Racial and Cultural Differences Role in Othello (Essay Sample)

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Racial and Cultural Differences Role in Othello
The play entitled Othello is one of William Shakespeare's most famous and enduring works that still resonates with audiences today. The play tells a story of racism, jealousy, and revenge. In the contemporary world, where people are becoming increasingly conscious of race, it is essential to understand how race plays a role in the text. The race is not central to Shakespeare's Othello, although it impacts everything in the play, and it is crucial in determining the narrative of the drama as well as the behavior of the characters. Shakespeare did not choose a person of color as the protagonist for no purpose (Smith, pg 116). There are many different ways that Shakespeare incorporates race and cultural differences throughout the play, from the performance itself, to its setting, to Othello's relationships with other characters. "Othello" tackles themes like racism and sexism in one of those rare instances when these concepts are put on equal ground.
Essentially, the notion of racial awareness emerges, as demonstrated by the play's characters: the concept of human behaviors separating the disingenuously similar and ambiguously dissimilar aspects of the contrary direction. Othello does not consider his blackness as an indication of inferiority at the start of the play. By believing his negative simplistic caricature of himself, Othello believes he is like everyone else (Shakespear, pages 195-196). Othello regards himself as a vital fighter for Venice in defeating the Turks, and he marries a Venetian girl without regard for the color of the people he represents or the woman he marries. Othello, on the other hand, perceives the concept of race that Iago implants in his consciousness. Iago manipulates Othello's thinking by imprinting the concepts of nature and against nature in his consciousness.
Iago attempts to persuade Othello that Desdemona is disloyal in her love for him since it is abnormal to love someone of a different culture/ethnicity. This attitude is also apparent in Brabantio, who feels that his daughter's actions violate natural laws. Despite Brabantio regarding Othello as a warrior and a fighter, he somehow doesn't regard him as a suitable match for Desdemona. The concept of race is approached here from a genealogy instead of an abiological one. For example, Iago tells Brabantio that his daughter is associating with a black man and that he will have black grandchildren "the devil will make a grandsire of you" (Shakespear, lines 81.1.88) if you do not act. This demonstrates how much they care about paternity and lineage and how seriously they take it. Iago employs figurative language to instill the concept of race in Othello and the other characters. Throughout the play, Iago uses animal imagery to characterize Othello's attack on Cassio or to demonstrate Desdemona's infidelity. The metaphorical terminology employed is primarily to depict African culture or to animalize the sexual activity, as in "the thick lips" (Shakespear, lines 1.1.63) and "ancient Black Ram." Iago instills racial notions in Othello, causing him to equate his blackness with faults, evil, morality, and hatred.
The depiction of diverse civilizations, including Arab, African, and Venetian cultures, characterizes this Shakespeare play. These references depict the characteristics of these civilizations and the people's actions and attitudes in these locations. The cultural differences between the east and west are one of the concerns explored in Campbell (pg 13). As previously mentioned, Othello is a former Muslim African Arab who marries a Venetian lady from a prestigious family. As a result, there is a concept of culture clash in this play, as Othello endeavors to represent two different cultures: his African culture as well as the culture of Venice as a commander of the Venetian military and as a spouse for a Venetian woman (Campbell, pg 10).
Initially, the Arab culture is depicted in the symbols used by Othello in his poetic speech, which contains various allusions to the Arab civilization. In his suicide monologue, for example, he references "the Arabian trees," "medicinal gum," "Aleppo," and "turbaned Turk." Furthermore, other characters reference phrases related to Othello's cultural past, such as "Barbary," "Palestine," and so on. Next, Othello's impressions and envious attitudes are influenced by African culture, although this also encompasses Venetians. Desdemona comments on Othello's origins when she states that he is not the sort of jealous person who becomes enraged over the loss of his handkerchief since "jealousy was drawn from Othello's personality instead of exacerbated by the torrid environment in which he was born" (Campbell, pg 12).
Race is also used to show how the characters are treated differently. Othello and Desdemona go to great lengths to hide their relationship, making sure Desdemona never dresses or acts like a woman of the lower class. To do this, they must be ever watchful of whom they talk with and what they say, or they could be punished. "Why did I dissemble? / I should have spoken my mind freely" (Shakespear, 2.1, lines 176-177). The behavior and actions that Othello and Desdemona have to hide from everyone else are the same behaviors and actions that many people not members of their race often feel they need to hide, such as how a black man speaks or dresses (Nyoni pg 22).
The race is also reflected in how people treat the characters. Iago is one of the few characters in Shakespeare's play who show no respect for Othello as a man (Prabowo, pg 45). "As a piece of Holland cloth, so was he whites I" (Shakespear, 4.1, lines 178-179). He makes it clear that he sees Othello as nothing more than mere "cloth" or a piece in a larger whole. It's an example of how he punishes Othello for his race; by maltreating him and making him feel inferior because of how his skin looks.
There are other examples as well. Brabantio, Othello's father, tells his daughter: "Obey not his voice—his person—his frown" (Shakespear, 4.1, lines 153-154). This comparison of Othello to a white shows how Brabantio doesn't accept Othello's color skin. He also displays a similar attitude concerning Iago. "Who told thee? W