Racism In Othello

Othello is a play that can have many readings. Many people think it to be a racist play. It can be seen that in Elizabethan times there would be no-one who would look favourably on a "black" man yet Shakespeare has placed him in one of the highest positions as the general of the Venetian army in Cyprus.

Othello is a story of black and white. Perhaps black versus white would be more accurate. This battle takes place on two different levels. There is the battle of good versus evil. That always is seen as black versus white. Yet, this is also a personal battle, of a white man and a black man. Shakespeare's twist of fate is that he has made the good represented by black, and evil represented by white.

Iago hates Othello as he denies Iago the position of Lieutenant and he plots his demise. This seems to be the only reason for Iago to detest Othello, but his anger stretches beyond this into personal attacks. Iago refers to Othello's "thick-lips" (I.i.66) and to him as "an old black ram" (I.i.88). His hatred may have started on a professional level, but in part due to Othello's heritage, Iago's contempt quickly deteriorates to racism. This brings about a recurring paradox in Othello. While an extremely powerful man in a political context, his race makes him inferior in a white man's society. Iago is able to trick his general and manipulate him on a consistent basis. Iago believes that a "black" man or "Moor" has no place in the white man's society let along in a high place above him. His anger is quite obvious when he lashes out with the statement "hell and night / must bring this monstrous birth to the world's light" (I.iii.397-98). Not only does this outburst show Iago's contempt for Othello, it clearly shows the ironic switching of colour once again. He refers to himself as hell and night, while Othello is the world's light.