This explains how still in the modern era, “race” has no clear definition, but rather a wide range of definitions. In addition, according to Ania Loomba, “race is simply a socially constructed concept, but yet it has acted as one of the most powerful, yet fragile bench points of social difference.”
The Elizabethan Thoughts on Foreigners
The differences between the modern perceptions of race and those of Shakespeare’s era are essential. In the 16th century, knowledge of other cultures began to increase exponentially. Maps of the world were becoming available via explorers, and more importantly, world trade had began to be become much more common.
“Blackness” had a special significance in Elizabethan times. According to the Oxford Dictionary, in this time period, black was viewed as “foul” and “deadly”. In general, at this religion-dominated era, black was viewed as “evil”, as black was the colour of the devil, and therefore of sin. Africans were portrayed as highly sexual beings and racial stereotypes were also described in sexual references.
It was not until the mid 15th century that the first appearances of West Africans in London were reported. Most of who were probably slaves. By the early 1600s, the number of foreigners was so great that Queen Elizabeth I issued a demand for their expulsion from the kingdom.
The reasons why the Queen gave this order were religion and the welfare of her citizens and kingdom. This is just one indication that the rising number of blacks not only meant that the attitude towards strangers was shaped by prejudices, but hostility towards foreigners itself was on the rise.
Theatrical Representations of the “Other”
In the Elizabethan era, theatre was outstandingly popular, and with plays every day of the week and attracting many visits, According to Anderson: “the theatre played a pivotal role in forming public opinion”. The audience at the time was mixed; men and women from varying social backgrounds attended the plays. However, the great majority of the attendees were in fact English, and white.
At this time, the English did not travel often outside their country; therefore their main source of information with foreign occurrences came from the theatre. As all actors at this time were of Caucasian ethnicity, the players had to rely heavily on make-up and costumes. A central part of playing the role of an exotic person was the “blacking up” of the actor by painting their body in black paint, and additionally wearing black stockings and gloves.
Black characters on stage greatly reflected English attitudes towards blackness in general. Actors who played the role of a black character automatically became “the other”, meaning non-English and non-Christian.
According to Eldred Jones, author of the 1977 novel, Othello’s Countrymen, there were only two types of Moors found on the Elizabethan stage before Othello: The first being the classic “villainous” Moor, such as Aaron from Titus Andronicus and the second being “the Moor whose otherness was not emphasized” and portrayed as “a dignified exotic ruler”, such as the Moroccan Prince in The Merchant of Venice.
The making of Othello thus was a turning point for the Shakespearean image of blacks. Not only was Othello a dignified individual with a fatal flaw, but furthermore, a tragic hero.
Elizabethan Attitudes Towards Venice
The English sentiments towards Venice were conflicting. On one hand, Venice was considered a Christian society similar to England. In English opinion, Venice was supposedly considered a “role model for civility”. Also resembling England, Venice relied heavily on its navy to fasten its global trading place. “The Venetians felt just as concerned about the Turks and were just as prejudiced as the English.”
On the other hand, there was plenty of negativity regarding Venice in England at the time. According to the English, “Venice was the capital of sexual corruption”. In Venice, prostitution was legal and was even promoted and it was famous for the sheer numbers of prostitutes and homosexuals living there. In Othello, this example of Venice can be seen through Bianca, Cassio’s secret mistress.
Despite the similarities to England, the Elizabethan audience still viewed Venice as very different, if not inferior. Venice was an “imperfect version” of England. Whilst the two states had their common differences, they were both, for the most part, very much alike.
Characters Attitudes Towards Othello’s Race
Othello is most likely not the only foreigner in Venice, but chances are high he is the only one with such a position in society. Therefore, he is the only black man who plays an important role in the Venetian society. In the play, Venice faces a military crisis and Othello is selected as the only one who can valiantly defend Cyprus against the Turks.
However, as Othello was elected general by the Venetian courts, the members of the court and of the military refer to him as the “valiant moor” (1.3.47). At first glance, their language shows no signs of hidden racism. It is particularly intriguing, as Othello is hardly ever referred to by his name, but rather “the Moor” or other names other than his own. When Desdemona’s father Brabantio escorts Othello to the council for clarification if Othello had used any cunning means to win Desdemona’s love, the Duke and his Senators appear to be clearly on Othello’s side and say that Brabantio’s accusations are “thin habits and poor likelihoods” (1.3.108). This comes as a shock to Brabantio, who was sure “that the Duke himself, or any brothers of the state cannot but feel this wrong as ‘twere their own” (1.2.95-97)
Going against Brabantio, the Duke even states Othello’s tales would have won the heart of his daughter, too, in turn dismissing him of any suspicion of using witchcraft. In order to satisfy Brabantio, the Duke says to him “If virtue no delighted beauty lack, your son-in-law is far more fair than black” (1.3.290), suggesting for Brabantio to not judge Othello by his skin colour.
But the question arises, would the Duke’s reaction have been different if Othello was not so important for the state and its security?
In the latter stages of the play, Emilia’s racial sentiments become obvious by revealing worse traits about Othello after the murder of Desdemona. She cries out “O more the angel she, and you the blacker devil!” (5.2.132-133), or calls him “As ignorant as dirt” (5.2.165). The harshness of her exclamations suggests an inner contempt and fear of Moors, which could have been lurking before the murder.
In addition to other character’s prior racial judgements, we are unaware of what Roderigo’s attitude was towards Othello before his marriage to Desdemona, but from the first act onwards, Roderigo goes on with Iago’s racism by calling Othello “thick-lips” (1.1.66) and “lascivious Moor” (1.1.126). However, Roderigo’s willingness to take part in Iago’s betrayal of Othello doesn’t necessarily point to a deeply rooted racial bias. It is rather motivated by a powerful and inner jealousy, as Roderigo himself is in love with Desdemona was rejected by her on a separate occasion.
Desdemona
Desdemona falls in love with Othello despite his black skin and origin. In the play, she had many suitors, but chose Othello, as he had impressed her with his tales of military adventures throughout his life. It was Desdemona who took the initiative to marry Othello, who had probably never dreamt of marrying her, probably due to the racial difference.
Furthermore, it was likely Desdemona broke the custom that the man courts the woman, because she knew, Othello was unable to court her due to his skin colour. She also probably knew that her father would not have consented to their marriage and so she eloped with Othello instead.
Desdemona views Othello’s blackness as a positive thing, and it is very likely it was the “exotic otherness” of Othello that attracted her. She is completely devoted to her husband, and remains in love with him throughout the play, even until her deathbed.
Iago
Iago, the “trusted” ensign, with the reputation of being outstandingly honest is in a perfect position to betray Othello and to deceive everyone. Iago not only hates Othello, because of feeling passed over from a promotion, but also because he suspects Othello of committing adultery with his wife Emilia. “And it is thought abroad, that ‘twixt my sheets… He’s done my office” (1.3.184-185).
When talking about Othello, Iago uses harsh, raw and flat out offensive language. He hardly ever refers to Othello by his name, but rather calls him “the Moor” (1.1.39), “a Barbary horse” (1.1.111), or “the devil” (1.1.91). Such offensive language used by Iago gives animalistic connotations and shows the idea that Othello is less of a person. Throughout, Iago tries intensely to prove his allegations, and to eventually change the noble general into an irrational, jealous Moor.
Over the duration of the play, Iago keeps on ranting about Othello and Desdemona’s marriage. To him, the pair seems completely inappropriate and unnatural. He mocks their coupling, by again comparing them to animals. It is seen in the first act with Iago saying to Brabantio “An old black ram is tupping your white ewe” (1.1.89-90) and “Your daughter and the Moor are making the beast with two backs” (1.1.114-115). Oddly, most of the racist names he addresses to Othello refer to Othello and Desdemona’s relationship. Iago, in the play is obsessed with Othello and Desdemona’s sexuality, even more than Othello himself, appears to seize every chance he can get to exploit the traditional Elizabethan view of the Moor as evil, and that it is beyond question for a woman to love such a man.
Whereas Iago confirms his hate for Othello on various occasions, for example to Roderigo, “I have told thee often, and I tell thee again and again, I hate the Moor” (1.3.364-365), he however doesn’t seem to believe in his own allegations and he considers Othello to be of a “constant, noble and loving nature” and believes “he’ll prove to Desdemona a most dear husband” (2.1.284-286).
Iago’s racist allusion suggests a potential other and inner reason, whether that may be a secret love for Desdemona, a personal envious vendetta against Othello, or as some theorists suggest, a subconscious love for Othello himself.
Brabantio
Desdemona’s father Brabantio is a Venetian nobleman, and Desdemona’s father. He learns of his daughter’s marriage to Othello from Iago, who plants “the seeds of doubt” by inciting several prejudices in him. Brabantio appears to have mixed feelings about their union. Firstly, he seems angry due to Desdemona’s disobedience towards him; however, his anger comes from the fact the marriage is unnatural, because of Othello’s skin colour. He refers to their marriage as “a treason of the blood” (1.1.169) and although he says “years, country and credit” (1.3.97) as factors against the marriage, it is unlikely that if Othello had of been white and Venetian, Brabantio would react so unkindly, as Othello carried an excellent reputation and high military rank.
In the past, Brabantio has even invited Othello to his house various times, and in doing so, he actually promoted the meeting of his daughter and Othello, making it possible for the pair to fall in love. This suggests Brabantio is easy-going and liberal, but after calling Othello “sooty bosom” (1.2.70) and “foul thief” (1.2.62) and accusing him of witchcraft of winning his daughter’s heart, suggests Brabantio is no less racist than Iago.
So was it Iago who provoked Brabantio? Or is Brabantio equally as racist? When Othello stayed within Brabantio’s limits, he was welcome with open arms, but when Othello married his daughter, he crossed the line. Othello had worn out his welcome, and Brabantio’s kindness had turned to resent. According to Anthony Barthelemy, “Brabantio loses respect immediately and irrevocably when he no longer sees Othello as the Moor who defies fate, but instead the Moor who threatens family and state”
Cassio
Like Othello, Cassio is a stranger to Venice, as he is from Florence. However, he is the definition of a civilized, white and Christian gentleman. Oddly, unlike Desdemona and Othello, the similarities between Desdemona make for a more probable couple. It is probable that a young Venetian lady would tire or her old, “out-dated” husband, and turn to the new, handsome and young lieutenant. It seems likely, to most of the characters and to the audience that Othello, could be jealous of Cassio. With Othello being black and a foreigner and with Cassio’s whiteness are good indicators to assume Desdemona would prefer Cassio to Othello. However, Cassio and Desdemona simply exchange greetings and even though Cassio respects Desdemona’s beauty, he does not lust for her, as Iago says. All in all, he seems truly happy for their relationship.
Having passed adventures together, Cassio and Othello’s friendship is long and respectful. In Act 2 where Othello is forced to relieve Cassio of his duties, Cassio shows no resent or bitterness, nor does he show any racist feelings, but shows nothing but loyalty towards Othello.
Othello
Othello, who is a proud individual, aware of his achievements and knows about his valiant services to the state. When Othello speaks to the senate (1.2.31-32), it is blatant Othello knows that he is a clear foreigner to the local society. He addresses the Duke and his Senators “Most potent, grave and reverend signors…my very noble and approv’d good masters” (1.3.76.77) and then proceeds to demean himself by saying, “How rude I am in my speech, and little blest with the set phrase of peace” (1.3.81-82). Although Othello has converted to Christianity and possesses the highest military rank in Venice, he however knows his ethnicity poses a possible to the threat to the state. Furthermore, this is why Othello tries to convince and prove his loyalty to society. However, Othello does not try to hide his ethnic background and is quite frankly not ashamed of it, he even uses his exoticness to win his wife.
By marrying Desdemona, is an example of various ways Othello tries to overcome his role as “the other”. He wants to prove that he is like any other, white man, who deserves the love of a beautiful white woman. But, Othello is not like any other white man, and their relationship in various ways. Othello, for example, tries to keep his and Desdemona’s sexuality down, while Desdemona is overt and frank about her sexual desire for Othello. The fear of being a “stereotypical Moor” is inherent in Othello. He attempts to escape his blackness and its subsequent consequences by marrying Desdemona, denying his sexual behaviour, but also speaking in a proper, well-refined manner in order to assimilate into the majority white culture. But rather than overcoming the stereotype as a “Moor”, he moves closer to it with the jealous tirades and eventual murder of his wife.
Importance of Othello’s Race for the Play
Within the play, there are blatant indicators that show the significance of Othello’s ethnicity on the play. In Act 1, Iago clearly draws attention to the point that Othello is of another colour and that he is foreign to the surrounding society. Although Othello possesses the highest military rank in Venice, and is married to a white woman, it is in fact his skin colour that defines him and plays the pivotal role for Othello’s position in society. In addition, it is the blackness that sets him apart from the others and isolates him, and is the defining marker of his “otherness”.
The marriage between Othello and Desdemona is affected by his skin colour. Regardless of Othello’s honours, military achievements and religion, these all cannot make up for his black skin. Being a stranger, his social position is inferior to Desdemona’s, and most likely has to regard their marriage, and her love, as a favour. Furthermore, the racial and social difference is evident, as Othello could not court her, but rather wait for her to take initiative.
In Othello, skin colour is more than a physical property of the character, but instead a concept invented by the surrounding white society, suggesting the demeaning of Othello throughout. Secondly, the marriage of Othello and Desdemona not only threatens her father, but also causes severe envy in Iago, thus altering the whole social order in Venice. Traditionally, black men were commonly portrayed as a “rapist” of white women, but in Othello, as said prior, it is Desdemona, who shows sexual desire for Othello, not the other way around.
When Othello murders Desdemona in Act 5, his behaviour is exactly of what a “stereotypical Moor” is presented as. He ultimately loses his self-control, rationality, and eventually his life. The murder itself comes to a shock to the characters and to the audience, where the tragic ending proved the marriage’s oddness and justified the stereotypes associated with Moors. It is unlikely Shakespeare intended this, and by portraying the disintegration of a black hero whose nobility had been effectively established, Shakespeare was able to show a man as the prey of his uncontrollable emotions with extra dramatic effect.
Iago, who has throughout played a key role in the making of Othello’s racial identity, is known to have thrown his own biased feelings onto him, establishing Othello’s role as “the other”. When it is in fact Iago, who is everything Othello is not. While Othello is a moralist, against adultery and passionately in love with Desdemona; Iago is immoral, cynical and a pathological liar. Iago is selfish and denies any responsibility whatsoever. Rather than Othello being classed as a “stereotypical Moor”, it is Iago who carries all the common traits of “blackness”.
Conclusion
Othello is set in a deep-rooted, racist society. However, his status with the Duke and his position as general are not affected by his skin colour. Looking at the characters’ attitudes over the duration of the play, it is clear that none of which are without prior racist prejudgments. Furthermore, in the beginning of the play, when Othello first enters the scene, he defies all racial stereotypes that were labelled upon him by Iago or the general society.
Othello showed nothing but pride and his values and morals and was the character with the highest sense of honour in the play. However, he is still the guilty black man in the end. His fall from a proud and honourable hero to a violent killer is perplexing. By falling for the cunningness of Iago, Othello meets everyone’s expectations of a black man, and, maybe even his own.
But to what extent was the play racist? It is unlikely that Shakespeare himself was a racist, or thought negatively of people from abroad. However, using the examples of racist and non-racist characters within the play, suggests Shakespeare was suggesting how a black man couldn’t survive in a white society, regardless of his social class.
The old saying “a leopard can’t change its spots” fits nicely with the context of this play, as Othello, even with his honour, was still a black man, and even more frankly, a Moor in Elizabethan eyes. The tragedy of Othello was in the first place, a human tragedy, but is also due to his “otherness”. According to Anderson, “Othello’s marriage was doomed to fail, not because of their biological differences, but due to the social, political and cultural obstacles they had to face.”
Despite this, Desdemona’s true love for Othello shows it is possible for a white woman of such beauty to fall in love with a black man. The failure of their marriage is not caused by a lack of love, or even racial differences, but rather, a society who fails to integrate the outsider.
Shakespeare portrays Othello as a human being with deep feelings, which address the audience emotionally. He is shown as a hero, a victim and a perpetrator at the same time, and it is probable that the audience hoped for Othello to realize Iago was deceiving him before it was too late. Shakespeare made it possible for the audience to identify the society’s racism at the time, and by doing so, he did more than portray racism… he challenged it.
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