Shakespeare's "Othello"

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that "Othello", a Shakespearean tragedy, is as much about a clash of cultures as it is about a failed romance or jealousy. The author relates the story about the main character, the commander Othello, a dark-skinned Moor living in a largely white, Christian society. The paper suggests that, created by Iago's scheming, issues of Othello's culture and race are suspect as the causes that drove him to murder Desdemona. The author concludes that, while a person might sympathize with the ostracized Othello in a racist society, it is uncertain if Shakespeare might have written the play originally to validate some of his own culture's racist stereotypes.

From the Paper:

"The charge of witchcraft is especially relevant, because it underlines how Othello is perceived as a stranger; capable of strange arts because of his religion and appearance, even by the side he fights for, the people of Venice. And it might be added, that because Desdemona falls in love with Othello because of his power to tell stories about his strange life, which includes being sold into slavery but also cannibals and men whose heads grow beneath their shoulder, his strangeness and 'otherness' becomes a source of attraction."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Shakespeare, William. "Othello." The Shakespeare Homepage. 8 Nov 2007. http://shakespeare.mit.edu/othello/

More papers on Shakespeare's "Othello":

• Analytical Essay # 31231 : "The Characters of "Othello" and "Jane Eyre" as 'Other'"
• Analytical Essay # 136050 : "Jealousy in the Character of Othello"
• Analytical Essay # 54260 : "Shakespeare's "Othello" and Tragedy"
• Research Proposal # 104756 : "Women in Shakespeare's Tragedies"

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