Othello is generally portrayed as an other through his personality and actions. Shakespeare was heavily influenced by the writing by Leo Africanus. One writing described Africa, generally associating it and its inhabitants with violence, easily addicted to wrath, ignorant, and warfare.
These characteristics are easily seen in Othello; he is easily drawn by Iago into attacking his wife, he is violent (as seen by the time when he just slapped Desdemona) and he is a war hero. Africa was viewed as the other in European views and as a result, anyone who was associated with Africa, was also viewed as an other. Another aspect that characterizes Othello as an other is his courting of Desdemona. At that time in society, it was unheard of for a black man to get married to a white man, yet Othello, a black Moor, courts and marries a white woman, Desdemona.
Many of the examples given in the original post (which is right above) are well put. It was odd for a black man, not to mention a warrior, to marry a white woman from the nobility. If I remember correctly, Othello was the ONLY black person in the entire play. So, his race is certainly a singling factor.
ReplyDeleteThe play may be called Othello, but is Othello really the main character? He’s definitely ONE of the main characters, but Iago could just as easily be the “principal” main character. That is, we seem to see more of Iago’s thoughts and scheming than we do of Othello’s insecurity and jealousy. Even if Iago doesn’t have more lines, his character is just as unique. In fact, in that Othello criticism packet, there was a time in the late nineteenth century when theatrical “Iagocentrism” arose, with “vividly realized Iagos who… developed their parts with such high spirits that they threw the emotional balance of [their] productions out of kilter.” “Iago had emerged as the most interesting role.” Iago plays a really central part, and as such, Othello becomes the “other.” He is the one being manipulated by this character. Everyone else in the play talks about Othello, and even Othello talks about himself. So, if we still consider Othello as the centermost character, his referrals to himself still cast him as the “other.” Othello also lacks any very close interaction or connection with anyone, except perhaps Iago. After Iago gets Cassio in trouble and sets up the whole handkerchief ploy, Othello loses confidence in his lieutenant (Cassio) and trust in his wife. Meanwhile, Iago maintains influence over the other characters. As Othello is excluded by Iago, Iago remains well-associated with the rest of the cast, leaving Othello as the lonely “other.”
Derek your post is really insightful and I agree with your analysis of his portrayal of the 'other' in that sense as well as the examples Benjy gives. I think it is also important to contemplate, however, the activity we finished on Friday. If I remember correctly, at the end of class we established that most of these texts were concerning the narration of Moor, yet we all thought that these texts embodied the character of Iago. The Leo Africanus excerpt also illustrates Moors or Africans as being mean, brutish, and vengeful. I think Shakespeare molds a new perception of Moors at least at the beginning of the play - when Othello is seen as a respected general with a beautiful wife and the trust of many around him. This shocking portrayal of a successful Moor embodying the qualities of any good leader or protagonist is interesting given the social/racial beliefs of the time. However, by the end of the play Othello regresses to become the stereotype African - he is overly concerned with his pride, easily deceived and concerned with revenge. Despite the ending, Shakespeare paints a unique portrait of a Moor for the time period and gives some of the qualities associated with Africans to Iago.
ReplyDeleteBefore we even start the play, the title The Tragedy of Othello: The Moor of Venice immediately exudes the importance of Othello’s role as an outsider. Othello has an undoubtedly unique culture, and along with his skill and cunning, allows him to stand out easily among the Venetians. His image might have helped him receive the position as general of the armies of Venice. People are enthralled by his difference, and they are more likely to look up to an exotic person rather than a common folk that they do not consider needing an air of authority. As the Othello critique packet states, most images of the Moor were those with “exotic specifics” and “confident, canny, and sophisticated” mannerisms. Othello himself explains how Desdemona’s father was originally impressed by his life history, and he won over Desdemona with his military feats. His origins in Morocco make him a mysterious, compelling character among the typical humdrum of Venice, and his poetic speeches of adventure and passion strengthen his image as an other that is distinctive among the ordinary Venetians.
ReplyDeleteOthello is also seen as an outsider through a more disapproving lens. Most of the characters in the play are critical of him for being uncommon. He becomes very insecure with his appearance, since it is undoubtedly hard to be the sole anomaly among many similar people. Brabanzio expects Desdemona to marry a Venetian suitor with a similar background and values, and he views Othello’s background as inferior and expects it to carry a bad mark on his family’s reputation. Brabanzio marginalizes Othello’s culture by describing its relation to dark witchcraft, saying that his daughter “is abused, stol’n…and corrupted/ By spells and medicines bought of mountebanks” (33).
Othello is portrayed as an outsider through his physical differences, repeatedly called “The Moor.” Even on the first page of the play, he is never directly mentioned, but simply called “he,” while other characters like Michael Cassio are called by their full, proper names. As Leo Africanus stereotypes Othello’s culture as being “a rude people” and “born and bred to brutish manners,” Othello is self-conscience of his difference in the Venetian world. He acknowledges his stereotype (“Rude am I in speech”) and is critical of his physical difference: “Arise, black vengeance, from the hollow hell!” (35; 149).
I also agree with Derek’s post about how the Iagocentrism furthers Othello’s image as an outsider in the play. Where Iago is the “sly insouciance of the canny insider,” Othello is not in-the-know. He cannot confide in the other Venetians for gossip, and he feels out of touch with rumors that the Venetians share amongst one another. Perhaps that is why he so quickly trusts Iago’s assumption that Desdemona had an affair, thus solidifying his position as an outcast among the Venetians.
I agree with Derek, that Iago's characterization of Othello is the main thing that sets Othello apart from others in the play. Iago routinely refers to Iago as an animal or a savage. One of Iago's first lines depicts Othello as a "black ram" to Desdemona's "white ewe." Everything Iago says about Othello is a racist or derogatory remark.
ReplyDeleteOthello would also be an outsider through the eyes of the audience of the play. Othello is a black moor, who, during the time period, would be spoken of in the exact same way that Iago speaks of Othello. And yet, Othello is admired by the public in the play, he is respected and loved by all, except Iago. Othello is portrayed as gentle and kind, the exact opposite of the stereotype of a Moor, at the time. The audience would have felt that Othello was an other simply because they had never seen a Moor portrayed that way before.
I agree with Jordan, Derek and pretty much everyone else who has commented. This might seem repetitive, but I also really believe that the most obvious way Othello is isolated from the other characters in the play is the fact that he is a Christian Moor, and thus, the other characters in the play often make assumptions about Othello that were stereotypical of his race during this time period. For instance, after Barbanzio iscovers that his daughter Desdemona has fallen in love with Othello, he immediately assumes this is because he used witchcraft to allure her, because he thinks his daughter would never fall in love with a Moor on her own free will. Thus, this represents how people from Africa were tied to witchcraft and magic. Additionally, the fact that Othello is portrayed as a violent character also indicates how Moors were thought of as dangerous individuals with short tempers. Finally, Shakespeare also portrays Othello as an "other" by making him the only African American character in the story, and consequently, the other characters in the play consistently point out the differences in his physical appearance through outright racist remarks throughout the entirety of the play.
ReplyDeleteI agree with everyone above: Othello is clearly portrayed as an outsider due to his different culture and ethnicity. I think it's interesting to note how Othello is also isolated through his interactions with the other characters in the play. For example, his name isn't mentioned until Scene 3 in Act I when the Duke tells Othello he must send him to "fight the general ottoman" (1.iii.54 (I think that was mentioned above as well). With this first reference to Othello directly, the Duke is already isolating him by sending him away from the home he's made in Venice. And when Iago and Cassio converse in Act IV, Othello overhears from the side, away from the actual action and therefore isolated. Also, at Cyprus, Othello's ship is the last one to arrive - another sign that he is an outsider, an "other". Throughout the play, Shakespeare shows Othello as an isolated character by Othello's communication and positioning in reference to the other characters. This isolation reinforces the view that Othello is an "other".
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the Leo Africanus excerpt, I was not all that shocked by the tone of the piece. Up until this point, in almost every book I have read, the social/racial context of the work has portrayed African Americans as "borne and bred to theft, deceit, and brutish manners" (Leo Africanus). So, reading Shakespeare's Othello was definitely a different experience for me. I thought Haley's post about the transition from Othello's position as trusted general to paranoid violent man was very interesting. In the beginning of the play, Othello is not characterized as an "other" in the sense that Africanus thought African Americans were others. Instead, he is an esteemed member of Venetian society. And, Othello's transition into a true "other" is brought on by Iago's plots, not by his own innate personality flaws. Yes, Othello may be violent and proud by nature, but these characteristics are only realized when Iago manipulates the general.
ReplyDeleteShakespeare labels Othello as an other by making him the most vulnerable character in the novel. Traditionally, women are the most vulnerable characters in literature, requiring saving and a hero, the classic damsel in distress case. Yet, in this play, Othello is surrounding by strong, confident women (i.e. Desdemonda, Emilia) and Othello, this successful war general, is the confident one. His vulnerability is first shown when goes through great lengths to defend his marriage to Desdemonda. It proves that he is an subject to emotional attack despite having many successful military campaigns. Furthermore, Iago's ability to manipulate Othello so easily shows his vulnerability as well. Othello as a vulnerable male character is truly what makes him an other.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteShakespeare's character Othello tends to follow the stereotypical behavior of an African Moor, an outsider (or "other") to the rest of the characters. He is a "proud and high-minded" general who spends all his "daies...in warfare." As well, he often speaks in "an angrie and lowd voice," such as when he accuses Desdemona or demands for Iago to present him with proof. He is also somewhat "destitute of the vse of reason," as he is gullible and easily manipulated by the cunning Iago; he accepts Iago's theory without any direct evidence, and acts upon this belief in a wrathful manner. Othello even apparently believes these stereotypes himself; he marries Desdemona, only to quickly fear that the marriage was a mistake that would drive any woman to be unfaithful, as Desdemona is a young white woman and he is a black man. Othello's resignation to his cultural stereotype drives much of his behavior. Further, it casts him as an "other" in the play; he appears and behaves as an outsider.
ReplyDeleteThe posts are very insightful tonight! And I like the support from the articles. We clearly have a bit of thinking to do in regard to all of these contributing factors in Othello's "otherness." That being said, I am intrigued by Olivia's idea quite a bit- though I must confess that I would never think of Desdemona as a strong character.
ReplyDeleteYou guys are posting way too fast for me, and so have left almost nothing for me to talk about. I agree with Derek and everyone else who had similar reflections on the subject. While almost everything has already been said, i would like to add that Othello is also portrayed as the "other-woman" in Desdemona's life, except in this case its not the other woman its the the other man (lol). By making it appear she is having an affair, Othello feels like he is no longer the center of his wife's attention, and only an entertainment factor of her life. Due to his race, Desdemona's father considers Othello as not even a suitable husband for his daughter, thus placing him in a different category and once more portraying him as the "other". In this case, the classification is derogative and alludies to the discrimination resulting from contrasting backgrounds. Being from Africa and living in a new country not being his own, surrounded by the natives of that country, it separates Othello all the more from the other characters, who contrast from him in nationality, skin color, and culture. Othello is the "other" character, that contrast from all the others and portrays what the Venetians are not.
ReplyDeleteAt first, Othello is a respected character. Though he is different, they trust him to be a leader within the white community. His separation from the Venetian community and otherness seems to stem directly form his relationship with Desdemona. It seems as if the Venetians are accepting of Othello as long as he is not in a relationship with a white woman. This is exemplified in the way Barbanzio, who originally respected Othello, cannot accept his daughter's love for a black man. In addition, many of the derogatory remarks reference his supposed unnatural relationship with Desdemonda (ex. "a black ram is tupping your white ewe").
ReplyDeleteAlso, it seems like Othello is very different from the other men in the play. This particular otherness comes from the way he handles himself emotionally. To be honest, Othello doesn't seem very masculine. Sometimes it seems like he is PMSing. He gets extremely angry and does not think of things logically. He overreacts, is very emotional, and is self-conscious. He is dominated by the other male characters, especially Iago. In this sense, his otherness derives from his inability to represent the strong, confident male stereotype.
I definitely agree with everyone's comments, and there's barely anything else to address...but I found Marie's comment really interesting. She talked about how Othello is like the "other man", but I feel like he can actually be considered as the "other woman" because of his personality. In the play, even though Othello is a war general and all, he is, as Olivia said, vulnerable. But he is also quite emotional... Sadly, women in literature back in those days were usually portrayed as irrational and stuff and men were portrayed as rational. So it is different to see a male character being so..hysterical. Everyone else in the play acts the way they should, but Othello acts differently. Therefore, this is another way that Shakespeare used to make Othello an other.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what everyone already said, and there really is not much more to say, but what Krystal said about Othello being the "other woman" is very intersting to me. After thinking about the play and what the critics said, it really does seem as though Othello was portrayed as a women. He is extermly emotion and rash, and seems to act not by reason but by his emotions, which constantly change. He is much less rational than Desdemona, who doesnt even freak out when Othello is yelling at her about the hankercheif. Othello is definatly no the typical general, therefore there is a other Othello.
ReplyDeleteThe article was... more or less interesting, and I definitely do agree with that person really far up there who said that Iago was the main character. It's like when that article was talking of those two actors, Henry Irving and Edwin Booth traded roles and ended up producing two excellent Iagos and two crap Othellos. I think this just shows how Iago is the more interesting character even though Othello is the apparent focal point of the book.
ReplyDeleteIago, I am quite sure, is the main character of this book and it is shown in the fact that he has pretty much all the soliloquies of the book. Then again though, this is sort of the same thing as with "Julius Caesar" in which the book is named after Julius Caesar and so we just assume that he is the main character: it's a stupid assumption. It's more like the plot is just revolving and developing because of that man's presence.
Moving on though, Othello does in a way go back to that violent African model, but he also seems to go back to the white standard in death. Othello commits suicide, which is often times seen as a respectful act. When a man has shamed himself, it is oftentimes expected that he redeem himself by taking his own life gracefully, though whether or not Othello's death was graceful is another story (with the stabbing of Iago and that monologue in the end exclaiming "Remember me as that great general!" - not cited). I think that Shakespeare is saying something more than just that Othello is an "other." I think that Shakespeare wanted to end Othello's life in a more positive undertone by having him commit suicide and to look to redeem his errors through death. Although Othello was a moor, he was also a man with pride.
I agree with what everyone said, but I thought Cedric's point was particularly interesting. In thinking about the play I drew a lot of comparisons to the movie Mean Girls. First, both Othello and Cady are outsiders from Africa. Second, they are both manipulated by stronger characters in the novel into betraying those who are good to them and finally, they look for redemption at the end.
ReplyDeleteOthello is an outsider trying to find his place in society. He tries to find companions but chooses the wrong people to hang out with. He listens to everything that Iago says because he doesn't know any better and wants to be accepted. Meanwhile, his new found "friend" is destroying his life. Othello's uncertainty about himself and his new surroudnings cause him to rely so heavily on Iago. Othello's flaws fall back to the fact that he is still an African at the end of the day and because of the time period, there is no escaping the preconceptions about blacks.