Essay about Racism and Jealousy in Othello - 762 Words

Racism and Jealousy in Othello The theme of racism is strongly depicted in William Shakespeares Othello. It depicts the attitude of European society towards those that were different in colour, race and language. In Europe, people of white complexion were the majority and all other races were considered to be less important and inferior. There are several characters in this play that portray this mentality. These characters include Brabantio, Roderigo and Emilia. But by far, the face of racism in this play is that of Iago, who makes his intentions crystal clear in his soliloquy where he states I hate the Moor, (I, iii, 379). Throughout the play, Iago lays forward a number of reasons for his hatred, which leads to the ruin of†¦show more content†¦His behaviour and speech indicates clearly that he is jealous of success (Othello becoming a general, Cassio becoming his second-in-command) as well as the happiness of Othello and Desdemona. An example of this is crying out to Brabantio that ...your daughter and the Moor are now making the beast with two backs - (I, i, 118); Which has strong, vulgar imagery. He is able to manipulate the entire course of the play through deceit and treachery. Cassio was chosen to be Othellos first lieutenant in favour of Iago, and this angered him deeply. He hates Othello for overlooking him, but he also hates Cassio for being chosen ahead of him to the spot that he wanted. Iago is successful in ruining Cassio and causing him to lose his reputation and thereby Othellos respect. Eventually, despite the success of his endeavours, he still attempts to have Cassio killed by successfully convincing Othello that Cassio and Desdemona are having an affair by saying that Cassio is jealous of him: O, beware, my lord, of jealousy. It is the green-eyed monster that doth mock the meat it feeds on (III.iii.169-70). Iagos ultimate objectives are made clear. He wants Cassio and Othello to die, and being the ruthless villain he is, he will stop at nothing to fulfil his desires. There is also the indication that Iago suspects that Othello may have been involved with his wife: And it is thought that twixt my sheets, Hes done my office. (I, iii, 380-81), although this is likely to beShow MoreRelated Racism in William Shakespeares Othello Essay1059 Words   |  5 PagesRacism in William Shakespeares Othello The play, Othello, is certainly, in part, the tragedy of racism. Examples of racism are common throughout the dialog. This racism is directed toward Othello, a brave soldier from Africa and currently supreme commander of the Venetian army. Nearly every character uses a racial slur to insult Othello at one point in the play. Even Emilia sinks to the level of insulting Othello based on the color of his skin. 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WeRead MoreO and Othello Comparison929 Words   |  4 Pages‘Othello is one of the brilliant plays written by William Shakespeare. It is the story of man named Othello and how his mind was twisted and manipulated by a man named Iago and how Iago made Othello think that his wife Desdemona was cheating on him with his lieutenant Michael Cassio, which results in many deaths. Tim Blake Nelson has creatively restructured ‘Othello’ into a film to appeal to a teenage audience. It still contains the same central ideas which are racism, jealousy and deception which