OTHELLO ESSAY
Can a single reading explain the meaning of the play?
The play Othello by William Shakespeare has been and continues to be interpreted and contextualised ever since it was first performed in 1604 for King James I. Hence multiple readings must be considered in order to explain the full meaning of Othello.
One perspective could be that Shakespeare made Othello in such a way as to please his intended audience, the people of the Elizabethan era. Hence Othello could be read as a traditional Aristotelian tragedy in which Othellos tragic downfall is held accountable to his fatal flaw, the flaw in his otherwise noble and heroic personality.
In this reading of the play, the story revolves around Othello as the tragic hero and his flaw which leads him to commit atrocities and makes him disagreeable in the eyes of the audience. In Othello this is mainly portrayed through the slow yet succinct change in language and manner in Othello as well as his open physical cruelty towards Desdemona. He changes from a man who makes captivating speeches to a quivering heap of passion. His increased use of animal imagery also alludes to the heavy influence of Iago and as an indicator of the great change that has occurred in Othello.
In this reading however, Iagos major role in pour[ing] pestilence into his ear and hence Othellos downfall is not acknowledged-everything is held accountable to his flaw and fate. This is not relevant to a contemporary context as all themes and characters in the play are restricted to convey these conventions of a traditional Aristotelian tragedy.
Throughout Othello, an ordered structure is placed on this play through this reading to convey a sense of order as was required in an Elizabethan context owing to the significance of order, hierarchy and class. This can be seen at the end when there is a need for Othello to be redeemed in the audiences eyes hence even Othello as a character knows that it is time for him to die as a result of his actions Here is my journeys end, here is my butt. This emphasis on a moral and rightful ending as is traditional to a Aristotelian tragedy could also be deemed as relevant to a contemporary context although the fatal flaw resulting in Othellos downfall may seem to be questionable and would need to be looked at in greater depth.
By contrast a post-colonial reading, which is more indepth also refers to a flaw which is said to result in the downfall of Othello. This flaw however is surrounded by the enigma surrounding Othellos race and blackness. This reading is heavily influenced by the years following the colonisation years in which a greater knowledge of the world was obtained. However, ironically this realisation of other cultures did not open up the minds of the colonisers, instead it lead mainly to the creation of polar opposites and the construction of the Other. This reading could also be seen as a racist play due to the fact that a large emphasis of the plot revolves around Othello being black, but it could also be seen as a realistic and practical interpretation due to the racial connotations which are also apparent in Othello.
Black to the Elizabethan audiences was a political colour or the colour of the Other. Consequently Othellos race also invokes certain conventions and attitudes as was assumed and accepted by the Elizabethan audiences. Black is often associated with negative connotations such as evil, darkness in purpose, death, sinister and black people as being savages, as practisers of black magic, voodoo and witchery, as well as jealous very animal-like and sexual beings. There are however also positive connotations, they were regarded as being skillful warriors and valiant.
These connotations and sterotypes are prevalent in Othello from start to finish, hence suggesting that Shakespeare created Othello in the image of the stereotypical black man as was assumed in the Elizabethan time. From a post-colonial reading it could be assumed that because of his race, Othello would never be able to uphold such a position as general owing to his race and the flaws within it. Hence it is necessary, from this point of view that Othello cover up his true nature and to assimilate into the Venetian culture-to become far more fair than black(I.iii,286) in order to become anything more than a slave. It could be said that Iagos role in Othello was merely to act as a catalyst to liberate the hidden, yet apparent blackness within Othello-the black vengeance from its hollow cell(III,iii,448), which would then inevitably lead him to destruction.
These views simple prove that the Europeans saw the Western culture as superior to other cultures and hence saw other cultures as binary oppositions to themselves. It is portrayed in the text that although on a superficial level Othello seems to be accepted in Venitian society, these underlying connotations will nevertheless be associated with him. Take for instance Brabantio, when he was first informed of his daughters elopement with Othello he states that This accident is not unlike my dream,(I,i,141) this highlights the fact that in reality, below the surface, Othellos race does infact make a difference to who he is seen as a person. Brabantio automatically had an intuition that Othello would seduce his daughter due to his stereotypical bestial sexuality, which was attributed to Africans. In addition, he is immediately assumed to have enchanted her(I,ii,63) and practised on her with foul charms(I,ii,73) because it was regarded as unnatural for a woman of European descent to fall in love with an African man.
In Act I, a lot is revealed in terms of the racial prejudices with the Venetian society. First of all there is the sexual innuendo and outright racial, derogatory comments made about Othello by Iago and Roderigo in Act I, Scene I-old black ram is tupping your white ewe, your daughter and the Moor and making the beast with two backs. Also, Brabantio is used to signify the presumptions made by people in regard to race especially when there is a problem and the tendency of people to blame the Other. It seems that it is when a problem arises on a personal level to Brabantio, such as Othello being a potential husband for Desdemona, the hidden racial feelings are set loose-somewhat like a double vision of Othello. Othellos ethnicity is celebrated as long as it is tame and heard of in stories. This is infact pointed out by the Duke:
These thin habits and poor likelihoods
Of modern seeming do prefer against him.(I,iii,109)
It is also stated that these stereotypes are infact something Brabantio has read in a book(I,i,72-74), hence travellers tales which are assumed to be true as is Othellos travellers tales.
In addition it is also revealed that Desdemona loved [Othello] for the dangers that [he] had passed, And [he] loved her that she did pity them(I,iii,168-169). Othellos exoticness and difference is what appealed to her (and other characters) and that is why he was celebrated- because he has stories of cannibals that each other eatand men whose heads do grow beneath their shoulders(I,iii,143-144).
It seems that Othello like the other Venetians, also knows his place and value in society-he knows of all the negative, racial stereotypes that have been created to describe him and his race. But rather than distancing himself from this society, he uses these stereotypes to his advantage to gain sympathy and to obtain a higher rank in society. For example, Othello confesses to the vices of [his] blood, So justly to your grave ears Ill present(I,iii,24) just before he skillfully uses impressive language to recite his travels history in the presence of the Duke even though it was not necessary, just to pull the strings of sympathy to make them pity him.
However this knowledge could also be said to have lead him down the path of destruction through the creation of insecurities from within. Rather than Iago revealing the true, black character of Othello, it seems more plausible that Iago was centering his plot rather around the insecurities faced by Othello as the Other in society-
haply for I am black,
And have not those soft parts of conversation
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