Alhena
Othello Essay Plan
Theme: Race
Introduction:
The theme of race is one central to the plot of Shakespeare’s play Othello as it is what makes the
main character Othello an outsider/other. At the beginning of the play it is made clear that Othello
has risen to be a strong, successful and respected military leader despite being of African descent
and different from the White Venetians he was surrounded with and in spite of the racism which he
is faced with. At the beginning of the play Othello seems to be a calm and distinguished man, the
complete opposite of the racist stereotypes that the Venetians seem to associate those of African
descent with – that they were primal and violent people. However, Othello’s model character and
personality at the beginning of the play despite his race only serves to makes his downfall even
more effective. Due to Iago’s machinations Othello believes that his wife Desdemona has been
unfaithful, jealousy and his wounded pride makes him descend morally and he begins to both
internalise and conform to the racist stereotypes that he once contradicted.
Point 1: From the very beginning of the play it is made very clear that due to his race Othello is an
outsider. This is especially clear when Brabantio condemns Othello for marrying his daughter.
Critic:
‘Othello is a victim of racial beliefs' - Koomba
Quotes:
‘lascivious Moor’ – the title ‘Moor’ means someone who is not white and thus immediately
separates Othello from the Venetians on the basis of his race and culture and makes him an
other. The adjective ‘lascivious’ is a reference to one of the common stereotypes of people
of African descent; that they were overtly sexual and lusty people.
‘an old black ram Is tupping your white ewe’ – the juxtaposition between the adjectives
‘black’ and ‘white’ and the nouns ‘ram’ and ‘ewe’ highlight how different Othello and
Desdemona are because of their differences in race, whilst Desdemona is associated with
purity and innocence, Otello is associated with lust and evil.
‘thou hast enchanted her…she in chains of magic were not bound’ – the verb ‘enchanted’,
the abstract noun ‘magic’ and the noun ‘bound’ refer to another stereotype regarding
African people; that they used black magic to ensnare and trap women to satisfy their sexual
desires.
Context:
Othello is a racial ‘outsider’ in Venice. Christian Renaissance traditions believed Africans to
be descended from Noah’s son who was cursed, therefore they believed Africans to be an
accursed race. Othello only behaves as the stereotype of the lustful, murderous black man
when he is corrupted by Iago.
Othello Essay Plan
Theme: Race
Introduction:
The theme of race is one central to the plot of Shakespeare’s play Othello as it is what makes the
main character Othello an outsider/other. At the beginning of the play it is made clear that Othello
has risen to be a strong, successful and respected military leader despite being of African descent
and different from the White Venetians he was surrounded with and in spite of the racism which he
is faced with. At the beginning of the play Othello seems to be a calm and distinguished man, the
complete opposite of the racist stereotypes that the Venetians seem to associate those of African
descent with – that they were primal and violent people. However, Othello’s model character and
personality at the beginning of the play despite his race only serves to makes his downfall even
more effective. Due to Iago’s machinations Othello believes that his wife Desdemona has been
unfaithful, jealousy and his wounded pride makes him descend morally and he begins to both
internalise and conform to the racist stereotypes that he once contradicted.
Point 1: From the very beginning of the play it is made very clear that due to his race Othello is an
outsider. This is especially clear when Brabantio condemns Othello for marrying his daughter.
Critic:
‘Othello is a victim of racial beliefs' - Koomba
Quotes:
‘lascivious Moor’ – the title ‘Moor’ means someone who is not white and thus immediately
separates Othello from the Venetians on the basis of his race and culture and makes him an
other. The adjective ‘lascivious’ is a reference to one of the common stereotypes of people
of African descent; that they were overtly sexual and lusty people.
‘an old black ram Is tupping your white ewe’ – the juxtaposition between the adjectives
‘black’ and ‘white’ and the nouns ‘ram’ and ‘ewe’ highlight how different Othello and
Desdemona are because of their differences in race, whilst Desdemona is associated with
purity and innocence, Otello is associated with lust and evil.
‘thou hast enchanted her…she in chains of magic were not bound’ – the verb ‘enchanted’,
the abstract noun ‘magic’ and the noun ‘bound’ refer to another stereotype regarding
African people; that they used black magic to ensnare and trap women to satisfy their sexual
desires.
Context:
Othello is a racial ‘outsider’ in Venice. Christian Renaissance traditions believed Africans to
be descended from Noah’s son who was cursed, therefore they believed Africans to be an
accursed race. Othello only behaves as the stereotype of the lustful, murderous black man
when he is corrupted by Iago.
