Iago

from Desdemona and then made it part of his scheme. There were no limits for him. He took down whomever he had to. Even though Othello was black he was integrated into the Venetian society and was also the states military champion against the Turks, which made his status equal to that of Desdemona's father, Brabantio. Prior to Othello having eloped with Desdemona Brabantio had invited this Moor to his house and held this black man as one of his peers. But even having all of this authority Othello is nonetheless an outsider and he is very much aware of this. Othello tells us this in Act I, Scene III when he mentions his mercenary at a "rented field? Othello's black skin color is less a racial issue than a cultural discriminator. Nevertheless racial stereotyping rather tham simple division between Venetian and non-Venetian does surface in Othello. In the minds of Shakespeare's audience black people were identified with witchcraft and other non-Christian superstitions. Brabantio accuses Othello of witchcraft, saying that the Moor must have used "drugs and minerals?to overcome Desdemona to his "sooty bosom? In act III scene IV Othello's explanation of the missing handkerchief implies that his mother engaged in charms that she acquired through other non-whites, in this case an Egyptian. Race plays less a factor than what most critics makes it out to be. Othello being a minority yet at the same time holding such high status in society, even though Quintana -4- conditioned to his usefulness to Venice, proves this. It was common for Skakepeare's audience to stereotype and associate his color complexion with witchcraft but by no means identical