Othello Notes on Race and Racism

Act 1, Scene 1: Racial Prejudice and Objectification

• 'the Moor': Derogatory term objectifying Othello, disregarding his humanity.
• 'thick-lips': Abusive racial description prevalent across social classes, contributing to Othello's internalized racism.
• 'an old black ram is tupping your white ewe': Iago uses zoomorphic imagery to incite anger in Brabantio, associating Othello with evil and sexuality, conflicting with Jacobean values.
• 'a knave of common hire': Implies Othello is a devious liar who used his status to seduce women, highlighting Roderigo's prejudice.
• 'Barbary horse…coursers for cousins, and jennets for germans': Iago uses animalistic language to demean Othello, suggesting Desdemona's honor is disgraced by his supposed beastial qualities.
• 'a lascivious Moor': Generalizes African men as driven by lust and status, reinforcing stereotypes.
• 'Tying her duty, beauty, wit, and fortunes in an extravagant and wheeling stranger': Roderigo insults Othello, portraying him as a dishonorable opportunist.
• 'With the Moor, say'st thou? Who would be a father!': Brabantio expresses racial prejudice, preferring any alternative to his daughter being with a Black man.
• 'O would you had had her!': Brabantio wishes Roderigo had married Desdemona due to his racial bias against Othello.
• 'knave of common hire, a gondolier': Brabantio suggests Othello is a liar who used his status for seduction.

Act 1, Scene 1: Stereotypes and Jacobean Views

• 'lascivious Moor': Reinforces the stereotype of African men as overly sexual, reducing Othello to a purely sexual creature and disregarding his noble qualities.
• 'Tying her duty, beauty, wit, and fortunes/ In an extravagant and wheeling stranger/ Of here and everywhere': Suggests Desdemona made a mistake, viewing Othello as an unreliable wanderer, reinforcing prejudices against interracial unions.
• 'With the Moor, say'st thou? - Who would be a father!': Highlights racial prejudice, with 'the Moor' used derogatorily.
• 'O would you had had her!': Brabantio's distress links to racial prejudice, disdaining his daughter's marriage to a Black man.

Act 1, Scene 2: Accusations and Societal Disapproval

• 'Down with him, thief!': Brabantio accuses Othello of stealing his daughter, objectifying Desdemona and reinforcing racial tensions.
• 'O thou foul thief (…) Damned as thou art, thou hast enchanted her': Brabantio accuses Othello of deception, equating his blackness with moral corruption and witchcraft.
• 't'incur a general mock - Run from her guardage to the sooty bosom of such a thing as thou; to fear, not to delight': Brabantio expresses disdain for Desdemona's choice, viewing Othello's blackness as debasement, reflecting societal norms against interracial marriages.

Act 1, Scene 2: Status and Moral High Ground

• Brabantio relies on his status as a Senator to assert power over Othello, reflecting the play's exploration of race and class intersections.

Act 1, Scene 3: Contrasting Perceptions and Prejudice

• 'the valiant Moor'/'Valiant Othello': Repetition highlights Othello's nobility despite prejudice, emphasizing worth beyond ethnicity.
• 'this Moor, whom now it seems your special mandate for the state affairs hath hither brought': Brabantio questions Othello's legitimacy in state affairs due to racial prejudice.
• 'Rude am I in my speech': Othello acknowledges his outsider status and associated stereotypes, highlighting his awareness of prejudice.
• 'And little of this great world can I speak': Othello remarks on his limited experience, reinforcing stereotypes of the 'uncivilized' outsider, making him vulnerable to manipulation.

Act 1, Scene 3: Societal Norms and Prejudice

• Brabantio implies Othello is inferior due to class, skin color, etc.
• 'against all rules of nature': Reflects negative perceptions of interracial relationships in the Jacobean era.
• 'Without more wider and more overt test Than these thin habits and poor likelihoods of modern seeming do prefer against him': The Duke challenges social norms of prejudice.
• Questions about Othello and Desdemona's courtship explore whether their match was supernatural or natural love.

Act 1, Scene 3: Othello's Story and Desdemona's Admiration

• Othello recounts his life, highlighting tragic events from slavery, gaining audience sympathy.
• 'hills whose heads touch heaven': Religious imagery.
• 'She wished she had not heard it, yet she wished That heaven had made her such a man': Desdemona admired Othello despite social disapproval.

Act 1, Scene 3: Acceptance and Defiance

• The Duke diffuses the situation, reminding Brabantio of past griefs.
• Desdemona acknowledges and respects her father's concerns, navigating societal stereotypes.
• 'his honours and his valiant parts': Desdemona counters bigotry, admiring Othello's noble qualities despite racial boundaries.
• 'If virtue no delighted beauty lack, Your son-in- law is far more fair than black': The Duke implies Othello's good behavior transcends his black skin.
• Iago's metaphors degrade Othello based on race, using animal similes to express disdain.

Act 1, Scene 3: Iago's Manipulation and Beliefs

• Iago equates Othello to a former slave, viewing him as flimsy.
• Iago's juxtaposition of 'erring barbarian' and 'supersubtle Venetian' reflects his belief that Othello and Desdemona are mismatched, aligning himself with evil.
• 'I re-tell thee again and again, I hate the Moor': Iago's repeated hatred reinforces his evil character.
• 'The Moor is of a free and open nature…will as tenderly be led by th'nose As asses are': Iago plans to exploit Othello's nature, viewing him as easily manipulated.
• 'These Moors are changeable in their wills': Iago generalizes based on race.