Colours in Othello
Racism—a topic which has always caused conflict throughout history whether it be during the Crusades between European Christians and the Muslim Turks, the Holocaust between the Nazi Germany and the Jewish people, or the slavery and segregation of black people in the United States. It is clear that racism is a serious issue in the play Othello by William Shakespeare as well. Considering the fact that Othello is a Moor, a black man who is married a black man who is also married to Desdemona, a white Christian woman, the stage it set for Shakespeare to explore the theme. Although Othello is highly respected for his achievements in war, his race plays a majour role in the play for it brings out the latent racism that was hidden among many of the characters, leaving the audience to ponder the significance of race.
Throughout the play, many characters use racist language to describe Othello in moments of their frustration and anger. When Iago finds out that Othello secretly married Desdemona, he sees it as a great opportunity for revenge since Othello chose Cassio to become his lieutenant instead of himself. “What a full fortune does the think-lips owe,/ If he can carry’t thus!” (I,i,65-66) says Roderigo demonstrating how he is offended to hear Othello’s decision in choosing a person who is only “theoretical” and practically has no military experiences to become his lieutenant. The “think-lips” description is racist since it describes a dominant facial feature of a black man. He then visits Brabantio, Desdemona’s father, with Roderigo and informs him about his daughter’s affairs with the black moor. This infuriates Brabantio, a very conservative Christian man, because during Shakespearean times, it was considered unnatural for a Christian woman to marry a black man. However, it is Iago’s racist commentaries that are the key to what fully brings out Brabantio’s latent racism. Being a dissembler and having a mischievous mind, Iago is able to manipulate other people through this language and Othello does not question his “honesty” since he never uses racist language in front of the moor. Still, when talking to Brabantio, Iago says “Awake the snorting citizens with the bell,/ Or else the devil will make a grandsire of you” (I,i,90-91) demonizing Othello. “[Y]ou’ll have your daughter/ covered with a Barbary horse…” (I,i,110-111) says Iago, animalizing Othello as a North African horse before continuing with, “[Y]our daughter and the/ Moor are now making the beast with two backs” (I,i,115-116) which creates a graphic sexual image of Desdemona and Othello’s sexual affairs inside Brabantio’s mind. This fires the fury within Brabantio and when he sees Othello, he says, “Damned as thou art, thou hast enchanted her [Desdemona]... That thou hast practiced on her with foul charms,/ Abused her delicate youth with drugs or minerals that weakens motion… I therefore apprehend, and to attach thee/ For an abuser of the world, a practiser/ Of arts inhibited and out of warrant” (I,ii,63-79). Here, Brabantio is being racist since he accuses Othello of using “foul charms” and “drugs” to lure his daughter in marrying Othello and insinuation that Othello is like a stereotypical black man who must use the black arts. However, it turns out that the only witchcraft that Othello used was the stories of his life which Desdemona became empathetic to.
