Identity And Identity In Othello

Othello, from the onset, is shown to us a play of love and jealousy. There is however more to this play than just love and jealousy; there is underlying racism, hate, deception, pride, and even sexism between these pages. Othello is a transcendent play, one that will survive the perils of time simply because it is still relevant. Even today, over 400 years later, there are still issues of racism and sexism. Hate is as natural as love in humans and Othello gets right to the root of that. We witness this from the very first scene, “…you’ll have your daughter covered with a Barbary horse/ you’ll have your nephews neigh to you” (I.i.112-14); to the very last, “Moor she was chaste. She loved thee, cruel Moor” (V.ii.258). Moor however is

• A fear of foreigners during Elizabethan times fostered misogynistic and racist values, which is evident in the way Othello’s blackness becomes a symbol of alienation to which all characters in the play must respond.

Identity is a part of everyone and it changes as they grow, but how it changes varies depending on aspects of the person’s life. In the play Othello by William Shakespeare, and Desdemona is an influential character who is married to Othello. Her identity changes as the play progresses, but the characteristics in her life change her identity. Desdemona has many factors influencing her identity, but three of them are family, gender and sexuality, and race and culture. Family includes her father’s treatment of her, and how he feels when Desdemona betrays him. Race and culture influence the way her community sees her relationship with Othello, and also how her community sees her. Finally, gender and sexuality forces her to take on gender roles in her relationship with Othello, in being the weaker sex, and also how people view her because she is a woman (they see her as property). Desdemona from Shakespeare’s play Othello, changes her identity through her family, gender and sexuality, and race and culture.

There are many questions asked in the world today. Arguably, one of the most commonly asked questions would probably be the reason for existence, or rather, in other words, the meaning of life. Ultimately, the answer to this question can be found in the ideological framework known as The Chain of Being. In the play, “Othello,” by William Shakespeare, The Chain of Being can be seen as one of the main themes or ideas throughout the story. The idea of The Chain of Being is evident not only in the play, but undeniably exists in the world as well. This is because of what it is, who it affects, and how it affects those who are affected.

Othello by William Shakespeare raises the issue of how rampant beliefs and attitudes in a society can cause a person to question their sense of self. In a society where racial equality is near non-existent, Othello, a black skinned foreigner in the Venetian society, is constantly reminded of his status as an outsider. Othello, however, is not depicted in a stereotypical manner and despite occupying a highly respected position he is often confronted with blatant racism throughout the play. The prevailing attitudes and beliefs of Venetian society towards Othello are exploited by Iago in order to manipulate Othello’s self confidence and emotional state.

In Shakespeare's tragedy, Othello, Iago is uncharacteristically honest when he says "I am not what I am". However, he is not the only character whose appearance differs from the reality. Nonetheless, he is possibly the only person who intends this duplicity. Unfortunately everyone is under the impression that Iago is "honest and just". Once alone, Iago reveals "when devils will the blackest sins put on, they do suggest at first with heavenly shows as I do now". Iago is two-faced in his relationships, even in the language he uses. After referring to Othello as a "black ram", he then tells him "my lord, you know I love you". Iago has no shame in appealing to heaven and godly images in

Racism is a theme that is prominently evident throughout Shakespeare's Othello. Through this theme, there are several perceptions of an individual's race which are exhibited to establish the

Identity is a very key, important thematic issue in William Shakespeare's tragic drama, Othello. Identity, or what may be better explained as a character's public perception, is highly valued in the Elizabethan Age in which Othello is set. There is a varying range between the characters in the extent that how they are perceived in public is not how they behave in private or how they really are, thus creating more than one identity per character. A character's identity is the overall essence of that character, however, in plays such as Shakespeare's there must always be an element of tragic flaw to the play thus creating conflict. In Othello, conflict ultimately arises through the plotting and scheming of one central, manipulative

Throughout time, writing has evolved such that gender, race and creed have taken on a more pivotal role in fiction. Some people argue that race in William Shakespeare’s tragedy, “Othello,” is hardly an issue. However, to many people, race is everything in “Othello. The challenges that Othello, the lead character, faces are directly attributed to his “Moor” complexion and if he were of a different nationality, the outcome of his situation would have been drastically different. These claims are supported by the articles of “Othello’s Alienation” by Edward Berry and “Race Mattered: Othello in Late Eighteenth-Century England” by Virginia Mason Vaughan that argue that race is a major element in “Othello.”

In Othello by William Shakespeare, the villainous Iago devises a plot with the hopes that Othello and his wife, Desdemona, will be separated so that he can take Othello’s position as head of the Venetian Military. Iago’s scheme consists of him convincing Othello that Desdemona is cheating on him with his lieutenant, Cassio. Iago has told no one else about his ploy so while everyone else’s actions remain true, he manipulates their every move for his benefit. While their actions may not lead to results that they expected, exploring the reasoning behind everyone’s actions, can give insight to their values since the actions were based on what they believed was the best thing to do. To the characters of Othello, honor is more important than

Amir is a young Afghani boy that possesses few differences from any other boys his age. He looks like, acts like, and lives like a young boy, but he has the advantage of living with a wealthy father. Jealousy is a flaw of his, and is one of the reasons he wallows in his own self pity for the majority of the novel. Hosseini does a remarkable job of making this character real and understandable. Amir is not a hero in any factor, but he does find a

Prejudice is an act of dehumanization. Throughout the Shakespearean play The Tragedy of Othello the theme of prejudice dominates the society in which the characters are restrained to. For the duration of the play the character Othello encounters various verbal slanders of racism and slurs leading to his spiral and demise. To the extent in which it contributes to him murdering his wife out of jealousy and, later, executing himself. The discrimination present in the play casts an influence on his character, consequently leading to pivotal downfalls. The act of prejudice is evident through Iago’s promotion of racial bias, the prevalence of racial attitudes, and the exemplification of Othello as an outcast in their society. Thus, the story becoming a tragedy for the existence of racial bias. Allocating that the influence of prejudice can obstruct one’s mindset, ultimately leading to the disintegration of one’s character.

Othello is one of the Shakespeare’s greatest tragedy which illustrates a tragic downfall of a black protagonist, Othello. Although in the play, Othello is a socially secured man working as a military general, his social status seems to be cancelled out by his colour. In the society of Venice, Othello is referred to as an outsider not only because of his cultural difference but also his colour, Therefore, in the play, Othello is depicted as a victim of racism even though he himself does not seem to acknowledge that he is victimised because of racism.

Othello’s race does not prominently impact his demise, although Shakespeare touches upon the issue of race, the reason for Othello’s demise lies somewhere else. However, the allegations of race directly lead to its tragic ending. Feelings of inadequacy and distrust without question aid in the tragedy. The fact that Othello’s skin color is important alters the interpretation of the tragedy within the play. The racism represented in Othello is not just about an instance of prejudices and prejudgments made by a crowd of people against another, but in fact has much more subtle and devastating consequences, specifically, that it is proliferated not only by the discriminatory section of society, but also by the target of this discrimination.

The ideas of identity are explored in Othello. Both William Shakespeare’s original play and the cinematic adaptation by Oliver Parker explore ideas of otherness and the patriarchy. William Shakespeare represents multiple ideas in his play Othello. Oliver Parker further resonates Shakespeare's ideas, using different cinematic techniques. Patriarchy has always been associated with a rigid concept of manipulation and control. Both William Shakespeare and Oliver Parker show how that idea, when entwined with fears and misunderstandings of otherness can lead to catastrophic incidents.