Is Othello a Racist Play?

Othello can be seen as a product of the cultural tension created through slavery and, in particular, the introduction of Black individuals into Elizabethan society. Critic Toni Morrison draws attention to the possibility that slavery introduced ‘blackness and enslavement’ as a ‘playground for the imagination.’ This is clearly seen in the tension created between Othello and other white characters, such as Iago and Brabantio, due to Othello’s ethnicity and skin colour. In this essay, I will argue that Othello is not inherently racist; rather, Shakespeare draws on the creative possibilities produced by Othello’s racial otherness to heighten the play's dramatic tension as a whole, as well as the interactions between individual characters and Othello. Additionally, through the presentation of Othello himself, Shakespeare can be seen as challenging the racist Elizabethan ideology surrounding Africans and highlighting the tragic potential of this prejudice.

By making Othello’s character a Black 'other', Shakespeare was able to draw on Elizabethan society’s racial views and prejudices to create and heighten dramatic tension. This can be seen through the way in which various characters, such as Iago describe Othello. Iago tells Brabantio, 'Even now, now, very now, an old black ram / Is tupping your white ewe' (1.1.89-90). Shakespeare’s use of antithesis to contrast Desdemona and Othello in terms of their ethnicity increases the dramatic tension of the scene; here, the juxtaposition of their skin colours is used to create conflict. The repetition of the word 'now' emphasizes the sense of urgency that Iago is forcing onto Brabantio, while the possessive pronoun 'your' effectively reminds Brabantio of the loss of his daughter. This would have been particularly shocking in the 17th century, as women were still seen as possessions. Iago also uses animalistic imagery, and its presence proliferates as the play advances. For example, Iago states that Brabantio will have his 'nephews neigh to [him]' (1.1.112). The bestial imagery, combined with Iago’s use of prose, draws the attention of both Brabantio and the audience. This clearly demonstrates the effect that Othello’s race has on the play; here, it is used as a catalyst to expose and turn others against Othello and Desdemona’s marriage, further implying that the play is not intended to be racist, but rather that race is used as a trigger point to create drama.

When examining the socio-historical context of the play, it can be argued that Othello is, deliberately or not, Shakespeare’s personal response to the racial stereotypes circulating in his society. Through this perspective, it is possible to infer that Shakespeare did not make Othello a Black man solely to create dramatic tension but to introduce a new way of seeing Black people. Prior to the performance of the play, 'negative stereotypes of Africans as ‘evil, inferior, or even subhuman’ had become well established in literary productions.' However, this belief can be contested through Shakespeare’s presentation of Othello. For example, Othello addresses his superiors as 'reverend signiors' (1.3.76), and the comments made by other members of the Senate attest to Othello’s noble character. Characters such as Montano, Desdemona, and the Duke refer to Othello as 'noble general Othello' (2.2.9-10), 'valiant Othello' (1.3.-), and 'brave Othello' (2.1.38). The adjectives 'noble', 'valiant', and 'brave' encapsulate how each character sees past social stereotypes, viewing Othello first as an individual rather than judging him by his skin colour. This was a progressive perspective for the time. Thus, while the play may initially seem racist, analysing the language suggests otherwise.

At the beginning of the play, the audience relies on Iago’s descriptions to build a picture of Othello’s character, none of which are accurate representations of him. Othello is referred to as a 'lascivious Moor' (1.1.25), 'lusty' (2.1.317), 'thick-lips' (1.1.66), and 'the devil' (1.1.92). Each of these descriptions draws upon either his physical appearance or Elizabethan stereotypes of the over-sexed black man. By focusing on these particular aspects, Iago is able to manipulate Brabantio using his racist attitudes. Through this, it is possible to see that Othello was not meant to be a racist play but rather that Shakespeare built "the tragedy of Othello on [a] new source of creative possibilities" created by including a Black protagonist. In this way, Elizabethan prejudices against individuals of African descent were used by Shakespeare to heighten the dramatic tension of the play. The original Elizabethan audience’s own racist views would have biased them towards believing Iago. Therefore, it can be argued that Shakespeare did not intentionally mean for the play to be racist but instead used race as a trigger for drama and conflict.

However, Shakespeare’s presentation of Othello can also be interpreted differently. The ease with which Othello is manipulated into violence and murder diminishes any redeeming qualities he may have. By the end of the play, he fulfills the image of the aggressive, violent Moor that Iago portrays. Eldred Jones argues that Shakespeare was 'moving away from stereotypes, so that in the end Othello emerges, not as another manifestation of a type, but as a distinct individual typified by his fall, not the weaknesses of Moors, but the weaknesses of human nature.' However, Othello’s violent actions—his exclamations of 'O, blood, blood, blood' (3.3.432), 'I’ll tear her all to pieces' (3.3.433), and his striking and ultimate murder of Desdemona (4.1.231)—all reflect the image of the violent Moor Iago constructs. This suggests that Othello’s downfall was due to racialized weaknesses rather than general human nature. Critics such as T.S. Eliot and F.R. Leavis argue that Othello alone is responsible for his fall due to his hamartia and that Iago merely exploits the weaknesses already present in Othello’s character, which are linked to his racial 'otherness.' Had Othello been born into Venetian society, he might have been able to see through Iago’s manipulation.

Ultimately, whether Othello is a racist play may depend on the era in which it is being analyzed. While it may be seen as progressive in its own time, contemporary audiences might interpret the language and racial portrayals as problematic. Shakespeare’s use of Othello’s racial 'otherness' to heighten dramatic tension and provoke audience reactions suggests that race is central to the play’s themes. However, analyzing Othello solely through the lens of racism risks oversimplifying its complexities. The play can be understood as an exploration of race and prejudice rather than a straightforward endorsement of racist ideology.