Introduction
Othello is one of the earliest works of Shakespeare of the sixteenth century, an era that is in context depicted by nature through which the play is built on. The review context by Michael Neil depicts that the entry of Othello in Desdemona’s bedroom in the murder scene is a confirmation of the deep fears of racial as well as sexual otherness through which the play is defined by. In context, the structure of the play is very categorical to depict the racial divides that exist within the society in Europe. The race is one of the earliest themes within the literature as well as the human interaction across the globe. The interaction of humans across the world is depicted by instances and glaring attributes of the race of human interaction. The concept is not lost in the literature writing as well as other contexts that are attributed to it. The depiction of the racial motivations as a major theme through which Othello is based on is just but an indication of the underlying nature of human interaction that is put into reality in the play. Understanding the underlying racial discourse within the play, the discussion must follow the cultural context through which Othello the play is written in, as well as the context that Othello the character is displayed. Both contextual visualizations however different while spelledout, they nevertheless have a nexus that goes deeper into the context of human interactions.
Cultural context of the play
Being among the early works of Shakespeare, Othello depicts a raw picture of the cultural context through which the society that the play is contextualized and visualized. Literary works, nonetheless fictional portray a societal context that the writer comes from. Othello is however not different from any other play in regard to this context (Erickson, p160, 2016) . Therefore, the societal understanding of the concepts of race, and the interactions therein is an indication of the actual interactions that existed when the play was actualized, both in literature and the society. Othello is a tragedy, and while it depicts the cultural context of the characters therein, the most notable is the tragedy of racial conflict. The tragedy is actualized and exists in Othello’s context as the corruption of man. The interactions and the themes therein depicts the corruption denoted thin the context of racial prejudice, jealousy, murder, manipulation and the sexism that exist within the society (De Bruyn, p147, 2014) . Moreover, the discourse in our context is more inclined to racial prejudices and sexual otherness with the little depiction of other contextual themes.
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Racial contrition depicted by the language used in the play and otherwise in the context of interaction in the play to indicate the various ploys of race within the society. Racial predispositions in any discourse cannot be discussed without the display of language. The language therefore used in the play indicates the underlying intent through which racial prejudice is displayed. For instance, the references to the color of the skin of Othello when he is being accused of eloping with Desdemona are an indication of racial prejudice. Otherwise, the language used to depict the relationship of the Africa as a dark continent of the enlightened Europe is a production of racial predispositions therein. The protagonist therein goes into great detail to depict the factor of race as a determining factor through which Desdemona is supposed to marry Othello (Pao, pp36, 2016) . The racial prejudice, therefore, thickens in this context as an indicator of the societal dysfunction portrayed in the play.\
Othello character and the cultural context
Othello as indicated by the reading of the play an individual taken by the reader as honorable, honest in his work and more importantly respectable from his prudence. He catches the eyes of the reader as an individual who has faced insurmountable odds to get to his level of influence and rank in the army. The context that he is a man of color/black is to be taken not by a random choice by Shakespeare but rather by design to indicate the cultural context of the time and the racial implications thereby. The concept of race is however well developed in the context of the play, and Othello is the burning spear that denotes the interactions among races and the stereotypes that are associated therein (Thomas, pp109, 2016) . From the insight of Othello’s interaction in with other key players in the play is depicted a deeper and entrenched racial convergence within the society.
Racial and sexual otherness
The play based on the societal context in the world that recognizes little harmony among races as well as sexes in the depiction of Othello. It's therefore almost painful to discuss the racial context without a deeper analysis of the gender relations and prejudices in the play. The interdependence of both concepts is developed in otherwise a close nexus between the two valuable themes that might be argued to drive the plot of the play. For instance, the plight of woman that is depicted by the development of Desdemona's character is significant throughout the play. The plot spots along the line that the decisions made by a woman are second to those made by a man. The indication is the illusion of choice that she faces when she decides to think on her own (Howe, pp201, 2016) . Her feelings are not taken into consideration by her father, Cassio, and even her word doesn’t matter to Othello in the final chapter of the play.
It’s imperative to understand that racial prejudices, as well as those of gender, interact together in an interwoven context. For instance, the murderous act committed by Othello at the end of the play is not an indication of him succumbing to jealousy, but rather on the racial pressure applied to his weakness in the racial discrimination. Cassio, who is rather a manipulative man, cuts away on the identity of Othello until he is convinced that Desdemona is not faithful to him. Othello falls into his trap and manipulations by his weakness in the realization of racial identity. His major struggle is that before anybody even knows him, they have already made conclusions based on the color of his skin. He understands the politics of his skin color and therefore, he is easily convinced that Desdemona may have come to the same conclusions and is no longer faithful. The development of racial identity is the key to the manipulations made by Cassio. Similarly, the racial divide is played before, Othello and Desdemona are married. The accusations of eloping made against Othello to his father in law are depicted in the issue that Othello is not worth the love of Desdemona (Marshall, p73, 2017) . The element of worth as indicated by Cassio’s manipulation is the supremacy of the white race and the weakness and inferiority of the black race.
The nexus of race and sexual otherness is construed from the plight of Desdemona as a woman and her relationship with a black man. Emanating from the cultural context of the society, the sexual congress, and mixing of races among men and women is heavily implied in the play. For instance, when Cassio brings forth the news of Othello and Desdemona’s relationship, the question of mixing of races is greatly implied. This is the very reason why Othello is summoned before his father in law as well as the societal elites. The goal that Cassio hoped to achieve is racial downplay of Othello. Upon realization of the predicament that he was in, Othello chose to appeal on the honor of his impeccable career as a soldier. His record, honor and hard work were clear and eventually exonerated him from the accusations made against him. Similarly, Desdemona’s choice on the man to call her love and her husband are not taken into consideration by any of the characters therein ( Habib, p140, 2016) . She has the illusion of choice that indicated the sexual and gender discrimination that existed in the society.
In the finishing scene of the play, the growing suspicion of the unfaithful conduct of Desdemona is an indication of how little the thought of her sexual faithfulness is considered. Othello therein driven by racial and sexual prejudice fell into the trap set by Cassio. In the same context, the murderous act committed by Othello is the ultimate action that can be construed from the sexual otherness theme as depicted. His entry into Desdemona’s bedroom in the final act indicates the sexual prejudice and discriminatory thought process (Habib, pp141, 2016) . The decision that follows and ends the final act in the play is the ultimate interaction of both the racial and sexual otherness of the play.
Europe and African context
The insight of the play indicates an indication of the societal contrition of both continents and the people therein. The colonial theme is depicted from the play and an indicator of the social awareness of the plot to the actual proceedings within the society. From a historical perspective, the relationship between Europe and Africa is depicted by the racial predispositions between the two continents. The stage that is set indicates that savagery spirit of Europe in the African context. For instance, as the thematic discussion of the play in this context is realized in the symbolic entry of Othello to Desdemona's bedroom. In the historical context, the European entered to Africa and driven by racial superiority subdued the African people to their will for gain (Hall, pp779, 2014) . The savagery spirit is depicted by the actions portrayed in the play. The historical perspective of the play is imperative to the plot of the play as well as the choice of the race of Othello as a black man.
Conclusions
Othello is played that fits in the literary context of the main themes within the social contexts that depicts human interactions. The racial theme is a clear indication in the language used as well as the predispositions discussed therein. The discussion is a confirmation of Michael Neil claims of the play. Similarly, the feminism, as well as the historical perspectives, are an indicator of the social awareness of the play. The perspective can be therefore consequential in the understanding of the plot and the context through which the actions taken are relevant. It’s by design, therefore that the themes therein are engineered and executed to communicate the literary prowess of the play.
References
De Bruyn, F., 2014. 6 Shakespeare, Voltaire, and the Seven Years’ War: Literary Criticism as Cultural Battlefield. The Culture of the Seven Years' War: Empire, Identity, and the Arts in the Eighteenth-Century Atlantic World , p.147.
Erickson, P. and Espinosa, R., 2016. Race Words in Othello.”. Shakespeare and Immigration , pp.159-176.
Habib, I., 2016. The Black Alien in Othello: Beyond the European Immigrant. Shakespeare and Immigration , pp.135-158.
Hall, E., 2014. To Fall from High or Low Estate? Tragedy and Social Class in Historical Perspective. PMLA , 129 (4), pp.773-782.
Howe, A., 2016. Othello on Trial: The Politics of Performance. Australian Feminist Law Journal , 42 (2), pp.197-221.
Marshall, N.R., 2017. The Many Shades of Shakespeare: Representations of Othello and Desdemona in Victorian Visual Culture. Transculturation in British Art, 1770-1930 , p.73.
Thomas, S., 2016. The Moor for the Malayali Masses: A Study of Othello in Kathaprasangam. Multicultural Shakespeare , 13 (1), pp.105-116.
Pao, A.C., 2016. Ocular Revisions: Re-casting Othello in Text and Performance. Colorblind Shakespeare: New Perspectives on Race and Performance , pp.27-45.
