Themes: Race (Grade 12 NSC Matric English HL): Revision Notes
Themes: Race
Introduction to race in Othello
The theme of race in Othello reveals the persistent problem of discrimination and prejudice that has existed throughout history. Shakespeare presents these issues through his portrayal of Othello, who is frequently referred to as a "Moor" - a term that could describe an African, Muslim, or South Asian Indian person. This ambiguous identity means Othello never fully fits into Venetian society due to his racial difference, making him an outsider despite his military achievements.
The systematic oppression of ethnic minorities forms a crucial backdrop to the play, showing how racial language becomes a weapon used to marginalise and dehumanise people who look different from the dominant culture.
The term "Moor" in Shakespeare's time was deliberately ambiguous, allowing audiences to project their own prejudices while also creating uncertainty about Othello's exact ethnic background. This ambiguity was both a reflexion of limited geographical knowledge and a dramatic device that heightened the character's outsider status.
Race, sexuality and marriage
Many literary critics view race as central to understanding Othello's tragic story. However, the relationship between Othello and Desdemona challenges this perspective because their colour difference initially seems unimportant to them personally, serving instead as a source of strength in their love.
Desdemona's choice to marry Othello demonstrates remarkable courage for her time. She directly disobeys her father and society's expectations, showing that she finds racial difference unimportant. Her attraction to Othello stems from his exotic adventures and tales of distant lands, allowing her to escape into a fantasy world away from restrictive societal pressures.
Critics like Fenella Salgado argue that "Othello's colour is dramatically important as a symbol of his own uniqueness and the uniqueness of Desdemona's choice, but it is only when Othello begins to think of himself as a typical black man... that the seeds of tragedy are sown". This suggests that Othello's downfall comes not from his race itself, but from internalising racist stereotypes that Iago exploits.
Racial Language as Dehumanisation
The play uses racially charged imagery to reduce Othello to an animal:
- "An old black ram / Is tupping your white ewe" (Act I, Scene I)
- "the devil will make a grandsire of you" (Act I, Scene I)
- "you'll have your daughter covered with a Barbary horse" (Act I, Scene I)
This language reflects Elizabethan prejudices and the growing European involvement in the slave trade, creating imagery of Othello as non-human.
Religious and moral dimensions
Race intersects powerfully with religious themes in the play. Shakespeare uses the contrast between Desdemona's white skin and dress to suggest purity and innocence, while associating Othello's actions with righteousness that becomes perverted. Her unjust death represents the punishment of Othello's misjudgement by divine power.
The play also connects blackness with evil, reflecting Elizabethan stereotypes that viewed Africans as "manifestations of the devil". Iago exploits these prejudices when he tells Brabantio that "the devil will make a grandsire of you" (Act I, Scene I), and warns that "you'll have your daughter covered with a Barbary horse" (Act I, Scene I). This animalistic language creates imagery of Othello as non-human, depicting interracial relationships as unnatural.
Shakespeare's use of religious symbolism reinforces racial stereotypes of his era, where whiteness was associated with divine purity and blackness with evil or corruption. Understanding this symbolic framework is crucial for recognising how the play both challenges and reinforces contemporary prejudices.
Post-colonial perspectives
Post-colonialism refers to the period after Western colonies gained independence, involving the recovery of lost history, language, and traditions. Post-colonial critics examine how colonialism's legacy continues to affect literature and society.
Scholar Ania Loomba identifies the central conflict as existing "between the racism of a white patriarchy and the threat posed to it by both a black man and a white woman". This reading reveals how institutions controlled by white culture amplify outsider status - Othello faces discrimination as a black man married to a white woman in an inherently racist and sexist society.
This perspective encourages readers to consider how trying to fit into dominant culture affects individual identity, particularly for those who maintain outsider status despite their efforts to belong.
Post-colonial readings of Othello reveal how the play anticipates later colonial relationships, where colonised peoples were simultaneously valued for their skills and marginalised for their difference. This dual status creates the psychological tension that drives Othello's tragic arc.
Race and nobility
Although characters use racially insensitive language throughout the play, Venice clearly needs Othello because of his military skills against the Turkish navy invading Cyprus. The practical necessity of his leadership temporarily overshadows racial prejudice, showing that merit can sometimes triumph over discrimination.
Othello's character reflects the ethnic diversity of Venice during the Renaissance, when cultural exchange between Europe, Asia, and Africa was common. Despite widespread anti-Black sentiment in England, many African Moors achieved high social positions as intellectuals, nobles, and musicians. Historical figures like Alessandro de Medici, who ruled Florence and was known as "il moro" (The Moor), demonstrate that racial minorities could attain significant power and respect.
Shakespeare's portrayal subverts typical racial stereotypes by emphasising Othello's nobility and status as a military leader. The Duke's comment that Othello's "son-in-law is far more fair than black" (Act I, Scene III) suggests that his character - described as honest, loyal, and trustworthy - holds greater value than his appearance in Venetian court.
The New World: race and religion
The historical context of exploration and colonialism shaped Elizabethan attitudes towards race. During the "age of discovery", Europeans travelled to establish new economic relationships and encounter what they termed "savage" peoples. The British regarded anything unfamiliar as abnormal, including Native Americans and indigenous peoples, who were seen as "uncivilised sub-humans" because of their different customs and skin colour.
These racial prejudices connected directly to the profitable slave trade. John Hawkins first developed the trade in African slaves as commodities for Spanish New World colonies in 1562, creating a massive market that reduced African people to objects at the bottom of the social hierarchy.
This historical backdrop made Shakespeare's portrayal of an equal relationship between a Black man and white woman shocking to audiences. The idea of forbidden pleasure suggests that individuals secretly enjoy what society deems unacceptable, which may explain Elizabethan audiences' fascination with sensational and unrealistic stories.
The development of the Atlantic slave trade during Shakespeare's lifetime directly influenced contemporary attitudes towards race and provided economic justification for viewing Africans as inferior. Understanding this historical context is essential for recognising the radical nature of Shakespeare's positive portrayal of Othello's character.
Elizabethan attitudes and cultural stereotypes
Most English citizens found the idea of racially different people existing almost absurd, having limited exposure to other cultures. They relied on travel literature like Mandeville's Travels, which described African inhabitants with emphasis on their Black skin colour, automatically associating "exotic" subjects with Blackness.
British colonisation focused on spreading their own culture and language, reflecting Eurocentric superiority - the belief that European civilisation was inherently better than others. This attitude appears in contemporary poetry, such as Samuel Daniel's 1599 verse celebrating English language as treasure for "barbaric cultures".
The rhetoric of salvation - the idea that Europeans were rescuing uncivilised peoples - pervades Othello and Desdemona's relationship. Othello believes he is redeeming Desdemona by killing her, suggesting that although Shakespeare challenged racial roles to make Othello noble and respectful, he ultimately reinforced normal social order to satisfy his Elizabethan audience.
Limited travel and communication in Shakespeare's era meant that most English people's understanding of other cultures came from highly unreliable sources like fantastical travel narratives. These texts often exaggerated differences and portrayed foreign peoples as monstrous or supernatural, shaping prejudices that appear throughout Othello.
The concept of "the Other"
Philosopher Friedrich Hegel's concept of "the Other" explains how people develop separate consciousness and moral understanding. Society creates hierarchical categories that define identities, particularly the slave/master dichotomy where the slave's consciousness depends on the master for validation.
In Othello, this dynamic manifests in Iago and Othello's relationship. While Othello appears to hold greater authority, Iago's ability to manipulate him through language establishes a different power structure. This echoes historical relationships where enslaved Africans had to obey their masters, reflected subtly throughout the play.
At the play's conclusion, Othello's reference to fighting "in Aleppo" (Act V, Scene II) between "a malignant and turbaned Turk" (Act V, Scene II) and a Venetian makes his final position unclear. By killing himself while describing killing the Turk, Othello reaffirms his outsider status and accepts that he will remain an outsider regardless of his achievements.
Hegel's master-slave dialectic helps explain the psychological dimension of racial oppression, where the oppressed person's sense of self becomes dependent on recognition from the oppressor. This creates internal conflict that Iago exploits to destroy Othello.
Performances of Othello through history
Race as a major factor in the play raises important questions about casting and representation. Historically, social conventions prohibited Black actors and women from performing on stage, meaning Othello would have been played by a white man in blackface, while Desdemona would have been played by a young boy.
The first recorded performance took place on 1st November 1604 at the Banqueting House at Whitehall, with subsequent performances at the Globe and Blackfriars theatres. Richard Burbage likely played the first Othello, probably using products to darken his skin - a practice that continued until theatre was banned during the English Civil War in 1642.
Modern directors have reinterpreted racial aspects significantly. The 2009 Berlin production cast Susanne Wolff, a white woman, as Othello, challenging boundaries of both race and gender. The production used costume changes - black trousers and white shirt transforming to a gorilla suit during Othello's rage - to symbolise animalistic tendencies, though some audience members found this approach inappropriate.
Contemporary productions like Iqbal Khan's 2015 RSC production cast a Black actor as Iago, creating interesting dynamics by making the manipulator share Othello's race while questioning traditional colonial readings. The 2018 Globe production featured diverse casting with African, Indian, and white actors, reflecting real diversity in modern society while raising questions about whether Othello should be restricted to Black actors.
Evolution of Casting Practices
The casting of Othello has evolved dramatically:
Traditional Era (1604-1960s): White actors in blackface
Breakthrough Period (1940s-1980s): First Black actors cast as Othello, including Paul Robeson and Laurence Fishburne
Contemporary Era (1990s-present): Diverse interpretations including gender-blind casting, colour-conscious casting, and experimental approaches
Each era reflects changing social attitudes towards race and representation in theatre.
Modern relevance of racial themes
The racial stereotypes in Othello can be understood as products of their historical period, though Elizabethan views now appear insensitive and prejudiced. While Shakespeare's portrayal was partly positive for its time, it still reflected standard perceptions and racial hierarchies that made interracial marriages difficult to accept.
Scholar Homi Bhabha describes cultural hybridity resulting from colonial struggles, creating cultural ambivalence where colonised peoples' identities become split between their heritage and imposed European culture. This creates an ambivalent space between master and subject that affects cultural heritage, visible today as ethnic minorities and immigrant children navigate between different cultural identities.
Contemporary movements from Civil Rights to Black Lives Matter have highlighted ongoing discrimination faced by Black community members. The 2020 murder of George Floyd sparked worldwide protests against police violence and micro-aggressions - actions with racist undertones that aren't overtly discriminatory but create feelings of exclusion through derogatory behaviour.
The theme of race in Othello continues to echo in today's world, demonstrating the continuing need for change in social perceptions of different cultures and ethnicities.
The persistence of racial themes from Shakespeare's era to the present day demonstrates that Othello remains relevant not as a historical curiosity, but as a continuing commentary on how societies create and maintain racial hierarchies. Modern audiences must grapple with both the play's historical context and its ongoing relevance to contemporary racial justice movements.
Key Points to Remember:
- Race functions as a weapon of marginalisation - Characters use racial language to dehumanise Othello and justify discrimination against him
- Shakespeare both challenges and reinforces stereotypes - While making Othello noble and heroic, the play ultimately supports social order by having him internalise racist views
- Historical context shapes interpretation - The age of exploration, colonialism, and slave trade created the prejudices reflected in the play
- Performance history reveals changing attitudes - From blackface to diverse casting, productions show evolving understanding of racial representation
- Modern relevance remains strong - Issues of racial injustice, cultural identity, and discrimination continue to affect society today