RACE, AND SYMBOLISM OF COLOR, IN SHAKESPEARE’S OTHELLO
Othello is a tragic play written by William Shakespeare in 1603. The play is based on the story of a Moorish general, Othello, who was serving in the Venetian army and his antagonist, Iago, husband to Emilia and also attendant to Othello’s wife, Desdemona. The poem became famous due to its mastery of language and is still often performed in today’s theatre. It has also been adopted into numerous films and literary adaptations (Daileader, 2005). In this script, Shakespeare explores various themes of love, racism, betrayal, jealousy, revenge, and repentance. Through this play, Shakespeare was trying to explain the act of discrimination of people based on race through the use of color imagery of the white and black people (Aldama, 2006). He uses different colors, red, black, and white, to create metaphoric meanings which contribute to the theme of racism, among other themes. In this paper, am going to analyze some instances of racism using the writer’s symbolism and try to discuss whether Shakespeare was a racist.
Summary of the Play
Othello is the main character of this play who introduces various themes that appear in the introductory part of the poem (Taylor, 2016). Iago, an antagonist of the play, has destructive plans against Othello. He introduces the theme of racism in his accusations where he refers to the main character as an old black ram who was having an affair with the senator’s white ewe (Barthelemy, 1999). Iago’s motive throughout the play was driven by jealousy and he wanted to undermine Othello who was more successful than him. But the writer is able to portray Othello as a hero who has led a good life full of great achievements for his people and himself. Some of these achievements are winning the trust of his people when he fought and defeated a Venetian soldier and being a loyal son-in-law to Brabantio (Aldama, 2006). The play was written at a time when citizens of England were in great fear of the threats posed by the Muslim Moors to the Christianity of Britain. Also, a time when black men were seen as a threat if they had any sexual relationships with white women. The writer uses Othello to represent both of these fears (Taylor, 2016). He becomes a Venetian general despite being a black man and ends marrying a white woman. The white people relate this marriage with magical powers claiming that Othello used African black powers to seduce Desdemona, a white woman.
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Racism in Shakespeare’s Othello
The biggest concern in Shakespeare’s tragic play, Othello, was racism. The theme of racism is well explained in this poem when Shakespeare uses an outsider as the main character and hero of the play. The writer refers to outsiders as ‘Moor’ which was a name used by white people to refer to black people in England during Elizabethan times. The name made black people feel as outsiders who belonged on the periphery of the social society (Bartels, 1990). An in-depth analysis of the poem from the beginning to the end brings out many references that touch on the issue of racism. Othello’s origin from an African or Arab nationality was used to show how racism was deep rooted in England through the various characters of the play who used racial words to insult Othello, who had become the supreme commander of Venetian army (Daileader, 2005). By looking at the intentions of the writer to try and illustrate to the readers the reasons behind discrimination of black people in England, it is an understandable question why Shakespeare made his tragic hero a Moor.
In the beginning of the play, Othello was never discriminated and he lived a luxurious life among the white Europeans with freedom to do as he pleases. As a man, he was free to make choices and mingle with all kinds people (Bartels, 1990). At first, the writer manages to create a mental picture in the audience of a black man whose skin color has not limited him to from achieving top positions in the social and political society. Othello, from an African prince, he is able to become a Venetian general among the white people where he grew up after running away from the native royal obligations that were expected of him at home (Daileader, 2005). With his new powers, Othello was able to freely execute his authority as the general. However, after his marriage to a white woman, Desdemona, he was no longer a free man. This is because, he was faced by both matrimonial commitments and jealousy from a few white individuals such as Iago and Roderigo.
One of the first instances of racism and discrimination is seen when Iago enacts a revenge plan against Othello who had appointed Cassio as his lieutenant. A man Iago felt was inexperienced to serve in that position. As part of his revenge mission, Iago succeeds in manipulating his friend, Roderigo, to despise Othello and call him racial names (Neill, 1998). This was made easier by the fact that Rodrigo’s character was built on jealousy because he desired Othello’s wife. Both men succeed in angering Desdemona’s father, Brabantio, when they tell him that Othello kidnapped her daughter using black magic. Also, the brought up the subject of racism in their talk which as well exacerbated Brabantio’s anger (Bartels, 1990). This was a plot to bring an end to Othello’s marriage. They referred to Othello as an old black ram tapping Brabantio’s white ewe and reminded him that his future grandchildren will be ridiculed by the society because they will be half-breeds. They added that, “You’ll have your daughter covered with a Horse; you’ll have your nephews neigh to you; you’ll have coursers for cousins and gennets for germans” (Bartels, 1990).
As a result of the events that will befall his family in future, Brabantio was convinced by Iago and Roderigo that Othello and Desdemona’s marriage would jeopardize his position as the senator and the future of his family. Shakespeare manages to bring out Brabantio’s racist attitude when he accuses Othello of kidnaping his daughter and bewitching her to stay with him in marriage (Bartels, 1990). However, in Othello’s defense, the writer manages to convince the audience that some white people like Brabantio were not racist (Alexander & Wells, 2000). Othello states that his father-in-law loved him and often invited him to his house for dinner or a chat. It was Iago’s interference that changed his opinion and the way he looked at Othello and other black men. In fact, members of the Duke tell Brabantio that his son-in-law was a fair leader and he should not bother about his skin but on his good deeds (Aldama, 2006). This act shows that there were some white people who put importance on the virtuous actions of the black people over their skin color. Also, the opinion of other people from the same race could change someone’s opinion and how they see the people of a different race.
As a result of the events taking place in his life, Othello started believing that racism existed and it was brought about by jealousy and hatred. Due to this belief, he felt that his blackness made him an outsider among his subordinates in the Venetian army. It also made him doubt himself if he was a proper match for his wife who was a white woman (Erikson, 2016). Even though Othello was an activist for universal equality, Iago’s claims that Desdemona was cheating on him with a white man because of his skin color made him believe that his wife had an inherent nature that favored white men over black. This make Othello believe that indeed his wife regretted getting married to a black man and was cheating on him because he is not white (McDonald, 2009). The main reason behind this approach to racism, was Shakespeare’s aim to convince the audience that the stigma of racism can make a person forget his or her principles and what they stand for.
Despite Desdemona trying to convince him that all those allegations of infidelity were false and that he should not look down upon himself because of his skin color, Othello still believed that due to his skin color he was different from the rest of the society (Neill, 1998). Out of anger, sense of inferiority, and pain of being cheated on, Othello ends up killing his wife. He ended up losing respect among those people who held him with high regard and demanded that he explains his actions (Erikson, 2016). Consequently, people like Emilia, a friend to his wife, refer to Othello as a blacker devil and use other racist terms to explain how she despised black people. Due to Othello’s actions, people of his race were recognized as murderers and treated with contempt. The writer tried to explain how people were judgmental during Elizabethan times which exacerbated the hatred and discrimination between races.
Shakespeare tries to portray the Elizabethan England as a society that was blinded by racism. They could not recognize Othello’s efforts in helping Christianity fight against Muslim Ottomans. He had fulfilled his role as the general of Venetian army and his subordinates accorded him with respect (Neill, 1998). However, the society does not see him fit to marry a white woman. This is the reason why Shakespeare went against the usual and used a black person as a hero instead of a villain (McDonald, 2009). He wanted to show the readers that despite the Elizabethan society showing that they overlooked racial differences, the same society made Othello lose his sane mind and consider himself as an outsider. The writer tried to explain that due to race difference, it was absurd for black people to expect to create their name in the society full of white people because they would never accept it. The theme of racism in Shakespeare’s Othello is clearly very important theme. It was because of racism that Othello became very naïve to the beliefs in the society. He was easily manipulated by Iago’s tricks which led him into committing murder. Out of the belief of racism, Iago is able to separate Othello from other armies. As a result, Othello started believing in the existence of racism that made him feel isolated from his peers and an outsider to the whole society.
Symbolism of Colors
The wealth of imagery of white and black used in this play suggests that imagery is important in this play. Throughout the play, images of white and black, darkness and light, are persistently repeated in the drama. The play refers constantly to black and white color to refer to race, good or evil, among other factors that can be compared (Alexander & Wells, 2000). These colors are used by Shakespeare to evoke images in Othello’s mind which influence the actions of the character leading to the murder of Desdemona. Metaphorical use of colors to show discrimination based on race difference is seen when Iago and Roderigo call Othello as an “old ‘black’ ram” to refer to his skin color and race (Erikson, 2016). Also, Brabantio refers to Othello as a “sooty bosom” and his daughter as “a fair white woman”. The black and white images placed in his mind by Iago and Roderigo influence his views on Othello and made him not to accept a man that previously frequented his room. Instead, he started seeing him as an outsider who had kidnapped his daughter through the use of black magic (Barthelemy, 1999). Shakespeare uses the word Moor and black concurrently to refer to Africans or Arabs. He also used a black character to allow him place an even greater weight on the issue of racism and the rifts that this vice creates in the society.
The black color in the play represents evil and deceit in the Elizabethan England. For example, black is used to refer to the evil conniving plans of Iago that he used to lie to everyone (Neill, 1998). These scenes in which Iago hatches and executes his evil plans are set at night to represent darkness which is associated with black color. Iago was able to convince Brabantio that Othello kidnapped Desdemona and that his grandchildren will be considered as outsiders because they will be considered as half-breeds (Barthelemy, 1999). Also, he is able to use lies to convince Othello that his wife was cheating on him with white men. As a result, Othello is overcome with anger which make him call his wife a whore and later lead to the death of Desdemona. Shakespeare used the word black to describe Othello’s race which meant someone with a darker skin than the Englishmen who were very pale.
Another instance where black is used to refer to evil in the society is when Othello proclaims, “Her name, that was as fresh as Dian’s visage, is now begrimed and black as my own face” (Barthelemy, 1999). Here the word black is used to portray Desdemona’s infidelity as an evil in the society and it also reflects racism during the time of Shakespeare. Even though the allegations of Desdemona cheating oh her husband were not true, they led to her death. The perpetrator of this death being Othello, a character that was filled with anger and jealousy that led him into the darkness of killing his wife.
On the other hand, the white color is used by Shakespeare to refer to the natives of England and also to represent the good in the society. Towards the conclusion of the play, Desdemona asks her maid to use white sheets in her wedding (Alexander & Wells, 2000). She also requests her to cover her body with the same white wedding sheets when she dies. Even Othello did not want to kill his wife in the fear of shedding blood on her white skin. The writer manages to convince the audience that the white color symbolized purity, innocence and good deeds during Elizabethan times. White color is associated with light and the writer manages to link white color with positive connections and people in this play (Daileader, 2005). For instance, Desdemona is portrayed as white woman with a good character who accepts to get married to a black man and throughout the play, the audience found out that she never looked at people because of their color but their ideas.
The writer uses the white and black color as a pair to enable the audience understand the need of the symbol of good to help in explaining the idea of black as evil. He used Othello’s good character to serve as a basis for determining the evil character in Iago and other Englishmen (Barthelemy, 1999). However, towards the end of the play, Shakespeare does not use color imagery. This was significant because it symbolized inability of the characters in the play to stand for the truth and wait for their fate. For example, Emilia only reveals the truth about purity of Desdemona’s morals at the time of his death (Alexander & Wells, 2000). Also, Othello does not show any willingness to rectify his mistakes. The writer tries to use the lack of color imagery in these scenarios to imply the possibility of the people during Elizabethan times denying their identities and only accepting the truth at the time of the downfall.
Conclusion
Except for those few who never liked Othello’s dominance in the white society, he had previously lived a life free of racial discrimination. In fact, they considered him as a good leader, noble, and virtuous. His skin color was of little consequence to them until when he murdered his wife. White people who had valued him before, started criticizing him and feared him and people of his race. However, there were white people in Elizabethan England who looked past the skin color. For instance, Desdemona who never allowed anyone to taint his marriage by justifying her marriage to Othello that she, “saw Othello’s visage in his mind”. The play acted as a platform form for answering the provocative question of Elizabethan times that sought to find out what makes a person, identity, and how a person’s identity determines who or what they become in the society.
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