“What a full fortune does the thicklips owe” / “If he can carry't thus!”
The word thicklips is a disapproving reference to a facial feature of many members of the dark-skinned race. When, by loud shouting, Brabantio is awakened, Iago commences with a series of racial epithets: For example Iago has many lines in the play when he uses Othello’s race in a negative way.
“Awake the snorting citizens with the bell”
In the play you feel as though Othello tries to fit in with the Venetian life. By firstly marrying Desdemona, however he may have loved her, but he could have easily done this to blend in with the people. Also, Othello comes from a exotic background and clearly there are religious differences between him and the rest of the people however he claims to have converted to Christianity.
Othello is shown to be a calm and humorous character in the play. For example, when he seems to be threatened by the armed Brabantio and his officers, Othello is calm and relaxed enough to ease the tense situation with a quiet joke
“Keep up your bright swords, for the dew will rust them” Act 1 scene 2
He is also shown to be very strong and fearless because after it is found out by Brabantio about Desdemona and Othello, Othello is confident for his love for Desdemona. When he is urged to hide from the outraged Brabantio, he refuses to run away and feels that what he has done is not wrong.
“My parts, my title, and my perfect soul, shall manifest me rightly.” Act 1 Scene 2
Iago plays an incredibly manipulative character in the play. He uses the race of Othello to try and turn people against him.
Iago's character is definite to audience in the line "I am not what I am"( Act1 scene 1) , whilst talking to Roderigo. Roderigo should take this as a warning, but fails to. Everything Iago says to present himself is a false show. Already, the racial issues and themes which are the main parts of Othello's story and situation are beginning to start. Iago also compares Othello to a "Barbary horse"( Act1 scene 1) coupling with Desdemona, and uses animal imagery to reinforce a lustful picture of Othello, before this scene is through. Iago's statement is even more persuasive since it not only criticizes Othello for his so-called lust, but also plays on Brabantio's doubts about Othello's color, and foreigner status. The combination of black and white, in connection with the animal imagery, is meant to make this image very nauseating, and to provoke Brabantio. Singling out one important characteristic that highlights Othello's foreignness and black heritage, displays a racial disbelieve of Othello based on his color. Roderigo and Iago are not the only characters to display racism when referring to Othello; racism is a constant theme throughout the play, spreading misunderstanding and lies about Othello.
At the time Shakespeare was writing, there were in fact free blacks in England, with some art of the period showing black peoples. However, racism was even more obvious in Shakespeare's England than it is in Othello; a character like Othello could not have risen to position in England at the time, which means that Shakespeare's play is much more progressive than the time in which it was written. Othello even manages to avoid stereotype more effectively than another Shakespearean character like Shylock, who represents anti-Semitic views of the Jewish people; stereotypes are linked to Othello by other characters, but he manages to evade them through his nobility and individuality.
Part B
I feel racism is not the most important factor in the play. Iago is a racist but it isn’t the main reason in the play. There are many aspects of the play when Iago is racist, but the reason why Iago acts the way he does and do the things he does is to do with one main emotion…jealousy. I feel that obviously Iago is racist; however this is not the reason for hating Othello. There are several reasons; Iago is jealous of the fact Othello and Desdemona are together, Iago is convinced that Othello has slept with Emilia, and also that Othello chose Cassio to be his right-hand-man and not Iago.
The title of the play is Othello and I think it should be too even though Iago is the main character. Iago’s character opens people’s eyes to show that anyone you trust could be like him. I feel that Shakespeare wrote the play to show people that if things are too good to be true then it probably isn’t. Iago was such a good and trust-worthy friend in Othello’s eyes and Iago wanted the love between Desdemona and Othello to end because he knew he had no chance of being with her so he had to ruin it for Othello. He was prepared to waste his time and energy just to watch Othello happiness get destroyed and to see him miserable. He uses people's goodness, integrity, and ignorance to get what he wants. When Othello's position is higher through character and status, Iago becomes jealous and decides he must get rid of Othello. Iago is aware of the jealousy inside himself. Othello is a good man at heart, but is not aware of his evil and jealousy, and therefore will not be able to control it. Iago takes advantage of this and uses Othello's trust to manipulate Othello into revealing his true character. Iago, like any great manipulator, moves indirectly so he is never suspected. He uses Roderigo to get to Cassio, Desdemona, and Othello. Once the peace is disrupted, Iago moves directly to Othello.
Othello is not easily provoked into jealousy , but when Iago starts his subtle insinuations then its not too long after that Othello starts to identify in himself the possible reasons for Desdemona’s love to wonder. The main reason of these is his colour. “Haply, for I am black.” So due to him thinking this is the cause for Desdemona to supposedly be cheating on him he begins to feel more paranoid and whenever he sees them together normally he would be ok with it but after hearing the implication he starts to get more and more suspicious.
