1.3.2
Social Issues
Racism and Racial Inequality in Othello
Racism and Racial Inequality in Othello
It's important to understand the society Shakespeare was writing in and contemporary ideas about race and the word 'black'.
Contemporary attitudes
Contemporary attitudes
- Queen Elizabeth is said to have complained about the number of black people living in England from around 1596.
- According to Ogude, Shakespeare may have "shared some of the deep-seated fears of his contemporaries about black people.... Othello expresses as well as confirms the prejudices behind Elizabeth's decree banishing 'negars' from England". This motion, allowing the deportation of black people, was passed in 1601.
The concept of 'blackness' in C16th
The concept of 'blackness' in C16th
- The word 'black' also carried particular connotations in Shakespeare's time that are shocking and appalling in a modern context.
- According to Jordan, the pre-sixteenth century Oxford English Dictionary associated the word black with meanings such as 'deeply stained with dirt... having deadly purposes... horrible, wicked'.
- Jordan said the word black was a "symbol of baseness and evil, a sign of danger and repulsion".
- So the idea of 'blackness' in Othello is not just connected to physical skin colour; but also ideas of a dark/evil nature.
Is Othello a racist play?
Is Othello a racist play?
- Some people see Othello as a racist play because the black protagonist and the only black character, Othello, is portrayed as irrational, murderous, violent and gullible.
- Some critics have highlighted that Othello’s jealous and violent nature, as well as his very sexual nature (implied by Roderigo and Iago), adhere to sixteenth-century stereotypes about black men.
Examples of racial slurs
Examples of racial slurs
- Certain characters seem to exhibit a racist attitude towards Othello - especially when looking at the play through a modern lens.
- Characters like Iago and Roderigo insult Othello with racial slurs (insults).
- Iago refers to Othello as the ‘Moor’. The term alludes to Othello's North African heritage. The word seems to be racially loaded.
- Roderigo calls Othello ‘thick lips’, seeming to mock Othello's physical appearance in a racially loaded way.
Alternative interpretation of Othello
Alternative interpretation of Othello
- However, the fact that Shakespeare includes these racial slurs does not necessarily mean that the play is racist in its outlook.
- Some people argue the very positive presentation of Othello (at least initially) as a great military leader, loving husband and eloquent speaker subverts any negative stereotypes about black people that Shakespeare's contemporaries may have subscribed to.
Admiration for Othello
Admiration for Othello
- Indeed, Othello is given enormous respect as a military leader and strategist.
- Men under Othello, such as Montano, Cassio and Lodovico, admire and respect him. The duke and senate of Venice also seem to admire him.
'The other'
'The other'
- Most critics agree that Othello is characterised as an 'other' in his society.
- Many characters, include Desdemona, repeatedly refer to Othello as “the Moor.” The repetition and nature of this term highlight the fact that Othello is foreign and ethnically 'other' to other characters in the play.
Gender in the Elizabethan Era
Gender in the Elizabethan Era
To understand gender dynamics in Othello, it's important to understand what life was like for women compared with now.
Life for women in the C16th
Life for women in the C16th
- England was very patriarchal in the Elizabethan era.
- Women were expected to be obedient, silent and passive in the face of male authority. Sermons held during this period promoted these values.
- Marriage reinforced the patriarchy. Fathers effectively married off their daughters when they wanted and to whom they wanted. Husbands would then become the 'legal masters' of their wives. This meant they could punish their wives as they chose, especially when it came to things like adultery.
The importance of Elizabeth I
The importance of Elizabeth I
- Elizabeth I took the throne in 1558 (Othello was written in 1603).
- Elizabeth reigned for a long time and her tenure was very stable, even though many of Elizabeth's contemporaries doubted that a female monarch could lead as effectively as a male and she was constantly having to prove herself.
- In the Spanish Armada, she is quoted as saying: “I have the body of a weak and feeble woman, but I have the heart and stomach of a king.”
Elizabeth I and marriage
Elizabeth I and marriage
- Significantly, Elizabeth never married. Some people believe that women were inspired by Elizabeth's strong example to try to gain greater freedoms in marriage and other aspects of life.
- Indeed, marriage separations rose greatly from 1595-1620.
- However, the idea of the 'shrew' woman (the very assertive and outspoken woman) also emerged in the literature of this time. This type of woman beckoned the need for husbands to exert more control over their wives - reinforcing patriarchy.
The Presentation of Gender in Othello
The Presentation of Gender in Othello
To understand gender dynamics in Othello, it's important to understand what life was like for women compared with now.
Female sexuality
Female sexuality
- Female sexuality is seen as threatening or emasculating in Othello.
- Othello easily believes that Desdemona is being unfaithful and feels ‘cuckolded’ (which means being the husband of an unfaithful wife). This leads to his cruel and vicious treatment of Desdemona.
Misogyny
Misogyny
- Iago speaks disdainfully of women and appears to have a misogynistic attitude.
- He implies that he thinks women are deceitful: 'You are pictures out of doors, bells / in your parlors, wild-cats in your kitchens, saints in / your injuries, devils being offended, players in your / housewifery, and housewives in your beds' (2,1).
- Although Othello speaks highly of Desdemona at the beginning of the play, Iago's language rubs off on him. He later called both Desdemona and Emilia 'whores'.
Emilia's proto-feminism
Emilia's proto-feminism
- You could argue that some of Emilia's comments seem to rebel against the patriarchy.
- E.g. Emilia tells Desdemona that men selfishly exploit women: “’Tis not a year or two shows us a man. / They are all but stomachs, and we all but food; / They eat us hungerly, and, when they are full, / They belch us” (3,4).
1Context
1.1Introduction
1.3Othello
2Act One: Summaries & Themes
2.1Act and Scene Summaries
2.2Scene One
2.3Scene Two
3Act Two: Summaries & Themes
3.1Scene One & Two
3.2Scene Three
4Act Three: Summaries & Themes
5Act Four
5.1Scene One
5.2Scene Two
5.3Scene Three
6Act Five
6.1Scene One
6.2Scene Two
7Character Profiles
7.1Major Characters
7.2Minor Characters
8Key Themes
8.1Love & Tragedy
8.2Other Key Themes
9Writing Techniques
9.1Writing Techniques
10Critical Debates
10.1Criticism & Performance
11Approaching AQA English Literature
11.1Specification A
11.2Specification B
12Issues of Assessment
12.1The Exams
Jump to other topics
1Context
1.1Introduction
1.3Othello
2Act One: Summaries & Themes
2.1Act and Scene Summaries
2.2Scene One
2.3Scene Two
3Act Two: Summaries & Themes
3.1Scene One & Two
3.2Scene Three
4Act Three: Summaries & Themes
5Act Four
5.1Scene One
5.2Scene Two
5.3Scene Three
6Act Five
6.1Scene One
6.2Scene Two
7Character Profiles
7.1Major Characters
7.2Minor Characters
8Key Themes
8.1Love & Tragedy
8.2Other Key Themes
9Writing Techniques
9.1Writing Techniques
10Critical Debates
10.1Criticism & Performance
11Approaching AQA English Literature
11.1Specification A
11.2Specification B
12Issues of Assessment
12.1The Exams
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