The Tragedy of Othello the Moor of Venice is considered one of the most popular works of William Shakespeare. The tragedy of Othello was written in the second period of his creative career, which is characterized by pessimism. Consequently, Shakespeare writes about the great tragic problems of life. The essence of Shakespeare’s tragedy lies in the collision of two principles: humanistic feelings (pure and noble humanity) and vulgarity, meanness, greed, and selfishness. According to the writer himself, the fate of everyone is the result of their character and circumstances. The names of the main characters, Othello, Iago, and Desdemona, have long been household names. But it is also worth paying attention to the secondary heroes who became unwitting participants in the tragedy and directly influenced it. The young courtesan, Bianca, is presented in the play as the mistress of one of the main characters, Cassio. Since she was a girl of easy virtue, no one took her seriously. Having analysed the work, it can be seen that Bianca is not just a negative person but a sympathetic character that is important for a deeper understanding of human relationships and the plot itself.
The first trait of Bianca’s character that shows her good side is care and love for Cassio. An amazing feature of Bianca’s character was that she met only one person throughout the work. Moreover, she was jealous of Cassio, did things for him, and hoped he was serious about her: “I pray you bring me on the way a little, and say if I shall see you soon at night” (Othello 3.4. 2376-2377). As in the play, Bianca is represented by a prostitute; therefore, in society, such girls are famous for frivolity, inconstancy, the ability to betray, and pathological lies. Thus, Shakespeare wanted to show how stereotypes affect a person’s reputation and that a person can be completely different from what most people imagine him to be.
Despite the fact that Bianca has a minor role in the tragedy and she appears literally in several scenes, she played an important role and unknowingly became the key cause of Desdemona’s death. (Amri, Isna, 15). Iago lies to Othello and shows the handkerchief that Desdemona allegedly dropped when she cheated on him with Cassio: “but such a handkerchief— I am sure it was your wife’s—did I today see Cassio wipe his beard with.” (Othello 3.3. 2099-2100). When Cassio found the handkerchief, he admired the magnificent pattern and asked Bianca to embroider the same one for him. Bianca was furious because she thought it was a gift from another woman, but she still agreed because of her good-natured nature and love for Cassio. Thus, despite her jealousy, she subdued her character and did what her loved one asked.
Despite the fact that Bianca is represented in the play as a girl of easy virtue, Shakespeare gives her honesty and compassion. The author describes Bianca as a jealous girl who did not hold a grudge or evil against someone for a long time. She dreamed of marrying her beloved Cassio, who in turn did not take her seriously because she was famous for her reputation as a courtesan. Behind her back, she was discussed badly, although she was honest with everyone and acted with good intentions. She unwittingly became one of the reasons for Desdemona’s murder, but she was the only character who didn’t lie and just wanted to be treated better. The last words Bianca says: “I am no strumpet, but of life as honest as you that thus abuse me” (Othello 5.1. 3238-3239). Therefore, the author wanted to show that the social status of a person does not show his character.
Additionally, at the end of the poem, the author highlights Bianca’s empathic and compassionate character. At the end of the poem, she appears right after Iago has wounded Cassio. After that, Yago pretends that he has nothing to do with it. Thus, he accuses Bianca of being involved in the attack on Cassio. He convinces everyone that her emotional reaction is not related to her feelings for Cassio at all. Iago was sure that everyone would believe him since Bianca had a reputation as a prostitute. In the last scene where Bianca appears, the author shows her empathetic character: “What is the matter, ho? Who is ’t that cried?” (Othello 5.1. 3183). However, they snap at her and start insulting her, which once again proves that Bianca was an unwitting victim of this situation. Therefore, she acted sincerely; she decided to embroider the same pattern on the scarf because she wanted to make Cassio pleasant.
In conclusion, in his work The Tragedy of Othello the Moor of Venice, Shakespeare presents the prostitute Bianca as the only honest person. Therefore, her downfall makes her a sympathetic character because it is engineered. Bianca was innocent of Desdemona’s death but unwittingly became involved in it. Although Bianca had a bad reputation in the city, she is represented by a good-natured person. Thus, one of the goals of the works is to make the reader think that the social role of a person does not always determine his character.
Works Cited
Amri, Siti Hardiyanti., Isna, Maylani. Paradoxality of Women Positions in Othello by Shakespeare. JELITA 1.2 (2020): 12-20.
Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Othello the Moor of Venice. Penguin Random House LLC, 1958.
It is fair to say that Iago feels hatred for Othella, and it is not unfounded, which is emphasized by some fragments of the play. The main reason for the discord is that Othello slept with his wife and justifies all the negativity toward Iago. It is logical that a person who believes that he has been made a cuckold is capable of revenge. The following remark emphasizes this statement:… The assumption that the devil embraced my wife eats away my insides with poison, let him pay his debt for his wife with his wife…” (II, 1, 203). Readers may be confused by the sharpness Iago reaches in the rush of his life; however, a man for whom reputation plays a decisive role capable of great atrocities. This statement can emphasize with the following lines: “… there is nothing in the world more innocent in appearance than the machinations of hell…” (II, 2, 219). These words emphasize the awareness of actions on the part of Iago, which means that the reader will have less and less desire to protect him. In his view, Othello destroyed in him not only a husband but also a soldier, preferring another promotion. The sense of justice and resentment negation reflected Iago in the further development of events.
The handkerchief is very important for Othello and, at the same time, serves as a signal of Desdemona’s infidelity. Out of a sense of revenge, Iago suggests that there is a love affair between Othello’s wife and Cassio, but they refuse to believe him and demand direct evidence. The handkerchief is the best proof that Desdemona has entered into an intimate relationship with Cassio, and therefore Iago asks his wife to steal the handkerchief. Iago’s plan worked at the moment when Othello realizes that Cassio has a handkerchief and, from this, falls into despair. The bottom line is that this handkerchief is not easy, and it contains magic that allows Othello to love Desdemona (III, 3, 270). The loss of the scarf, in turn, foreshadows that the main character no longer loves his beloved.
Work Cited
Shakespeare, William. “Othello: [1622].” Oxford Text Archive Core Collection (1991).
Heroism has always been the force for many actions. People want to be brave and to perform rather risky actions searching for excitements, fame and pursuing other particular purposes.
Heroism is widely discussed in world literature. Many authors used heroism as the central ideas for discussion making the actions conducted by the heroes the central force for other activities and thinking processes. Reading Medea by Euripides, Othello by William Shakespeare, and The Epic of Gilgamesh it becomes obvious that the driving force of plot is heroism, however, the nature of that heroism is different that may be explained by the diversity of the objectives which may force people for brave actions.
Medea by Euripides tells a story about a woman who is supposed to help people just because she wants to be useful. However, in many cases the reasons for her heroism are not the desire to be useful or famous among others, she wants to get more.
Falling in love with Jason, Medea does the actions which seem to be crazy, however heroic (Euripides 25). At the same time, Medea is able to perform awful actions which seem heroic due to their risky nature. Heroism is mostly defined as the desire to perform a courageous action, but people do not usually pay attention to the nature and consequences of those actions which may be devil.
Reading Othello, it is possible to contradict that heroism is the driving force for the plot. Of course, jealousy and the desire to protect a daughter from the marriage with Othello make Brabantio think about some particular actions which might be rather provocative.
But Iago is a person who wants to be a hero in the eyes of his master and makes all possible to satisfy the desire of Brabantio to help him get rid of Othello (Shakespeare 97). However, Iago is too timid to act open and does everything with the help of Roderigo whom he kills when he believes everything is done. The heroism of Iago in this case is based on the desire to be the first but using the hands of other people.
Gilgamesh wants to be immortal, therefore all his actions are based on the desire to find the way to remain alive. He does many actions, comes through battles, etc., but he is unable to reach the set goal (“The epic of Gilgamesh” 210). Being a hero, Gilgamesh remains unsatisfied with his actions as he cannot become immortal. At the end of the play Gilgamesh has to accept the situation.
Therefore, it is possible to conclude that heroism is the part of each of the story and people are driven by the desire to become heroes, however, the nature and reasons for that heroism are absolutely different. Love, the desire to be useful and the personal profit are the ideas which become the reasons for driving force of heroism in the plays. Therefore, it may be concluded that all human actions are reasoned by their feelings.
At the same time people want to be heroes and do all possible to satisfy their needs even though the heroism may be explained both by positive and negative aspects. Reading Medea by Euripides, Othello by William Shakespeare, and The Epic of Gilgamesh, it is possible to find many reasons for human actions and as a result for the driving force of the plot, however, the desire to be famous and act heroic actions remains the predominant one.
Works Cited
Euripides, Svarlien, Diane Arnson and Robin Mitchell-Boyask. Medea. Hackett Publishing, 2008. Print.
Shakespeare, William and Julie Hankey. Othello. Cambridge University Press, 2005. Print.
“The epic of Gilgamesh.” The Norton Anthology of World Literature. Ed. Sarah Lawall. New York: Penguin Books, 2003. Print.
Othello is a story by William Shakespeare that revolves around four characters, Othello, who is the general in the Venetian Army, Lago, who was Othello’s assistant in the same army, Desdemona, the daughter of a senator who was Othello’s wife and Cassio, who is the Lieutenant. It is a tragic story that ends by the death of the main character because of the hatred and jealousy that Lago had against Othello.
Thesis statement
Lago had a deep hatred for the Moor firstly because of the fact that they were a people who were stuck in slavery and worked for their masters in the Kingdom of Venetia. He believed that these people were condemned to poverty for the rest of their lives and nothing could change that.
Lago’s detest was enhanced when a Moor (Othello) was promoted to the post of a general in the Army, and yet Lago himself could not be recognized by the ruling class. Lago had a deep seated hatred for Othello, and much insecurity and assumptions that came up on Lago in the rest of the story made him hate Othello and his tribe the more.
Othello earned respect in the army because he was brave at war but Lago was never happy about all these. He led the army to win many battles that was set before the Venetian people. Othello was a Moor, which is a group believed to come from North Africa, and was just a foreigner in the land. Lago was not happy that an outsider could be awarded the top rank in the Army.
Analysis
Lago had a soliloquy at the end of the book,” I hate the Moor, and it is thought abroad, that twixt my sheets, has done my office: I know if’t be true….yet I for mere suspicion in that kind, will do as if for surety.” This explains the general issues that he had against the Moor, the lineage that Othello belonged to.
His hatred toward the Moor started when he was overcome by rage over Casio’s promotion (by Othello) to a rank above him in the Venetian Army. He was a tribalist, greedy, and wanted power so much but Othello thought it wise to promote Cassio was a Florentine, but because of his hard work and his brevity in the army. Lago was someone driven by envy, fear, anger and with ill-intent and wanted to take all means necessary to keep them at bay.
He felt that he was the best suited for the promotion telling Othello that Cassio had not gotten the battlefield experience necessary to be promoted. He emphasized that Cassio was just a young boy who had not fought many battles with the foreign armies. He was a greedy man who was insecure and just wanted to be close to the ultimate power. In the Act 1 of the play, Shakespeare reports Lago saying that:
In personal suit to make me his lieutenant’, Oft capp’d to him;-and by the faith of a many, I know my price, I am worth no worse a place: But he, as loving his own pride and purposes, Evades them, with a bombast circumstance (806).
In the above extract, Lago was lamenting about Michael Cassio being given the position of a Lieutenant in the army, instead of him.
Lago was also jealous over a Moor taking a woman that was supposed to be his wife; Lago loved Desdemona so much though he was already married to Emilia. In the earlier days, he had already asked for blessings from Desdemona’s father to allow him marry the daughter. He never got to marry Desdemona but he still harbored feelings for the girl. When he later got to learn that Othello had married her, he was utterly upset and his hatred for for the Moor became more profound.
He also believed that Othello had already slept with his wife. He was furious that a foreigner had ‘slept in his sheets’ with his wife. He was a very insecure person that only drew lurid inferences from simple issues or no issues at all. He confesses in his soliloquy that he was acting out of mere suspicion to protect his tattered image.
Lago was additionally threatened by the success of the people around him. He felt that Othello, being a Moor, did not deserve the promotions he was getting in the Army. The fact that simple people from moor could get promotions he longed for made him mad and he swore to do everything necessary to keep them at bay. In order to redeem his image, which he thought was being compromised; he tried to down-talk everyone around him.
All these reasons drove Lago to act against his enemies and there was no better opportunity to do it than in the Venetian army’s battle against the Turkish onslaught. The Turks were out to occupy part of their land. When the Venetians army reached the bay, where they were to fight the Turkish Army, they found a huge storm had already swept the opponents. They then finished with what remained of Turkish Army. Thereafter, an after party was organized by Othello in celebrating the victory.
As the party progressed, Lago made sure that Cassio took too much alcohol so he could lose control of his actions. He then set him up with Rodrigo for a fight to make it look like Cassio confronted Rodrigo due to the excess alcohol he had consumed. All these instances are stylistically used by Shakespeare to typify Lago’s deep hatred for the Moor (Abcarian et al.).
Works Cited
Abcarian, Richard., Klots, Marvin., and Cohen, Samuel. Literature: The Human Experience. (10th Ed.). Boston: Bedford/ St. Martin’s, 2009.
Shakespeare, William. The Dramatic Works of Shakespeare, Part 1. Leipzig: Ernst Fleischer, 1824.
The story in Othello by William Shakespeare is based Othello, a Moorish General employed by the Venetian state, who has married Desdemona secretly. Desdemona is the daughter of a Venetian senator called Brabantio. Iago is an ensign in Othello’s army, who nurses a private grudge against Othello and wants to destroy him. The story revolves around the relationship between Othello and Desdemona, and the way in which Iago executes his plan against Othello. Shakespeare uses the vehicle of Othello to reveal the attitudes and values attached to women during the Elizabethan period.
Portrayal of Women
Using the three female characters of Desdemona, Emilia, and Bianca, Shakespeare gives us the common view of women through the eyes of Iago and the view of the nobility through the eyes of Brabantio, Desdemona’s father. In the Elizabethan period the common view of women were that they were instable with the potential risk of being unchaste, as they were morally frail. This is reflected through Iago, in the second Act of the play, when he observes that women wake up to go to play and do their work when they go to bed. (1).
The sexual desires in women were seen as unnatural appetites needing to be satisfied, and hence the portrayal of the potential risk of betrayal of their men by women. The observation that women do their work in bed is the reflection of the commonly held view in the Elizabethan period that women had power over men through their sexual desires and sexuality. They used this to subdue their husbands and other men, thus blinding men to this power that women held over them. It is this common perception of burning sexual desires and sexuality that Iago is able to use in his plans to destroy Othello.
The higher society’s perspective of women is seen through Brabantio. To him his daughters are required to be subservient and obedient. The marriage decision of Desdemona is a betrayal of this requirement of women in higher societies. This perception in the higher levels of society also demonstrates the inferior manner in which women were treated in those days. This inferiority of women concept is not strange as it was the practice followed in many of the older human societies. Shakespeare highlights this feature of Elizabethan society by having all the female characters in the play abused by the male. (2).
There is a contrast in the portrayal of Emilia, with Shakespeare offering a different view of women. Emilia is portrayed as a strong character with having characteristics quite different from Desdemona and Bianca. She is portrayed as realistic, pragmatic, capable of courage, loyal and self sacrificing. Shakespeare also makes Emilia the focus of any feminist views present in the play, when in Act IV Scene iii, when Emilia questions the perception over women’s sexuality as the reason for the fall of women through the words “But I do think it is their husbands’ faults if wives do fall”. (1).
The reason for the portrayal of such a female character is a matter of speculation. Did he intend it as relief of the poor picture of women being painted or was it a reflection of his expectations of the character of a woman, or was it a reflection of the rumblings within women during Elizabethan times of the poor and unfair manner in which they were perceived.
Conclusion
In Othello, through his portrayal of women, Shakespeare gives a clear picture of the way women were held in society during the Elizabethan period.
Works Cited
Shakespeare, William. “Othello, The Moore of Venice”. Shakespeare homepage. 2007. Web.
Gravlee, Cynthia. “The Woman’s Part: Feminist Criticism of Shakespeare”. South Atlantic Review. 45.2 (1981): 119-122.
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.
Literary works are not produced in a vacuum; rather, they are often based on the surrounding reality and reflect social and cultural norms prevailing in the time and place in which they are written. Since social norms tend to change over time, it may be difficult for a modern reader to understand and appreciate the value of works produced centuries ago. Sometimes, the authors’ personal experiences can also be reflected in their works and constitute a great part of the meaning embedded in their books.
Therefore, to make inferences about literary works, the reader should be familiar with the context in which they were created. This paper aims to explore the background of Sophocles’s Antigone and Shakespeare’s Othello. Written in the fifth century BC and the seventeenth century, respectively, these works may be difficult to understand for a contemporary reader without knowledge of their historical context. The background knowledge allows for comprehending the role of Othello’s race in his murder of Desdemona and the underlying political reason for the conflict between Creon and Antigone.
Background of Shakespeare’s Othello
Shakespeare wrote his tragedy, Othello, in 1603, when the Elizabethan era was coming to an end, and Venice was an important trade city and the target of the Turks’ conquest. The plot narrates a story of a Moorish general, Othello, who is deceived by his ensign, Iago, into the belief that his wife, Desdemona, is unfaithful to him. The proof of Desdemona’s infidelity is dubious, but Othello believes it and kills his wife. After that, Iago’s deceit is revealed, and Othello deeply regrets his mistake and commits suicide. The audience of the play can be confused by how easily Othello, a noble warrior, and a loving husband, believes Iago’s lies and smothers his beloved wife. However, the context of the tragedy helps shed light on Othello’s motives.
Shakespeare chose Venice as the setting for many of his plays, including Othello. The choice of this location was not arbitrary: it was an important trade city, known for its diverse racial and ethnic composition and various vices, in which Venetians indulged themselves. However, in Othello, Shakespeare focused on foreign stereotypes and depicted Venetia as “a cosmopolitan yet not welcoming city” (Potter 212). Indeed, in Shakespeare’s times, Venetia was a city that welcomed people of various origins, mainly for trade purposes. It was “modern and cosmopolitan long before most other nations,” but foreigners there were “both privileged and restricted” (Holderness 27).
It means that the city strongly encouraged foreigners to participate in trade but prevented them from becoming an integrative part of the Venetian society. As a result, although aliens were present in Venice in abundance, they were regarded as outsiders.
In Othello, the main character is the Moor, which places him in a position of an outsider concerning others. In Venice, a Moor could denote several related concepts. It could refer to either all Africans or “the inhabitants of the whole North African littoral” (Holderness 47). Sometimes, the term “Moor” was applied to all darker-skinned people or, more specifically, to “the Berber-Arab people of the part of North Africa” (Holderness 47).
Finally, this word was occasionally used from a religious perspective to denote Muslims (Holderness 47). Regardless of the exact meaning, the Moor, a darker-skinned person who probably adhered to the Islamic religion, was an outsider in Venetia, a city of white people professing Christianity.
Although Othello, being the Moor, is doomed to be a stranger among Venetians, he struggles to become part of this society. To show this, Shakespeare set the stage for the play’s events against the backdrop of war between Venice and the Turks. The war between Venice and the Ottoman Empire indeed took place in the sixteenth century, and Shakespeare was likely to reflect the Battle of Lepanto in Othello. However, his narration, according to which Othello rescued the Cyprus thanks to the storm that ruined the Turks’ fleet, was “alternative history” because the actual battle looked different (Potter 316).
Nevertheless, Othello’s victory in this battle is significant to the plot. Even though Othello is a Moor, he fights for Venice in this war and wins, thus proving his loyalty to the Christian Venice. His victory is celebrated, which incites Iago’s jealousy and desire to destroy Othello.
Othello probably understands his otherness, which makes him vulnerable to Iago’s deceit. In the beginning, Othello has to prove to senators that Desdemona indeed loves him and is not forced to be with him by witchcraft. This episode implies that, for Venetians, it was strange that a white Christian woman could fall in love with a Moor. Although Othello loves Desdemona and has faith in her love for him, he seems to be unsure deep inside that Desdemona will not choose someone of her ethnic background over Othello.
Therefore, when Iago plants the seed of doubt in Othello’s mind, Othello readily accepts the assumption of Desdemona’s infidelity. He believes that she could prefer fair-skinned Cassio to him, a darker-skinned Moor. When Othello realizes that he killed Desdemona by mistake, he murders himself, thus associating himself “with the Other, the enemy of Venice; the stranger, the alien; the malignant, turbaned, and circumcised: the Muslim” (Holderness 54). Thus, the fact that Othello was a Moor, coupled with Venetians’ attitudes toward foreigners in the sixteenth century, explains Othello’s credulity regarding Iago’s deceit.
Background of Sophocles’s Antigone
Antigone is the last play in Sophocles’s Theban trilogy. The events described in Antigone continue the story narrated in the Aeschylean Seven against Thebes. The play begins after brothers Polynices and Eteocles kill each other, fighting on the opposite sides in a civil war. Creon, the ruler of Thebes, issues a decree, according to which only Eteocles can be buried, while Polynices’s body should be left on the battlefield.
However, Antigone, Polynices and Eteocles’s sister, buries her brother against Creon’s order. After she gets caught, Creon commands that Antigone be confined in a tomb and die of starvation. Although many people try to dissuade Creon from his decision, he remains adamant. As a result, a chain of deaths follows: Antigone hangs herself; then her fiancé Haemon commits suicide, and his mother, Eurydice, also kills herself after losing her only son. For understanding who is right in the conflict between Antigone and Creon, the reader should be familiar with political thoughts prevailing in Athens in the times when the play was written.
When reading Antigone, the modern audience may assume that the conflict in the play is between the laws of gods and the laws of the state. However, this interpretation would be wrong because it would not reflect the views of Sophocles’s contemporaries. In Athens, there was no disconnection between religion and state; on the contrary, religion was deeply integrated into politics (Ormand 288). Athenians also had the laws set by gods, which were called “unwritten laws” or “established laws” (Ormand 289). These laws were the basis of all orders and decrees issued by Athenian rulers, and “all magistrates had to swear that they would obey the laws” (Ormand 290). If the order contradicted the established laws, citizens were allowed to disobey it, and the ruler who gave this order could be deposed (Ormand 290). Thus, Athenians adhered to democratic views by admitting that illegal orders should not be followed, and religion played an important role in their politics.
One of the Athenian established laws was that all free people had the right to a proper burial, even if they were enemies of the state. Athenian rulers could forbid burying enemies in the territory of their state, but they still could be buried outside the state. In Antigone, Creon does not give his citizens this opportunity by prohibiting Polynices’ burial. Thus, Creon violates the established law, which means that Sophocles’s audience would not consider Antigone’s disobedience “dangerous or unusual” (Ormand 290). On the contrary, it was Creon who was not right in the conflict. By violating the laws of gods, Creon behaves like a tyrant, thus contradicting Greeks’ democratic values.
Creon’s betrayal of democratic views is also manifested in his refusal to consult and hear the advice of his citizens. In addition to the gods’ approval of their orders, rules were expected to receive approval from their citizens. However, Creon does none of this; it becomes evident when Antigone says that the Theban people agree with her decision but keep silent because of fear (Ormand 291). When considering Antigone from the political perspective that was prevalent in Athens in the fifth century BC, it becomes clear how Sophocles’s audience could react to the play. Antigone’s decision to bury her brother should have received support because she is guided by the established laws and the opinion of the public. Creon’s commands, on the other hand, should have been disapproved because they were not underpinned by gods’ laws and citizens’ approval.
Thus, Sophocles’s Antigone served as a warning against tyranny, which was represented by Creon. The play was well-received when it was first performed. One of the ancient introductions to the play even says that “Sophocles was awarded a generalship in the war against Samos, because of the fame he acquired in staging the Antigone” (Ormand 55). Perhaps, the success of Antigone is attributed to the strong democratic values that Sophocles put in this play.
Conclusion
The knowledge of the historical background of literary works has a significant role in understanding the meaning that their authors tried to convey. This paper reviewed how the familiarity with the context of Shakespeare’s Othello and Sophocles’s Antigone contributed to comprehending these works. In Othello, the knowledge of Othello’s race and Venetians’ attitudes toward Moors helps the audience to realize that Othello was an outsider in Venetia, which undermined his self-confidence and allowed Iago to deceive him easily.
In Antigone, Sophocles, being an important political figure, expressed his negative attitude toward tyranny, which aligned with Athenians’ democratic values. Thus, the knowledge of the background of literary works helps to analyze them more thoroughly and prevents the audience from misinterpreting or superficially understanding the authors’ message.
Works Cited
Holderness, Graham. Shakespeare and Venice. Ashgate, 2010.
Ormand, Kirk, editor. A Companion to Sophocles. Wiley-Blackwell, 2012.
Potter, Lois. William Shakespeare: A Critical Biography. Wiley-Blackwell, 2012.
Act five, scene two involves mysterious events that result in a series of deaths. In this scene, Desdemona and Emilio are killed as a result of a false allegation. They are portrayed as unfaithful women who betray their husbands. Othello, a husband to Desdemona realizes later that Desdemona was a faithful and loving woman. The same case applies to Emilio who is stabbed to death accidentally while Othello was trying to stab Iago. Cassio is accused of having a secret affair with Othello‘s wife. This was after Cassio was seen holding Desdemona’s handkerchief. The handkerchief is dubbed as ‘the handkerchief of death’. The paper explores and analyses some of the events that unfold in the scene. Othello portrayed as their main character eventually dies while holding Desdemona’s body.
Main body
According to Haddon (pp.169), when Othello enters Desdemona‘s room she finds her deep asleep.Othello is determined to kill her however her beauty and innocent appearance restrict Othello. Although Othello is furious, when Desdemona wakes up she tells her to repent her sins before he dies. Desdemona claims she is innocent and she has no power of preventing Othello from killing her. There is a huge contrast of events in this scene. According to Othello, Desdemona’s outside appearance portrays her as a righteous, well-behaved, and innocent woman however her inner attributes and behavior reflect a woman with a black soul. The incident portrays metaphor where Othello is confused by the beauty of Desdemona and soft voice. As a result, he declines to kill her brutally despite furious and angered emotions. Although Desdemona is beautiful and soft-spoken she is sure Othello will finally kill her. While Othello starts smothering and suffocating her, a knock is heard on the door. Emilia knocks to know what is going on. Othello tries to hide and conceal Desdemona who she thinks is dead. Killing Desdemona by smothering, portrays imagery of the unsettled emotions and feelings of Othello. His action was based on a belief Cassio had a secret affair with Desdemona however Emilia insists that his wife is faithful and loving. Although he kills Desdemona, Othello feels guilty and remorseful. He is also grieved by his action and does not want to admit Desdemona is dead
After learning of Desdemona death, Emilia reaction and decision to confront Othello for the crime committed does not bear positive results. Emilia also faces a similar death as Desdemona after Othello accidentally stabs her while trying to stab Iago. Despite a demand from Othello and Cassio to know the truth, Iago declines saying anything about the incidence. Although the two are killed because of betrayal allegations, it is later known they die without any wrong doing. The truth is only known after Emilio reveals that handkerchief was a fixation and a token that could influence Othello to believe her wife was unfaithful. Othello has been trying to safeguard his public image and reputation which he uses as the main reasons for killing Desdemona. Based on his action and behavior, Othello appears to be possessive but does not admit. Eventually Othello tries to die in a honorable way that will maintain his reputation. Although Othello is a human, his flaws and follies symbolize a tragic figure. Iago is involved in the death of three innocent people. Portray him as an evil person in the society. After his death Othello wealth and possession is inherited by Gratian (Gioia and Kennedy pp 124).
Works cited
Gioia, Dana, and Kennedy, X.J. Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Writing, 6th ed. Boston: Longman, 2011.
Haddon, John. Teaching Reading Shakespeare. Taylor & Francis publishers, 2009.
Subaltern is a term derived from the cultural hegemony works of Antonio Gramsci and refers to individuals with inferior status who are excluded from the established structures of the society and are denied a voice (Mandal 63). Spivak’s definition of subalterns was created during the post-colonialism geographies. Subalterns have to adopt western ways of thinking and abandon their own for their voices to be heard. Othello is considered a subaltern play that illustrates the conflict between the moral voice and silence of female characters and the treacherous voices of male figures.
The female characters’ voices have been silenced in Othello, depicting sexuality projection of racism and misogyny. Desdemona and Emilia submit to their husbands, who do not listen to them. Desdemona transforms from being outspoken to silent, suggesting Othello’s ability to control her voice. Iago’s lies make Othello accuse Desdemona of being a sex worker. Othello demonstrates self-condemnation when he silences Desdemona and the boy impersonating her vocals. Desdemona’s handkerchief is a stage prop with the symbolic meaning of female silence. When Desdemona loses her handkerchief and speech, it shows her infidelity. The role of Bianca represents Othello’s illustration of masculine structures that deny women voices and perceive their bodies as books the male figures read (Hamamra 6). Finally, Iago’s diabolic silence is a technique to arouse Othello’s eagerness and poison him. According to Shakespeare, Iago’s silence torments Othello’s mind making him believe he knows more than he is telling.
To conclude, this paper analyzes Shakespeare’s Othello to show the treatment of marginalized groups in society based on their gender. The play highlights the relationship between speech, silence, and sex, and shows how men use consensual submission of women to achieve supremacy. The text assesses the link between female voice and sexuality to demonstrate the evil in men’s minds and shows that male defiance of female voices causes tragedy. Desdemona and Emilia are silenced by their husbands, causing the deaths of almost all characters in the play.
Works Cited
Hamamra, Bilal M.T. “Silence, speech and gender in Shakespeare’s Othello: A presentist, palestinian perspective.” International Journal of Comparative Literature and Translation Studies, vol. 3, no. 4, 2015, pp. 1-13. Web.
Mandal, Tribeni. “Subaltern voice in Shakespeare: A study in the Tempest.” International Journal of Computational Research, vol. 4. no. 5, 2014, pp. 63-67. Web.
The purpose of this work is the manifestation of everlasting social problems like racial segregation, envy and jealously in the literary works of different periods namely Othello by W. Shakespeare and A Raisin in the Sun by L. Hansberry. Apart from this, it highlights the solutions of these problems found in different times and epochs. The differences between them is another essential part of this essay.
In general, the writing process was absorbing due to finding some instances of similarities and differences between the social views and moral values of the epochs presented in the plays. The didactic part of the essay presents the cognition of the demerits of the social system which lead to the crisis in the family relations and their final brake. The comparison and juxtaposition of the Modern and Medieval social systems and characters motivations is the most laborious part of the work as it requires additional efforts and sources of information. The comparative analysis of the epochs and the manifestation of the similar social problems typical for both social systems constitute the most valuable part of the work. Nevertheless, it leaves large room for further investigations in regards to deeper analysis of the plays’ characters and drawing parallels between them.
The literature heritage is really gigantic. There is a great number of different literary works that are based on the most scandalous human emotions like love, jealousy, revenge and even racial segregation. The last theme is regarded by some as a newly appeared one typical for the contemporary writing, however, it is everlasting existing in Shakespeare time.
The paper under analysis is based on the comparison of Othello by Shakespeare and A Raisin in the Sun by Hansberry through the manifesting of the theme of the racial segregation and the nature of appearance. The comparative analysis comprises the realization of the racism in the epochs the characters live in, the position the characters take in the society, their mental strength and steadiness, and the symbolic level of problem’s manifestation.
The nature of appearance is one of the basic topics that go through both plays. The protagonist of Shakespeare’s play is Othello The Moor – the word that signified a man with a black skin at that time, meanwhile the African-American family of Younger is in the center of the play by Hansberry. In both plays the protagonists are under certain social press which is, however, differs due to the epochs the characters live in. Othello takes one of the most influential social positions in Venice who is greatly respected by the high assembly of the city. This fact does not deprive him of the humiliating names like “the Moor”, “the thick-lips”, “an old black ram” and “a Barbary horse” by other characters, who envy his success. At the same time, the society appreciates his military gifts and appreciates him properly despite his belonging to another race.
The family of Younger undergoes another challenge during the epoch which is much closer to our time. The action takes place in 1950s. The Youngers, as any other American family, have their own dreams about a big house with the garden, and prosperous business. All their attempts to reach their aims always come across the social barriers like poverty, swindle, betray and finally racial rejection of the white community. Besides, the difficulties are also strengthened by the inner conflict in the family. Despite the fact that the family is separated by different obstacles, they unite and stand out together in the face of the growing risk of racism. The family resist the social non acceptance and fulfill its dream moving to a new house in a white neighborhood. From this point of view the protagonists of A Raisin in the Sun are stronger individuals than those in Othello. The Venetian Moor acts like a blind, completely trusting to Lago’s tricks, though Lago is just a stranger to him. Othello starts to suspect his wife in cheating, paying no attention to her justifications and blindly believing in the facts that he did not even see. One of the competent source provides another prove of this idea: “Othello, though he demands “ocular proof”, is frequently convinced by things he does not see: he strips Cassio of his position as lieutenant based on the story Iago tells; he relies on Iago’s story of seeing Cassio wipe his beard with Desdemona’s handkerchief, and he believes Cassio to be dead simply because he hears him scream”. (An Anthology For Readers And Writers, 750)
Thus, the play by Hansberry discovers the importance of being strong and keep calmness in the situations which threaten the unity of the family, while Shakespeare’s play shows the results of blind following of the rules imposed by the society and its jealously.
The protagonists of plays Othello and Walter Lee Younger are initially placed in the different social and personal positions. While Othello is a prominent lord, Walter is just one man from plenty of other who is trying to change his family’s life for better and get out from the poverty. Othello is weakened by his high position and realization of his loneliness in the Venetian society. “Othello sometimes makes a point of presenting himself as an outsider, whether because he recognizes his exotic appeal or because he is self-conscious of and defensive about his difference from other Venetians”. (Hacker, 98) The loneliness makes him suspicious to his wife and more trustful to the envy strangers. The Othello’s final speech discovers some of the reasons for his despair and justifies him in some way. “It is the tension between Othello’s victimization at the hands of a foreign culture and his own willingness to torment himself that makes him a tragic figure rather than simply Iago’s ridiculous puppet”. (An Anthology For Readers And Writers, 731). This episode evidently shows the early premises for establishing the racial theme in the literature.
In the play of modern period, Walter is another type of character who is trying different ways of self-realization and family prosperity. “Walter provides a perspective of the mid-twentieth-century African-American male. He is the typical man of the family who struggles to support it and who tries to discover new, better schemes to secure its economic prosperity”. (Hacker, 115)
In reaching his aims Walter often goes into argue with his wife and mother but this is the way he differs from Othello who has nobody to share his thoughts and ideas with. His frequent family argues finally result in his realization of refusing from his personal dream in favor of family good. This African American strongly opposes the society aversion of Younger’s move to a new house. The manifestation of the successful fight with the racial discrimination from the higher social classes makes Walter and his whole family more secure and confident about their future and support the idea of upcoming integration and affirmation of the black community to the American society.
Furthermore, Hansberry makes use of the symbolic layer of the play to point out this forecasting idea, too. The most vivid symbol is Beneatha’s hair. Initially it is straightened due to the assimilation with local culture. But when Beneatha starts communicating with representatives of her native culture from Nigeria the hair is getting cut to show her pertaining to the ethic group which differs from the local one. “Beneatha’s cutting of her hair is a very powerful social statement, as she symbolically declares that natural is beautiful, prefiguring the 1960s cultural credo that black is beautiful” (Hacker,250).
The poems manifest and discover similar social problems under the angles of the epochs when the action takes its place. But the deeds, fate and future of the protagonists and social attitude to other races are quite different which is reasoned by the conditions of formatting the society world overlook and characters’ tempers.
Works Cited
An Anthology For Readers And Writers. Making Literature Matter. Chicago: Stream, 2007.
Hacker, Diana. A Pocket Style Manual. New York: Print House, 1997.