Victims in Shakespeares play Othello.

Alice Kostrzewa

Victims in Shakespeares play Othello

William Shakespeare presents the character Othello the eponymous hero of the play, as a victim of racism and prejudice. Othello suffers from being one of a black minority in the 16th century white Venetian society. It is seen that by the end of Act One, Iago, Othello’s trusted ancient, has gone as far as to plan to destroy Othello’s life.

Iago is an anthrapist, he hates everybody, one reason why he hates Othello is that he promoted Cassio to be his lieutenant over Iago. We learn that Iago is a racist, by the language he uses towards Othello, ‘black, ass, Barbary,’ he, Iago a white Venetian, cannot believe that a black Moor has more and power dictatorship over the Venetian army than him.

‘Old black ram is tupping your white ewe,’ is the first of many racist and prejudice quotations from Iago. This quotation shows that Othello is a victim of racial stereotyping. It also symbolises that black men are ruled by lust and passion not by reason. Shakespeare’s use of the verb tupping symbolises the act of sexual intercourse. Shakespeare’s choice of simile the ‘old black ram’ symbolises Othello, the old black feisty male sheep, the other simile in this quotation, ‘the white ewe’ symbolises Desdemona the white harmless female sheep.

‘Covered with a Barbary horse’, is another quotation, which Shakespeare uses to symbolise sexual intercourse, the verb “covered” symbolises this. Shakespeare’s choice of simile Barbary horse symbolises Othello the North African horse. This is another animal reference and racial stereotyping towards Othello.

‘Cassio’s a proper man ……abuse Othello’s ear, that he is too familiar with his wife,’ Shakespeare shows in this quotation Iago’s desire for revenge. Shakespeare’s choice of the verb abuse suggests that Iago is not going to tell Othello directly but manipulate him into thinking that Desdemona is having an affair with Cassio.

In Act One, Othello suffers from victimisation from Brabantio his father in law. Brabantio does not believe that Othello is good enough for Desdemona his daughter, he believes that Othello has ‘practised on her with foul charms enchantments and black magic’. Shakespeare uses the verb practise to symbolise Brabantio claiming that Othello has experimented on Desdemona with his black magic.

The Duke, the most important man in Venetian society, is against Brabantio’s accusation ‘your son-in-law is far more fair than black’. This refers to Othello the Duke says Othello is better for Desdemona than any common white man.

In Act Two Othello is now presented as a victim of lies, manipulation, self-doubt, hatred, slander and racism.

‘Desdemona is directly in love with Cassio’ this quotation shows Othello is now a victim of lies and slander from Iago. In Act One was just manipulating the truth but now he is lying. Othello is not the direct victim of this lie but his wife Desdemona, as Iago is saying she had an affair with Cassio. Shakespeare shows that Desdemona has now become a victim of lies. In sixteenth century Venetian society would have reflected on Othello’s honour. If it was ...

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In Act Two Othello is now presented as a victim of lies, manipulation, self-doubt, hatred, slander and racism.

Othello has become a victim of himself and hasty decisions ‘Cassio, I love thee, but never more be officer of mine’. Shakespeare now shows that Othello has easily been manipulated into becoming his own victim. Othello’s hasty decisions were based on the lies and slander whispered to Othello by Iago. Othello’s dismissal of Cassio, his lieutenant, results in Iago’s promotion to Lieutenant, which is what Iago desired all a long.

In Act Three is now presented as a victim of ignorance, jealousy, manipulation, self-doubt, trickery, passion, anger, lies, being alien to the culture, slander and deceit.

‘Jealousy! It is the green-eyed monster’ Shakespeare uses this quotation to show how Othello has now become a victim of jealousy. The language Shakespeare uses the simile of calling jealousy a green -eyed monster suggests that it is as evil as a monster, green-eyed is often associated with greed and envy. This quotation could also show that Othello is possessive of Desdemona and jealousy is eating him up inside.

‘I’ll see before I doubt’ in this quotation Shakespeare shows Othello is not convinced by Iago. Othello at this point believes Iago but still loves his wife Desdemona.

‘In Venice they do let God see the pranks, they dare not show their husbands’ Shakespeare demonstrates in this quotation Iago’s manipulation of Othello. Othello is now a victim of being strange to the culture. Shakespeare’s use of the word pranks means Desdemona’s affair, women in Venice may take lovers knowing that God is aware of their activities but keep everything secret from their husbands. Iago uses Othello’s lack of experience in Venetian society to manipulate him into thinking that it is commonplace for women to have affairs.

‘Set on thy wife to observe’ Shakespeare shows here that Othello has become entrapped in Iago’s web of lies that he believes his loving wife is an affair. Othello now wants Emilia, Iago’s wife, to secretly spy on Desdemona. Iago will make sure that Emilia tells Othello nothing, because he knows that Desdemona only loves Othello. Othello is now a victim of self-doubt because he is uncertain of Desdemona.

‘Must be to loathe her’ Shakespeare uses this quotation to show how Othello is a victim of hatred and is making Desdemona the victim of hatred. In the sixteenth century hate was a very strong word, it was not used as lightly as it is used today.

In the play Iago asks Emilia to get hold of the handkerchief that was the first present Desdemona received from Othello. The handkerchief is very important to Othello, as it was his mothers, so he gave it to the love of his life Desdemona. When Emilia finds the handkerchief she hands it to her husband Iago. When Iago shows Othello the handkerchief, which he said he had found in Cassio’s room, Othello replies with ‘a whore’. He has now been reduced to calling his loving wife a whore. Shakespeare shows how Othello has fallen into Iago’s trap so far that he is making Desdemona a victim of hatred and abusive language.

‘I’ll tear her to pieces’ Shakespeare demonstrates how evil and hatful Othello has now become. Shakespeare presents Desdemona as a victim of abusive language and death threats.

‘That Cassio is not alive’ Shakespeare uses this quotation to show that Othello now wants his wife and lieutenant dead. Othello has now become so entrapped in Iago’s web of deceits that he is making Desdemona and Cassio victims. Othello who was originally the victim has now become the victimiser so it was like he had become Iago’s puppet to be manipulated into what he wants.

In Act Four Othello is now no longer the real victim but Desdemona is the victim of abuse, both physical and verbal, hatred and slander.

Shakespeare presents Desdemona as a victim of Othello’s abusive language ‘chuck impudent strumpet whore of Venice’ are all examples of Othello using abusive language towards Desdemona. Shakespeare uses these phrases to demonstrate how full of hatred Othello has become towards Desdemona, this shows how Desdemona is a victim of hatred.

Desdemona says ‘for the love I bear to Cassio’ innocently meaning that she misses Cassio for he is no longer Othello’s lieutenant. Due to his poisoned mind Othello takes this in the wrong way. This shows that even a harmless statement can be turned rotten by a twisted mind. Othello responds to Desdemona’s remark by calling her devil and striking her. Shakespeare here shows Desdemona as a victim of verbal and physical violence. Shakespeare uses the noun devil to show how twisted Othello has become. Othello does not simply call Desdemona a whore but likens her to Satan by using the word devil to her.

After Lodovico witnessed Othello striking Desdemona he asked Iago what had happened to ‘the noble Moor of solid virtue’. Iago says that ‘ he is light of brain’. Shakespeare uses this quotation to show Iago calling Othello mad and also how people around Othello have noticed a change in his behaviour.

Act Five is the final act of the play, in this act there are many victims. The victims in this act are Othello, Desdemona, Cassio, Roderigo and Emilia. Desdemona is the main victim in this Act.

‘Thou art to die’, Shakespeare uses this quotation to show Othello telling Desdemona that she should die. Desdemona is now a victim of death threats and verbal abuse. Othello confronts Desdemona about Cassio, Desdemona denies all these accusations. So Othello says ‘ Cassio have confessed’ Shakespeare again shows that Othello has been entrapped by Iago.

‘Stumpet!’ Othello gets angry when Desdemona denies all the accusations she tries to fight off Othello but she fails. Othello murders his wife on the basis of lies. Desdemona is now a victim of murder, she is also a victim of herself. Shakespeare demonstrates this by her weakness, she is unable to stand up to Othello and she was blind to the changes in his persona. She trusted to the end in her love and that Othello’s love for her would prevail. She was a victim of denial, ‘my wife! My wife! What wife! I have no wife’, here Othello is denying that he has a wife, thus making grows harsh’ Desdemona a victim of denial. Shakespeare uses this to show that Othello is now a victim of grief. Even though Desdemona did not start as a victim she has become a victim.

Othello still remains a victim in this act even though he is victimising Desdemona. “My Wife! My Wife! What wife? I have no wife’ presents Othello as a victim of grief and denial. Shakespeare uses anger, denial and grief in Othello’s language. Shakespeare shows that Othello is still very angry with Desdemona as he shouts that he has no wife. In ‘Filthy bargain’ and ‘blacker devil’ Shakespeare shows that Othello is a victim of verbal abuse, racial stereotyping and racism. Othello is also a victim of being a murderer, ‘twas I that killed her’. Shakespeare shows that Othello is now a confessed murderer.

‘Killing myself’, Othello commits suicide and dies beside Desdemona. Shakespeare shows that Othello is a victim of suicide. He also shows that Othello would prefer to die and be remembered as an army general than to be imprisoned and be known as a murderer who had it all and lost it.

In this act Cassio is also a victim, so now Cassio along with Desdemona and Othello have been entrapped by Iago, and are all victims. Cassio is a victim of attempted murder because Iago manipulated Roderigo to murder Cassio. So now Roderigo is a victim of manipulation. Iago’s plot of revenge towards Cassio fails as Roderigo is killed and Cassio is only injured. So now Roderigo is a victim of manipulation and murder.

‘Not Cassio killed!’ Then murders out of tune, And sweet revenge grows harsh’, this quotation is Othello’s response when he finds out that Cassio was only injured. This shows verbal abuse and a plot of revenge towards Cassio. ‘Fruit of whoring’ is a further example of verbal abuse towards Cassio, this is from Iago in response to hearing of Cassio’s injuries, showing Cassio as a victim of verbal abuse from two sources.

Emilia is also a victim in this act as she gets stabbed in the back by her husband. ‘Villianous whore’ Shakespeare now shows that Iago has even entrapped his own wife and called her a whore. Shakespeare shows that Emilia is a victim of murder and verbal abuse. Iago has now entrapped all the main characters of the play, he has made them all victims.

Iago has managed to kill Othello, Desdemona, Emilia and Roderigo and injured Cassio. Iago also manages to make himself a victim as Othello stabs him. Iago has weaved so many lies and deceptions that in the end he manipulates his own injury.

Throughout the play we observe the gradual destruction of Othello from a kind, trusting, loving man to a jealous, untrusting, evil, twisted man by Iago. This play can be described as a simile. Iago is a spider that is spinning a web of lies and deceit. His initial prey is Othello, as he continues to spread his web he catches Desdemona and Cassio and then in the final act his web captures Roderigo and Emilia. The web eventually overtakes him and he is consumed by it as well.

Shakespeare shows in this play how trusting the wrong people can lead to your demise. Othello trusts Iago who uses this to his own advantage. Shakespeare also shows how one person can change people through lies, and ultimately shows how dangerous lies can be.

In this play Iago started to manipulate Othello for his own ends but it was not successful and in the end it turned on Iago. Othello is not the sole victim of this play, as Desdemona, Cassio, Emilia, Roderigo and Iago all become victims during the play.