Racism and sexism are important ideas of the 20th century, both major themes in many of Shakespeare's works. In the Tragedy of Othello, The Moor of Venice by William Shakespeare, the character of Othello is used as an object of discrimination and his wife, Desdemona, as a victim of bigotry. Shakespeare uses the marriage of Desdemona and Othello to both satirize Elizabethan society's view that black-white relationships are conducted by the devil, while also raising the idea that mixed-race marriages would produce mixed-race children. Similarly, Shakespeare ridicules the way women and blacks are treated and raises the idea that society should reconsider its views of both groups. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay William Shakespeare based Othello on a short novel by Giraldi Cinthio. However, Cinthio's version had a dark theme of racism as a black man was present in the story, but this character was not used as an object of prejudice. very little said beyond that point. Shakespeare's version on the other hand is very devoted to the theme of racism, it is one of the few things that Shakespeare changed between his work and the original story, suggesting he wanted to draw attention to this topic. Analyst Alexander W. Crawford states that "The playwright has almost completely changed the point of view of the entire story, inventing an entirely new, and perhaps nobler if not better, motive for his Iago." In Cinthio's story, the Ensign, renamed Iago in Shakespeare's play, is in love with Disdemona, spelled with an "i" instead of an "e" in the original version, who rejects him, which leads him to trick Othello into hate. If the ensign couldn't have Disdemona, he didn't want anyone to have her. In the play, however, there is very little evidence that Iago loves Desdemona, although it is clear that he does not love his wife, Emilia, very much either, as he ultimately kills her just so as not to ruin his plan. Shakespeare's Iago has the motive of losing a promotion acquired by Othello and thus introduces the motif of race into the story. Iago uses the other characters' hatred of mixed-race relationships and black people, like Othello, in general to get what he wants: for Othello to lose his newly gained position. As expected, the outsider in Shakespeare's play, Othello, is the subject of racism from many of the other characters, including himself. The play begins with Roderigo and Iago using only racist slurs, instead of names, to talk about Othello, giving the viewer a grotesque image of the protagonist. Insults portray him as if he were an animal as he is called "Thick-Lipped", "Old Black Ram", and "Barbary Horse". In her analysis of Othello, literary expert Nicole Smith states that “Before the reader is ever given a clue as to Othello's identity, there are only images of animals and beasts.” The public has a bad opinion of Othello because this is the only information he is given. However, the first time Othello arrives on stage, he is portrayed eloquently and the audience is immediately given a contrasting view of him. Smith aptly calls it the "[...] presentation of the 'two Othellos' (the one defined in negative terms at the beginning and the one we see in person)". (Smith) These two versions of Othello are used by Shakespeare to contrast the way Elizabethan society perceived black people - as animals - and the way blacks like Othello are actually - composed and far from bestial Shakespeare satirizes how wrong some insults areracists and makes the public reflect on how their society perceives discriminated groups. In her analysis, Karen Kay supports this by saying, “Throughout the play, Shakespeare explores a rhetoric of “darkness,” but always with an ironic distance.” (Kay) HowIn addition to the short novel, Shakespeare makes seventeenth-century England reflect on its assumptions about those who discriminate. In addition to the Elizabethan idea that black men and women are animals, they were also perceived as evil. The Shmoop editorial team explored "the sixteenth-century idea that black men were evil and that the devil often took the shape and form of a black man." (Shmoop Editorial Staff) This sheds light on why Brabantio is so upset when he finds out that Desdemona has run off with a Moor as they could potentially have mixed-race children, another paranoia of Elizabethan society. Shakespeare uses Desdemona and Othello's marriage to satirize this fear as Othello is such a level-headed and composed man that if they were to have children it seems that they would actually be far from Iago's idea of ​​"neighing" as Moors are considered animals. When alerting Desdemona's father, "Iago and Roderigo hint at the concept that Othello and Desdemona's future children are half-breeds who will become the ridicule of society and bring shame on Brabantio." Although the marriage of Desdemona and Othello raises the issue of mixed-race childhood union, it is Brabantio, with the help of Iago and Roderigo, who makes a stir about Shakespeare giving voice to Elizabethan society's fear of miscegenation or racial children mixed resulting from a mixed-race marriage. While Shakespeare exaggerated the theme of racism from the tale, he simply regurgitated Cinthio's theme of sexism. A major theme in seventeenth century England was the idea that women were property to be nothing more than traded and sold In Othello, both Brabantio and Othello see Desdemona as property. This can be seen initially when Iago warns Brabantio that Desdemona has run away. He says “What about robbing?”, meaning that Othello stole Desdemona from him as if she were simply a piece of furniture. In this regard, the Shmoop editorial team tells the story behind this statement. "[...] it is quite common in Shakespeare's plays (and in 16th-17th century England in general) for daughters to be considered the property of their fathers - unmarried women are often described as something to be stolen, bartered and /or exchange from men." (Shmoop Editorial Team) Elizabethan society viewed males as the dominant sex, and as such, they had the power to control women, leading men to view them as property. Later in the play, Othello learns of the supposed affair that Desdemona has with Cassio. . He proclaims: What sense did I have of his stolen hours of lust? I didn't see it, I didn't think about it, it didn't hurt me: I slept well the next night, I was free and cheerful; I did not find Cassio's kisses. on his lips: Whoever has been robbed, not wanting what has been stolen, let him not know it, and he will not be robbed at all. Othello believes that Desdemona has been stolen from him, and since this is a major turning point in the play, he decides that he has not been robbed because he does not miss her. This is a turning point because Othello went from loving Desdemona to hating her precisely because of Iago's influence. This “influence” that Iago has comes from the fact that he is a white, Christian male with high military status, which gives him the power to share his opinion. The Shmoop editorial team also commented on this quote, saying that “When Othello (and Brabantio) say that Desdemona is something that has been 'robbed' or 'stolen' from them, they speak of her as if she were a piece of property that passes byone man to another." This theme of sexism towards women can also be seen when Iago convinces Othello that Desdemona has betrayed him. The play ends thus, with Othello and Iago both killing their wives, because Iago instills in Othello the fear that his wife is cheating on him. Accredited Shakespeare analyst, Stephen Greenblatt, in his essay "The Improvisation of Power", states that "despite all the cheap tricks that Iago plays seem somehow inadequate. to produce the unshakable belief of his wife's defilement that grips Othello's soul and drives him mad. "Iago simply telling Othello that his wife has cheated on him convinces Othello to a large extent that this is true, even without evidence. There is a historical reason for the immediate negative assumptions about women, however. In William's introduction to Othello Shakespeare, Complete Works, it is stated that the men "exploit the stereotypical image of Venetian women[, who are] habitual sexual deceivers." echoed throughout Othello, as Iago believes that "[...] the Moor/[ …] that "between my sheets / Has done my office", meaning that Iago believes that Emilia has betrayed him with Othello, even though the audience knows this is false. One of the reasons why Othello is so easily convinced that he is being cheated on is that he believes that all husbands are destined to be cheated on: O curse of marriage, that we may call these delicate creatures our own, and not their appetites! I would rather be a toad, and live in the steam of a prison, than keep a corner in the thing I love for the uses of others. Yet, it is the plague of adults; They have inferior prerogatives compared to cowards; It is inevitable fate, like death: Even then this forked wound is destined for us When we grow faster. Othello is saying that every man will become a cuckold- a man who has been cheated on by his wife, because the Elizabethan society of the time believed that all women deceived their husbands. However, the audience knows that Desdemona did not cheat on Othello, and Shakespeare uses this knowledge to satirize their patriarchal beliefs: although men may assume that their wife has cheated on them, because it is a way of life, society retreats to the position tells the public and sees that the assumptions made by men are not true. Their expectations that women are sexual beasts who cheat on their husbands at every opportunity are seen as false because Desdemona has been completely faithful to Othello, and her proclamation of "whore" is seen as unjustifiable and idiotic to those who watch the play . The date of the work is also recognizable. It was first performed in 1604 and written around the same time. Dominic Shellard, historical Shakespeare analyst, isolates the other major event of the year as “James I ends the war with Spain – King's Men preform for the Spanish ambassador at Somerset House”. Since the word “Moor” indicates a Spanish Muslim, it is no coincidence that Shakespeare wrote the play after the end of the war. First, England might have feared that, since they were no longer fighting, some Spaniards might infect the Christian community with their Muslim beliefs. Secondly, if the Spanish and “mixed races” like Desdemona and Othello came, then their religion and society would be corrupted based on their beliefs, patriarchy and prejudices. As mentioned above, the word “Moro” means a Spanish Muslim. and is often used to describe Othello. Although the term Moor does not denote a racist outlook, Elizabethan society used it so colloquially that it soon meant a dark-skinned foreign devil. The transformation of the term, however, did not stop there. "Israel Burshatin states that the Northern Moors.