Othello Essay

Submitted By asdfghjkl1818
Words: 582
Pages: 3

"In Act 1 Shakespeare establishes Othello and Desdemona as outsiders in the Venetian Society"

Black, racially different to the aristocratic society, stereotypes, racist attitudes, portrayed as worse
We see someone who contradicts stereotypes, he is respected by the duke, eloquent, elevated sacred language, tells us about his past in a poetic way/language, shows a man who talks in religious Christian terms to emphasise he does belong,

Doesn’t fit the stereotype of woman's role, didn’t have active roles of society, men had the power and they were subject to it, they were subordinate to the male, owed her duty to her father until she married, once she marries she is owing to the Husband, stands up to her father, uses challenging words, asks to go to war with Othello, Assertion of power, she was active didn’t take the submissive role, opposite of what Brobantio describes, wont be the moth of peace, complex character, liberal nature of society, breaks society in the same way as Othello,

Trying to suggest something by creating characters like this.

In Venetian Society in the early 17th Century, it was presented to have a system alternative to monarchy. It was a republic where wealthier merchant classes controlled the state, buying powerful military forces to protect their colonial exploits. Venetians perceive Othello as an outsider because of his racial and cultural differences. He was a black man in power, living where he was racially different to the aristocratic society, but who is also respected by those in power. Desdemona is also and outsider as she does not conform to the social norms of the Venetian society. She doesn’t fit into the stereotypical role of woman, and does not agree that woman should just accept the submissive role to the male.
Othello is represented as an ambivalent character, meaning he was represented to be an evil, tyrant man, but is shown instead to be a gentle, soft spoken man who talks in religious Christian ways to emphasise his belonging. "Your daughter and the Moor are now making the beast with two backs"-this quote is referring to Othello and Desdemona having sexual relations, but is a derogatory term by calling him a