Has Shakespeare written about racism? Albeit indirectly, his Othello discusses race, as its protagonist is a Moor, a dark-skinned slave. Love, jealousy, betrayal, revenge and guilt are all themes of the play.
Othello was a general of the Venetian Military. Born in a family of slaves, he had fought his way up and reached the top of the social ladder by his sheer courage and skill. lago was an ensign in Othello’s army – an ensign was the flag holder. He had bitter enmity with Othello because the chief had promoted a younger man named Cassio to the post of lieutenant instead of lago. Roderigo, a Venetian, wanted desperately to get married to Desdemona, daughter of Brabantio, Venetian Senator. However, Desdemona was deeply in love with Othello. He used to visit Brabantio’s home, and his stories had enchanted Desdemona, so she fell in love, and eloped with him. The play starts with Roderigo and lago discussing Desdemona’s elopement with Othello and Roderigo informing the same to the ignorant Brabantio. Brabantio went to the Duke of Venice to complain, but when the Duke heard the story from Desdemona and Othello, he approved of their marriage.
The villain of the play is lago, whose ‘motiveless malignity’ makes his villainy a class apart. lago, consumed by his hatred for Othello, hatched stories about Desdemona’s infidelity. He convinced Othello that Desdemona was in love with Cassio, the handsome captain of Othello. lago tricked his wife, Emilia, who was also Desdemona’s maidservant, to steal a handkerchief, which Othello had given his wife as his first wedding gift. Along with the lies he whispered in Othello’s ears, lago presented him with a proof of Desdemona’s adulterous life: the handkerchief in the possession of Cassio. lago had secretly given the handkerchief to Cassio, who gave it to his lover Bianca. Othello, not only believed everything lago had told him, but also started tormenting himself and his innocent wife over the allegations. His jealousy, in the end, results in smothering Desdemona to death. However, when he realized that Desdemona indeed was an angel, he was overcome by guilt. He stabbed lago, but did not wound him fatally so that he would live the rest of his life in pain. Running the blade through his own body, Othello committed suicide to end the heart-rending story.
While Othello as a character has an imposing stage presence, lago steals the show for his evil nature. He never reveals anywhere why he did what he did to Othello and Desdemona. Brabantio’s warning ‘Look to her, moor, if thou hast eyes to see. She has deceived her father, and may thee’ is the central statement of the play.
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