To what extent can we consider Othello to be a play about race?
Even from the title of the play describing Othello as ‘The Moor of Venice’, there is immediately a distinction made about the protagonist versus the rest of the characters. Shakespeare introduces us to the fact that Othello is black from act 1 scene 1, where Iago and Roderigo use derogatory terms/remarks to disparage Othello. Many of these are racist, for instance insulting his “thick-lips” and telling Brabantio that “an old black ram is tupping your white ewe”. Describing Othello and his wife in antithetical terms because of the colour of his skin sets Othello’s nature up to be an unfavourable character in the eyes of Brabantio (and initially the audience), making it out to be an arguably racist play. Throughout the play, a wide range of characters continue to use the description ‘black’ as something directly associated with sin and immorality which was commonplace in the Jacobean era. In act 5, scene 2, Emilia reinforces this, comparing Desdemona and Othello: “O, the more angel she, and you the black devil!” Many believe that these sorts of remarks bear the racial assumption of the time that people with fair skin represent purity, whilst darker skin corresponds with hell and the devil. The statement may also imply that Othello has progressively turned to evil because of the fact he is black and this was his perceived nature.
It is clear that race has a big part to play in Othello, however many believe that it is overemphasised. The critic Adrien Lester postulated that “In the play, race is simply a tool that Iago uses to manipulate”, rather than the underlying motive of Iago to bring Othello to his downfall. In the same way that Iago convinces Brabantio of Othello’s unworthiness because due to his being ‘black’, he manages to puppeteer Roderigo in telling him that Othello and Desdemona won’t last because “these moors are changeable in their wills” (act 1, scene 3). This certainly holds the racist connotation and stereotype that black men don’t remain loyal to their word, but this is mainly seen as a strategy to help his plan unfold. This being said, the fact that Shakespeare brings the statement into fruition (Othello completely changes perception of his wife) may indicate that there is significant racial prejudices/assumptions at the heart of the play (Hugh Quarshie). Nonetheless, Iago utilises race as a device so that even Othello is manipulated due to his racial identity. Nearing the end of the play, he speaks of Desdemona, saying “Her name, that was as fresh as Dian’s visage, is now begrimed and black as my own face”. Perhaps Iago has manipulated Othello to the extent that his insecurities about his wife are paired with that of his skin colour, considering he too makes the parallel between black and evil.
Another line of analysis is that the play isn’t about race, but rather about outsiders (in turn making use of race as a type of differentiator). As a result, Iago not only comments on the fact that Othello is black, but that he is a foreigner. In act 1, scene 1 he refers to Othello as an “extravagant wheeling stranger of here and everywhere”. This xenophobic statement immediately alienates the protagonist from the other characters, perhaps serving as a reason for his downfall considering he is ‘out of place’ and ‘misunderstood’. In fact, Iago even leads Othello to consider himself as an outsider by making him believe that he doesn’t know Venice like he does, and that he doesn’t know Desdemona (a Venetian) respectively. For example, Iago tells Othello “In Venice they do let God see the pranks they dare not show their husbands” (act 3, scene 3). This serves as another way of convincing Othello to mistrust Desdemona and his own judgement. In essence, the theme brought up here revolves around the idea of difference/isolation rather than being white or black per se.
All this being said, it’s difficult to make a judgement about Shakespeare using racism in the play, as ideologies regarding race have changed over the past few centuries. On a contextual and anachronistic level, events such as transatlantic slavery only occurred after Shakespeare’s time which is when the black race was perceived as even more inferior due to racism (Onyeka). Hence, perhaps race in the play isn’t as big some people highlight, or perhaps it’s crucial that we unpack the great importance of racial prejudice in the play regardless of contextual ‘excuses’.
Again, a very good summary of different approaches and interpretations of race as concept here, Tilly. Well done – this is very strong work. It’s also interesting to note that responses to Othello as a character have also differed depending on temporal and geographical contexts over time.