Even if global civilization has advanced in the last few decades, racism still exists today, just as it did in the past. Racism is not excluded from the general idea of being human and capable of making mistakes, which permeates most literature. Othello, a well-known Shakespearean drama, is an example of literature that illustrates racism’s ramifications. As a result, Othello is a tragedy that deals with racial strife as opposed to other works that deal with the jealousy that comes from being of the opposite race or the feeling of being an outcast because of being a minority. The play depicts racism as a barrier to love and as something that ruins happiness when faced with prejudice from peers.
The main character in Othello is a valiant and successful soldier from Africa who holds the position of supreme commander of the Venetian army. Othello is devoted to helping his community, even though he is simply a Moor. Othello is destined for unfair treatment and ruin from the beginning of the play because he is the lone Moor (Brinkman 27). Othello might be considered a substantial and physically strong man admired by others around him when it comes to serving his country. His ingrained concern about his race makes it challenging for him to experience the celebration of traditional marriage fully. The words “Moor” and “Black” are used frequently throughout the play to express verbalized racism. These terms are only connected with Othello, causing a sense of alienation and division.
When analyzing the play, it is simple to understand that Desdemona and Othello’s marriage was the source of the conflict. The biggest mistake Othello made was marrying the white Desdemona. The two love one another, but their relationship is flawed because his race is not considered. Othello is an outcast from the start of the play, but the marriage fans the flame of racism. When the marriage is made public when Othello is appointed lieutenant instead of Iago, he becomes even more enraged. Iago grounds his retaliation on this rank shift. He detests being in control of someone he views as inferior. According to Abuzahra and Salahat, he can fool every character in the play by manipulating the majority of them (201). Iago becomes envious, and from that point forward, his only goal is to eliminate Othello. At this juncture, Othello’s blackness and now-perceived devilish appearance finally convinced Iago to carry out his plot. Iago concludes that Othello and Desdemona’s love will end abruptly, primarily due to his actions. Othello was seen favorably by everyone around him, despite being Black, earlier in the play when he had a strong reputation for being loyal and trustworthy.
Othello’s reputation is damaged, and his ethnicity is exposed after he murders Desdemona. When Othello kills Desdemona, Emilia, Iago’s wife, and Desdemona’s servant cannot help but spew hatred at him, saying, “O, the more angel she, And you the blacker devil!” (Shakespeare 5.2 130-131). However, she has never brought up the issue of Othello’s race. The combination of Othello’s race, his union with Desdemona, a white lady, and his murder of his wife, creates the ideal scenario for a Shakespearean tragedy. Everything comes full circle when Othello murders his wife because of their marriage and because he is black.
In conclusion, both books present themes, thoughts, values, attitudes, and symbolism. The subjects include friendship, manipulation, violence, racism, sorrow, betrayal, and racism. The contrast between black and white interpreted symbolically in the same way as the themes, represents the struggle between good and evil; yet, whereas Iago is visibly white but internally black, Othello is physically black. This can also be interpreted as evidence of racism in Othello, where the comparison between the dove and the hawk serves as a symbol. As a result, racism in the performance destroyed the couple’s marriage. If a culture harbors a hatred of any kind, especially racism, it can impact people’s relationships and ultimately lead to people destroying other people’s pleasure.
Works Cited
Abuzahra, Nimer, and Rami Salahat. “Analyzing Iago’s speech in Shakespeare’s Othello.” Indonesian Journal of English Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics, vol. 2, no. 2, 2018, pp. 185-203. Web.
Brinkman, Eric. “Iago as the Racist Function in Othello.” Shakespeare Bulletin, vol. 40 no. 1, 2022, pp. 23-44. Web.
Shakespeare, William. Othello. Edited by Cedric Watts, Wordsworth Editions, 1992.