, but Iago’s racism is fueled by hatred, which makes him extremely unlikable. By assigning the most racist lines to this character, Shakespeare clearly shows his disapproval of racism.
Could Othello Be a Racist Play?
Some scholars argue that Othello is a racist play because Shakespeare portrays the protagonist as a jealous fool who loses everything at the end. Indeed, his uncontrolled anger and inability to think logically under pressure could be the traits a Renaissance writer associated with race. However, the analysis of other Shakespeare’s plays shows that this assumption is quite questionable. In Shakespearean tragedy, a protagonist always has a fatal flaw – Hamlet is indecisive, Romeo is impulsive, Macbeth is overly ambitious, and Othello is jealous. These flaws are often the only negative traits that Shakespeare assigns to these extremely virtuous characters. Othello perfectly fits this description, as his superiors and subordinates refer to him as valiant, noble, brave, and “great of heart” (Shakespeare 27, 53, 72, 203). Hence, Othello’s flaw proves that he belongs with the tradition of Shakespearean tragedy, rather than tells anything about the author’s racial attitude.
The fall of Othello is another essential element of the classic tragedy. All Shakespeare’s tragic heroes die suffering – Macbeth is dethroned and beheaded, Romeo and Juliet commit suicide because they believe their love is dead, Lear loses his only loyal daughter and dies. It leads to the conclusion that Othello’s tragic end is not predetermined because of his race, but is an inevitable outcome for a heroin Shakespearean tragedy.
Usually, Shakespeare gives most lines and soliloquies to the title characters in his plays. However, in this case, Iago, not Othello, is the character with the most lines. It could be argued that Othello’s race is the factor that made Shakespeare alter the traditional structure of the play. However, it is not necessarily indicative of the author’s racism. Racial bias existed in Elizabethan England, and introducing a Black protagonist from the beginning could prove to be a difficult task. Instead, by making Iago, in effect, a narrator, Shakespeare lets the public see Othello through his enemy’s eyes. As the story unfolds, and it becomes clear that Iago is a villain, the audience has no other choice but to accept Othello as the hero. Therefore, in Othello, Shakespeare challenges the traditional structure of the play, giving the public a chance to look at the events from the antagonist’s perspective. However, it does not undermine the importance of Othello’s character. On the contrary, by exposing Iago’s cowardice and vileness in intimate detail, Shakespeare ensures that the audience sides with Othello, despite any implicit bias it might have initially developed.
Conclusion
Shakespeare is often praised for writing plays that remain relevant in the modern world. Othello is one of the rare examples of Renaissance literature that tackles the problem of racism. For the first time in Elizabethan England, Shakespeare introduces a Black tragic hero who is noble and virtuous. Through the juxtaposition of Othello with racist characters, Shakespeare shows that one’s personality and values are not defined by race. Therefore, Othello can be considered one of the earliest examples of anti-racist literature in Western culture.
Work Cited
Shakespeare, William. Othello. Yale University Press. 2005.
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