Research papar Demo

 " A play of black and white - A story of Othello with reference to Racism "

Abstract 

Racism is a term used in English literature. In this term you can find out the  different races. Othello is one type of racist play and domestic tragedy written by William Shakespeare. In this play only one man is black protagonist Othello.what is racism? Some other critics like Arushi Vijay, Shamin Ahmed, Diallo Simob wrote an article in Othello is racist play or racism.

Key word -Racism, Blackness, othello, tragedy, William Shakespear.  

Introduction :

William Shakespeare's play Othello written in 1603.This play is the tragedy of a noble hero brought down by a fatal flaw of jealousy in his character. Whereas Othell is a domestic tragedy, the tragedy of marriage with timeless themes such as love, thrust, suspicion, self- interest, racism, judgment and reason. The play suggests that ultimately if the social order is to continue this marriage and what it represents must be destroyed. This play set in the contemporary Ottoman - venetian war 1570-1573 fought for the control of the Island of Cyprus from 1489 a possession of the Venetian Republican.

Racism :

Racism was at the heart of North American slavery and the colonization and empire-building activities of western Europeans, especially in the 18th century. The idea of race was invented to magnify the differences between people of European origin and those of African descent whose ancestors had been involuntarily enslaved and transported to the Americas. 

By the 19th century, racism had matured and spread around the world.

What is Racism?

The term ‘racism’ is often  poorly understood. The Oxford Dictionary defines it as, "Prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against someone of a different race based on the belief that one’s own race is superior." However, this is a simplified explanation of a complex issue.

Racism consists of ideologies and practices that seek to justify, or cause, the unequal distribution of privileges, rights or goods among different racial groups.

Racism is when someone thinks different skin color or religious beliefs make some people better than others. Racists bully people who are different from them. They do this by name-calling or violence.

Aarushi Vijay says not to accept all white people in Othello, because Othello is a black man Neguro. Even though he is a capable Warrior. but he is seen with a sense of hurted and called a 'think lips', 'Black Devil','Foul thief', 'Moor', 'Sooty bosom'.

Shamin Ahmed says Race is the driving force behind the tragedy of Othello. Othello is the timeless tale of the helpless moor, unfamiliarity  with Venetian culture resulting, because he is of a completely different racial background.

Diallo simob - ponte

In the 16th century what things of racism in Venetian society and contact between the vast majority of Europeans and non Europeans groups such as the moor African and Turks.The term moor(negro) is a used to isolate and a essentially ostracize, Othell.

Othello as a Racists play :

Shakespeare was a good writer and he has written many plays like ’ The Merchant of Venice, The Merry Wives of Windsor, and Romeo and Juliet, Othell, King Layer. Othello is a one type of tragedy play. So in this play one character is portrayed as a moor and black person. So every time we start back on the road to Venice and Othello, we find ourselves asking the same question: Is this a racist play, or a play about racism?

It is not easy to answer this question. Considering the time Shakespeare wrote this play, we have no idea of ​​racism at that time.but Curtainlay, There Is Evidence of Blacks in Elizabeth England Maring and Evening Land.The slaves were kept as a trade in which Africans were kept.

In England there is great bewilderment about “Blackamoores” and the hue of our skin with scholars theorizing the proximity of the sun or religious figures pointing to the curse of Ham to explain Blackness.( reference )

The play opens with Iago and Rodrigo warning Brabantio about “thick lips” and “old black ram” who has stolen his daughter from him and has

eloped with her. Othello is attracted to Timo and wants to love him and even decides to run with him. Iago envy Othello because he is a black man and he is serving as a general in the army.  So a conspiracy is hatched against Othello.

Iago traps Othello in his mind that Desdemona is cheating on him.  Othello agrees with Iago because of the color difference between his skin and Othello.  Othello looks at Desdemona with skepticism, Othello suspects him so much that he is ready to kill her.  And after killing him, get ready for himself. At the end, he also takes his life because now according to everyone, he is a “blacker devil” and he decides that he has no right to live anymore.Therefore, it can be said that the racial injustice prevailing in “Othello” not only poisons the Venetian view of Othello but also Othello’s view of himself.

The way we organize the play will make us realize from the beginning that a lot has been said about what has arisen so that he can swim as a different person.  Here body parts are also described in which Shakespeare appears in the play..

n 1.1, lines 87-93, Iago speaks,

“an old black ram

Is tupping your white ewe. Arise; arise;

Awake the snoring citizens with the bell,

Or else the devil will make a grandsire of you”

Iago raises a lot of questions here about the character of Desdemona and Othello, and he wants to say that Othello is a Venetian black man and Desdemona is a white innocent woman.  According to Othello, she is ready to run away with him.  The father of  Desdemona also states that Othello is the one who plotted. Barbantio calls him a “foul thief” and “sooty bosom.” Thus, we can see how morals and race combine in these slurs, where Othello always ends up as the devil because of his skin color.

In 2.2, lines 300-302, Iago again says

“Make the Moor thank me, love me and reward

me, for making him egregiously an ass.”

Here he is called not by his name but by different words.  He is portrayed by people not as a man but as an animal.  A different word 'moor' is used for it.  Which represents a different racism.  Iago is not the only one against it.  But Desdemona's father also considers his bad and portrays he as a slave.Venetian means people from the African side.  African is portrayed as a slave whose skin color is different.

When Iago convinces Othello that Desdemona is cheating on him because you are black, Othello thinks and speaks the following dialogue.

Towards the end of the scene, Othello says, (3.3.267-272)

“Haply, for I am black

And have not those soft parts of conversation

That chamberers have, or for I am declin’d

Into the vale of years (yet that’s not much)

She’s gone. I am abus’d: and my relief

Must be to loathe her.”

Here we can see that a Venetian is represented by a different race.  One of the tragedies is that Desdemona pretends to be cheating him.Now Othello doesn't see Desdemona's true relationship but he hates her.Now he not only hates her but is also ready to kill her.

We see in 5.2, Othello enters the room and he has by this point made up his mind to kill.

Desdemona. (5.2.3-5)

“Yet I’ll not shed her blood,

Nor scar that whiter skin of hers than snow

And smooth as monumental alabaster.”

Seeing his white skin now makes him jealous too, and he kills Desdemona because of the superstition in his mind without hearing anything from her. What is true? What's wrong?  He doesn't even give her time to explain and kill her.

 In this play like a not only for the love triangle but they represented the European things in how to live in this place Black and White people. In this type of tow category things also represented very well in that time.

Conclusion :

In Elizabethan times, Shakespeare tried to show how the Moors in those days portrayed the white man and how he treated them.  Othello is treated unfairly despite being a good soldier in this play.  It is also because of his color that he is not a white person but he is a black person so by envying him he can easily turn against Desdemona.  He also killed her on suspicion. Throughout the play we see that Iago succeeds in his creation and he finally convinces othello that Desdemona doesn't like him because he is a black person and so he is in a relationship with one of his own soldiers. Othello  is the timeless tale of the hapless Moor, because he is completely different racial background. But he is a very strong and Brave person. So he is an Army general. But his color is black so he has a painful life. So all things are represented in Othello is a racist play.

Work Citation :

Ahmed, Shamim 'Shuvo'. "Othello Race Research Paper ." 14 May 2011: 10.

Simon-Ponte, Diallo. "How Othello was Consumed By Racism...Not Jealous ." 15 October 2020.

Vijay, Aarushi. "Racism Injustice in "Othello: The Moor of Venice"." 30 September 2019: 9.