Racial Discrimination in "Othello"

Paper Summary:

This paper portrays Shakespeare's "Othello" as a tragic play wherein the revolutionary attempt to overcome the racial prejudice is defeated. Each characters' part in the story is described. The racial discrimination aimed at Othello from the different members of the cast is explained. The paper discusses the ultimate insecurities which stem from Othello's race and the prejudice against him, and which prove to lead to his undoing.

From the Paper:

"Othello, one of those great tragedies of Shakespeare was written in 1604. Shakespeare skillfully interleaves the bravado and the accomplishments of Othello along with racial discrimination against him. In fact the two things that run parallel in this novel are Othello's valor as a warrior and the racial prejudice that is harbored against him, albeit on the sly. Shakespeare's dexterity in creating the genre for his plays is something, which is astounding. This is a novel with clear undertones of racism in it. "Othello" is considered a revolutionary and critical work of Shakespeare which exceeds all his other plays in terms of the sheer depth of emotions that the tragedy evokes. It is a tragic play wherein the revolutionary attempt to overcome the racial prejudice is defeated. When we study the play in depth we again and again encounter verses and epithets that carry this sting of racism in a plainly obvious tone."

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