...How is the concept of the outsider represented in Othello? An outsider is someone that is not fully accepted by society. They tend to be shunned and excluded, deemed different and a threat. Outsiders don’t conform to society’s values and beliefs and the concept of this is represented in Shakespeare’s ‘Othello’. In this tragedy, the Outsider alienates themselves by going against sixteenth century attitudes about sex, gender, and race. Shakespeare comments on how a society excludes and mistreats someone different from the paradigm that defines the Venetian society. The tragic figure, Desdemona, is an example of this concept and her actions, and the actions of people around her ultimately doom her. Desdemona is portrayed as a beautiful, young, Venetian woman. She is first set as an outsider when she chooses to marry an old, black man, Othello over young, wealthy, white Venetians. Interracial marriage was highly uncommon and looked down upon. This is clearly shown when Iago makes racial comments about Othello, “Even now, now, very now an old black ram is tupping your white ewe”. Iago’s use of black and white imagery degrades Othello and gives the impression that he has defiled the pure ‘white ewe’, Desdemona. Iago clearly doesn’t approve and sees the union of black and white as a bestial one. Shakespeare uses repetition (now, now, very now) to emphasise the particular idea that what is happening is shocking. Shakespeare is deliberately startling and troubling the audience, using...
Words: 1080 - Pages: 5
...Othello is an outsider in a closed society, to what extent does the opening act support this opinion? Shakespeare portrays Venice as incredibly democratic for its time as we are shown that in Act one everybody has a voice regardless of their colour or sex. The fact that Othello has obtained the high position of “general” within the army suggests that his chances have by no means been restricted by the colour of his skin and therefore is not seen as an outsider at the start of the play. Also the fact that he is treated with respect from the Duke, the highest authority in Venice, shows that the colour of his skin is not seen as a disadvantage in Venetian society. The white Venetians in “Othello” do for the most part exemplify the good qualities of their city and culture, which radiates civility and sophistication. This can be seen through the Duke’s language: “Valiant Othello, we must straight employ you against the general enemy ottoman. (To Brabantio) I did not see you: welcome, gentle signor”. However in Act One, Shakespeare uses the words of three Venetians to emphasise differences in Othello’s character from other Venetians. Shakespeare chooses these characters to highlight Othello’s differences, as they are infested with anger, jealousy and bitterness, therefore their descriptions of Othello are deceiving. The playwright uses these characters to paint a picture of Othello as the embodiment of the black stereotype held by people at this time, labelling him as “different”...
Words: 1345 - Pages: 6
...Does Shakespeare reinforce or question contemporary attitudes to cultural outsiders in 'Othello' and The Merchant of Venice? In the plays the Merchant of Venice and Othello, Shakespeare explores the effects of racial oppression and attitudes to race in general. The idea of cultural outsiders is one of the main themes present in the plays. 'Culture' is the customs and social behaviour of particular groups of people and societies and an outsider is a person who does not belong in a particular situation, organisation or community. This definition relates to both Othello and Shylock as throughout the play we see them as victims of prejudice and injustice because of their cultural differences. In the play Othello, Shakespeare expresses the culture outsider, Othello himself in this instance. As a moor. The term Moor means a person or persons of an African descent. During the renaissance time period there were various stigmas attached to 'moors' and other cultural outsiders. Leo Africanus wrote a book named 'the history and description of Africa (1526)' where he portrayed Moors as being extremely prideful. 'Subject unto Jealousy; who would rather lose their lives than put up any disgrace on behalf of the women.' This is ironic and would lead one to believe Shakespeare reinforced Africanus' ideology in the tragic ending of Othello. Shakespeare also reinforces contemporary attitudes to Jews through the protagonist Shylock. During the 1600’s Jews were extremely disliked and according...
Words: 1099 - Pages: 5
...Othello Character Analysis Othello is a play that, in my mind; is a calling to everyone that has ever felt like an outsider, but always sticks their hand out to help someone in need. Othello is constantly trying to remind himself, and others that he is needed in their society. Although Othello is an outsider, he also has a weakness that will inevitably be the cause of his suicide. Othello struggles with trust and Iago uses this quality to his advantage. Soon, the death of Othello is the ending of the play and the ending of the life of one of the best characters Shakespeare ever created. Starting at the very first of the play, Othello is seen as an outsider in Venice, he possesses skills that the state needs, and he is a necessary part of the society. Cassio states that the senate sends out three search parties for Othello, which lets the reader know how important he is to society. The government trusts Othello enough to put him in charge of Cyprus, and even in Othello’s dying speech he makes sure the Venetians remember the “service” he has done for them. Othello presents himself as an outsider for one of two reasons: either because he knows his exotic qualities, or because of his insecurities about being different from the other Venetians. In Act I, scene III, Othello states, “Rude am I in my speech, / And little blessed with the soft phrase of peace.” Although Othello is hardly ever rude, he does lose his articulacy as he is always facing the plots of Iago. Even in his final...
Words: 532 - Pages: 3
...King James I and his court were the first to watch a production of William Shakespeare’s “Othello.” The famous playwright was in the midst of his tragedy period, penning such classics as “Hamlet,” “King Lear,” and “Macbeth.” The story of “Othello” has its roots in the historical events and cultural atmosphere of the late 16th and early 17th centuries. It was a common practice of playwrights at the time to borrow or lift plot ideas from other preexisting stories, and Shakespeare was no exception to the rule. The plot of “Othello” most closely resembles a 1565 story by the Italian writer Giovanni Battista Giraldi Cinzio: a Moorish general is tricked by one of his officers into thinking his wife has been unfaithful. Shakespeare took the basic plot points of this tale and embellished them for dramatic effect, adding characters like Roderigo and Brabanzio and more fully developing the character of the villain, Iago. To heighten and speed up the drama, “Othello” takes place over the span of a few days. The backdrop of “Othello” has its origins in the real-life conflicts between Turkey and Venice that occurred in the late 16th century. The action of the play takes place in Cyprus, a Venetian military outpost that was conquered by the Turks in 1571. A contemporary study of these wars was “The History of the Turks,” written and published by Richard Knolles in 1603—just a year before “Othello” premiered. It is reasonable to assume that Shakespeare, like anybody of the time who kept...
Words: 667 - Pages: 3
...Culture Critical Lens, by looking through this lens we look at the race and culture of the characters in Othello as well as the author, Shakespeare. We learn how Othello's race makes him different and a outsider from the rest of society. We look at the beliefs of the characters, which in Othello they believe strongly in Christianity, this is where they get their beliefs and opinions of the world. The cultural lens also looks at how their culture shaped who they are and how they act/treat others in particular women. Cultural Criticism is seen all throughout Othello. From how Iago and Roderigo refereed to Othello as a animals like the "old Black ram"(Shakespeare 13 ll. 97-98) because of his race he is looked down on by the common "white man". Through out the play you can see how men where superior to women in their culture and the limited freedom they had. How Othello takes the words of a man over his own wife, believing lies and condemning truth. Finally you see how big of a role their religion played in the story as they use religious phrases and symbols throughout the...
Words: 675 - Pages: 3
...that play an important role are Desdemona and Emilia. They play a pivotal role because they reveal Shakespeare’s views on women and marriage, such as women being portrayed as a possession and as submissive. As depicted in the play, Desdemona is a young and beautiful Venetian women. She goes against the traditional Venetian custom by marrying an outsider instead of one of the rich Venetian man she is expected to marry. This unruly outsider is a black man by the name of Othello. In the beginning of the play, Desdemona was a strong woman who defied traditional beliefs, but as the story continues, her strength is weakened, and her relationship with her husband falls apart. This is due to the fact that a man named Iago told lies to Othello about Desdemona’s faithfulness simply because he wanted to ruin their marriage. Othello is insecure about being an outsider and chooses to believe Iago's report that Desdemona is cheating on him rather than believe his wife is faithful, and her independence slowly shifts over to obedience. Othello clarifies that Desdemona is wedding him since he is brave, and she adores his stories and way of life. Othello is a solid, prevalent, and all around regarded officer. At the point when addressed by her dad about her spouse she states, "But here's my husband, and so much duty as my mother showed to you, preferring you before her father so much I challenge that I may profess due to the Moor my lord" ( Act 1, Scene 3, lines 184-188). She certainly advises her...
Words: 1149 - Pages: 5
...The catastrophe of Othello Othello is a combination of greatness and weakness in his own words “An honorable murderer” (Shakespeare V.ii, 295). He is a general in the venetian defence forces and although a foreigner from Africa, he has won this post by excellence in the field of war. Othello is characterized by his plainspoken, honest (perhaps even naïve) nature, which, together with his status as an outsider, leaves him vulnerable to the plots of his standard-bearer, Iago, to make him suspect his loyal wife, Desdemona, of infidelity. Othello is an outsider who is intelligent and confident in military matters but socially insecure. Many of Othello's insecurities are derived from his race and from the perception that...
Words: 960 - Pages: 4
...OTHELLO CHARACTERS Othello Beginning with the opening lines of the play, Othello remains at a distance from much of the action that concerns and affects him. Roderigo and Iago refer ambiguously to a “he” or “him” for much of the first scene. When they begin to specify whom they are talking about, especially once they stand beneath Brabanzio’s window, they do so with racial epithets, not names. These include “the Moor” (I.i.57), “the thick-lips” (I.i.66), “an old black ram” (I.i.88), and “a Barbary horse” (I.i.113). Although Othello appears at the beginning of the second scene, we do not hear his name until well into Act I, scene iii (I.iii.48). Later, Othello’s will be the last of the three ships to arrive at Cyprus in Act II, scene i; Othello will stand apart while Cassio and Iago supposedly discuss Desdemona in Act IV, scene i; and Othello will assume that Cassio is dead without being present when the fight takes place in Act V, scene i. Othello’s status as an outsider may be the reason he is such easy prey for Iago. Although Othello is a cultural and racial outsider in Venice, his skill as a soldier and leader is nevertheless valuable and necessary to the state, and he is an integral part of Venetian civic society. He is in great demand by the duke and senate, as evidenced by Cassio’s comment that the senate “sent about three several quests” to look for Othello (I.ii.46). The Venetian government trusts Othello enough to put him in full martial and political...
Words: 2736 - Pages: 11
...Implications of Othello’s Blackness in Shakespeare’s Othello Racial tension is a recurring issue in many prominent pieces of literature, including William Shakespeare’s play, Othello. Othello’s skin is darker than the pale European skin that the rest of the characters in the play share, causing him to be judged based on his appearance. Othello struggles to overcome the obstacles that being black cause him in order to prove that his soul is pure white. In the end, Othello lets Iago get the best of him. The blackness inside of Othello overcomes him and coaxes him to make bad decisions and show that his soul might not be so pure after all. Throughout the play, Othello is treated as an outsider. Most people respect Othello regardless of his blackness since he is a highly ranked general in the military, although he is never fully accepted by them. This is largely because “the African is considered ugly, lascivious, an unnatural mate for a European, a practitioner of forbidden arts, of a volatile, even savage nature, and clearly not as polished or as cultivated as Europeans of a similar class” (Adler 249-250). Othello becomes even more ostracized from society when he marries his white skinned wife, Desdemona. Brabantio and Othello were friends before he found out that Othello was marrying his daughter. Once he heard the news, he became enraged that she would marry someone of his race. This goes to show that, regardless of whether Othello comes from a royal family or is highly ranked...
Words: 1103 - Pages: 5
...Literature Paper 3: Othello How are conflicts between the individual and society presented in the play, Othello? In drama terms, the definition of conflict is the opposition between characters or forces that motivates or structure the action of the plot. In Othello, the conflicts between the individual and society are manifested through the conflicts between friends and enemies, Othello’s inner conflict, cultural and racial disparities which lead to racial discrimination. In this play, society precedence over the individual as the society somehow has forces to control the individual. takes Shakespeare uses techniques such as contrast, soliloquys, dramatic irony, syntax rhythm to achieve this. As a foreigner, Othello is an individual who is discriminated by the society he lives in which is dominated by white Venetians. Though he is a respectable general, he is still regarded as an outsider. In the beginning of the play, Iago presents Othello as a misfit in Venetian society because of different race and skin tone. This is seen through the snide remarks about Othello. “…an old black ram Is tupping your white ewe…” (1.1.88-89) This dramatic incongruity between Othello as the “old black ram” and Desdemona as the “white ewe” emphasises the Othello’s otherness. Through the antithesis-the contrasting light and dark imagery-we see the racial conflict between Othello (individual) and the Venetian society. The conflict between Othello and Brabantio is a microcosm of the conflict...
Words: 1159 - Pages: 5
...Forevers by Katherine Boo, and Othello by William Shakespeare. These three...
Words: 1485 - Pages: 6
...Othello “The Moor” vs. “Honest” Iago Characters within a story are meant to have their own tale, just as the characters in one’s lives have their own stories of how they came to be. William Shakespeare, the modern father of the Drama, understood this concept all too well when developing his complex, yet relatable characters. In his master works Othello, each character has their socially impacting story line with their own effect on the overall plotline that help shape the complex Venetian society in which the play is set. With their friendship at the root of evil deeds, Othello and Iago help define the writing in the play: love for one self before that of a friend. With Othello’s honest friendship, and Iago’s piercing betrayal, they help mold the storyline told in this Venetian world. With his triumph on the battlefield, Othello is sought after by Dukes and Senator, and well admired and respected within the Venetian community. He is considered an outsider from his peers, and the community based on his African descent. All the success came at the price of Othello spending his childhood under slavery, then joining the military at a young age in order to gain his presence within society. Shakespeare exemplifies this quality by showing a separation from the other characters, and usually referring to Othello in racial slurs such as “the Moor”, and references to his exotic body such as “the thick-lips” and “black.” All these strategies amplify the feeling throughout the play that...
Words: 1377 - Pages: 6
...Othello Essay English 30-1 2.Why does Othello not investigate Iago’s accusation? Why does Othello not seek his own proof of Desdemona Betrayal? “A true friend stabs you in the front."- Oscar Wilde A True Friend ? In the play Othello, by Shakespeare, Othello does not investigate Iago’s accusations of Desdemona. Othello has known Iago longer then Desdemona, in which it can be assumed that Othello has a great trust in Iago over his wife. This trust could be the devastation of Othello believing Iago word over his wife Desdemona when accused of being unfaithful with Cassio. Iago always shows Othello his trust by making Othello believe that he is there for him. Iago does not only play with Othello’s mind by talking to him and lying to him, but Iago also play’s with other’s characters minds too. Iago is always trying to gain Othello trust so that he seems to be there for him giving Othello the sense of being “best friends”. Iago’s conversations with Othello always make him think about what Desdemona and what could she possibly be doing, but Othello loves Desdemona way too much. There for Othello always believes her, which is why Iago has to try to show Othello that Desdemona is not to be trusted, he then manipulates Othello by making him think that Desdemona is being false to him with Cassio. This is when Othello asks Iago to have Emilia, Iago’s wife to be Desdemona’s servant to watch after her, Iago tells Othello not to worry about it. However, Iago is not only playing...
Words: 1638 - Pages: 7
...today. Yet race problems are not something new in human history, in Shakespeare’s Othello named after the main character who is a black man, in an all white society. Othello married Desdemona, a white venetian women and around them the plot circles. Microaggression have been part of our society for awhile. These two text show race is two different societies and time periods. Yet the similarities between race relation in each text, begs the question how far we really come in race relations. Citizen and Othello shed light on...
Words: 1932 - Pages: 8
