Othello Essay

Thesis:
The familiarity of routine may cause us to become passive.
In the play Othello, written by William Shakespeare race matters. Race matters because it affects
his relationships with other characters, his character development, and his self-identity.

How to cite Othello:

(Shakespeare 3.2.101)

Self Identity:
Othello is the only character in the play whose race is continuously brought up as a subject of
dialogue. If Othello was portrayed by someone of a different ethnicity than black the dialogue
would not be as impactful. Othello being black is almost a personality trait for him. In the
beginning of the play Othello does not address his race. The audience is only made aware of
Othello's race by the epithets used to address him. Throughout the play he never embraces his
diversity. A turning point occurs in the play after he finds out of Desdemona's supposed betrayal,
where he says “ arise black vengeance”. Only when he loses control over his marriage does he
expose this other side of himself. He seems to continuously try to tame this area of his
personality throughout the play. He finally gains control over this trait at the end of the play
when he ends his life saying he will smite this circumcised dog.

Relationship With Other Characters:

No other characters race, besides Othello is highlighted throughout the play. An emphasis is put
on his race through the epithets used to address him. His relationship with Desdemona seems so
perfect in the beginning and that they are so in love. Additionally, the ultimate way to fit in
would be to marry a white woman. People even address Othello occasionally as a black man who
has higher moral values. If Othello knows that that is the only way people will people pay
attention to him then he probably tries to emphasize the characteristics that others respect more
in him which for the time tended to be stereotypically white. Therefore that’s where people get
the revered part of himself.

Character Development:
Othello’s whole backstory is based upon his race. ( insert details about the beginning of the book
where desdemona speaks about Othello and how he wooed her). He gets desdemona not
necessarily because of his race but because of his stories that he can tell. He is only able to tell
these stories because of the racism he received towards himself and the adversity he had to
overcome. This contributes to the order and chaos theme because when we are first introduced to
Othello he is seen as calm and collected, and not quick to violence as the other characters in
Venice. However, the longer he stays in Cyprus and the more we get to know about Othello he
seems to unwind but not in a good way. His “ other side” become more