Othello final

OTHELLO
Presented by:
Vicente, Michilla Paula Rose
Trajano, Abigail

GENDER & RACE
Socio cultural ApproachFeminist Approach

• Feminism is an evolving philosophy, and its
application in literature is a relatively new area of
study. The basis of the movement, both in literature
and society, is that the Western world is
fundamentally patriarchal (i.e., created by men, ruled
by men, viewed through the eyes of men, and judged
by men).
FEMINISM

• The feminist approach is based on finding and exposing suggestions of
misogyny (negative attitudes toward women) in literature. Feminists are
interested in exposing the undervaluing of women in literature that has
long been accepted as the norm by both men and women. They have even
dissected many words in Western languages that reflect a patriarchal
worldview.
• Arguing that the past millennia in the West have been dominated by
men—whether the politicians in power or the historians recording it all—
feminist critics believe that Western literature reflects a masculine bias,
and, consequently, represents an inaccurate and potentially harmful image
of women.

• In order to repair this image and achieve balance,
they insist that works by and about women be added
to the literary canon and read from a feminist
perspective.

Gender• Gender relations are pretty antagonistic in Othello. Unmarried
women are regarded as their fathers' property and the play's two
marriages are marked by male jealousy and cruelty (both wives
are murdered by their own husbands).
Most male characters in Othello assume that all Venetian women
are inherently promiscuous, which explains why female sexuality is a
huge threat to men in the play. Othello is easily convinced his wife is
cheating on him and feels emasculated and humiliated as a
result.
We should also note that it's impossible to discuss gender and
sexuality without considering race – several characters in the
play, including Othello, believe that black men sexually
contaminate white women, which may partially explain why
Othello sees his wife as soiled.

The Role of
Women in Othello
A Feminist Approach

There are only three women in ‘Othello’:
Desdemona, Emilia and Bianca.
The way that these women behave and
conduct themselves is undeniably linked to
the ideological expectations of
Shakespeare’s Elizabethan society and to
the patriarchal Venetian society that he
creates. These notes will explore some of
the ways in which the female characters
are presented in the play.

Othello speaks to his ensign Iago, ironically describing him
as a man of ‘honesty and trust’, informing the Duke that
‘To his conveyance I assign my wife’ (I.3.283).
Desdemona, as Othello’s wife, is treated as his possession:
he implies that she is a commodity to be guarded and
transported.
This is, however, by no means peculiar to Othello: the first
Senator, wishing Othello well, concludes by hoping that he
will ‘use Desdemona well’ (I.3.288).
The word ‘use’ seems to connote the phrase ‘look after’,
but also supports the Venetian expectation of women -
that they are to bow to the wills of their husbands who
may utilize them as they wish.

Moreover, the function of women within
marriage is also delineated by Othello’s
‘loving’ words to Desdemona in Act II:
‘Come, my dear love,/The purchase made, the
fruits are to ensue’ (II.3.8-9).
Marriage is described as an act of ‘purchase’: a
woman is bought by her husband, effectively
as a favor, and is expected to fulfill his sexual
desires in return for the privilege.

Iago’s desire for revenge on Othello is, in part, dictated by
his view of women as possessions. He believes that ‘it is
thought abroad that ‘twixt my sheets/He’s done my office’
(I.3.381-2), suggesting that Othello has slept with his wife
Emilia.
It could be argued, however, that Iago exhibits little love
for his wife, insulting her in public and ultimately killing her
himself.
It is simply the thought that ‘the lusty Moor/hath leaped
into my seat’ (II.1.286-7) which drives him mad, the
thought that Othello has used a possession that belongs to
him.

Compounding this theory is the fact that Iago refers to his wife
metaphorically in these two instances: she is his ‘office’ and his
‘seat’; she is objectified and deprived of her humanity. Moreover,
in revenge for Othello’s supposed act, Iago wishes to be ’evened
with him, wife for wife’ (II.1.290)
The feelings of Desdemona and Emilia are completely
disregarded in his plotting.
The women are merely objects to be used in order to further his
own desires.
Although Iago is an extreme example, he nonetheless
demonstrates, through his thinking, the fact that women, in both
Elizabethan and Venetian society, are perceived as possessions,
secondary to the lofty plans and desires of men.

Some modern feminist critics see Desdemona as a hideous
embodiment of the downtrodden woman. Whether this is actually the
case will be explored later in these notes. Suffice it to say, there is a
large body of evidence to support this critical stance. Desdemona
herself declares that ‘I am obedient’ (III.3.89), continuing to obey
Othello’s orders from the early ‘happy’ phase of their relationship
through to the later stages of his jealous ravings.
Even when he orders Desdemona to go to her bed towards the end of
Act IV, she still replies with the submissive ‘I will, my lord’ (IV.3.9). In
her final breath she still remains true to her husband, saying
‘Commend me to my kind lord’(V.2.125) and providing Othello with
an alibi that he does not use.
She appears to have completely accepted her role as subordinate and
obedient wife.

Arguably a much stronger character, Emilia also indicates that she is
aware of her ‘proper’ role in society. When revealing Iago’s plotting at
the end of the play, she states that ‘Tis proper I obey him, but not
now’ (V.2.195). Although going on to betray her husband, she still
feels the need to explain why she is deviating from accepted
behaviours. Bianca expresses a similar sentiment, consoling herself
when Cassio spurns her by arguing that ‘I must be circumstanced’
(III.4.199): she feels compelled by the laws of society to be
‘circumstanced’ - to ‘put up with it’ - implying that she has no other
choice.
Society weighs heavily on the shoulders of these women; they feel
that they must support the men and defer to them, even if the actions
of the men are questionable.

Brabantio’s opinions of women appear to represent Venetian ideology.
Speaking of Desdemona before she erred, he describes her as ‘perfection’,
‘Of spirit still and quiet’ and ‘A maiden never bold’ (I.3.95-97).
By expressing these qualities of women in the masculine domain of the
Venetian senate, Brabantio compounds and develops the traditional
expectations of women in a patriarchal society.
Moreover, when she marries Othello, going against his wishes and therefore
the ideal mould of woman, he describes her as erring ‘Against all rules of
nature’ (I.3.100).

Venetian society presents its own social beliefs as immutable laws of nature.
It is ‘natural’ for women to be feminine and to do as their husbands and fathers tell
them.
It is ‘unnatural’ for them to do anything else.
This Venetian concept was also an Elizabethan and pre- Elizabethan belief, and was
widely understood by Shakespeare’s audiences.
Today, feminists argue that it is not ‘natural’ for women to be ‘feminine’, that history has
tried to camouflage its social expectations of women as part of the laws of nature.
The women of Othello, however, are pre-Feminism, and seem to only compound the
ideological expectations of what it is to be a woman through their own behaviour.

This is not to say, however, that the women of
the play fail to question men at all. As she talks
to Desdemona at the end of Act IV, Emilia is
fairly damming in her opinion of men.
Emilia argues that women are physically no
different to men:
‘Let husbands know,
Their wives have sense like them; they see and
smell,
And have their palates both for sweet and sour
As husbands have’ (IV.3.92-5)

She goes on to say that in addition to sharing some
identical physicalities, they also suffer from the same
‘affections,/Desires for sport, and frailty’ (IV.3.100) as
men.
The only difference, Emilia implies, is that men are
mentally weaker: it is ‘frailty that thus errs’ (IV.3.98).
This links to her earlier description of the appetite of
mankind, that ‘They eat us hungerly [men], and
when they are full,/They belch us’ (III.4.101-2).
Emilia suggests that men are brutish and simplistic,
unable to control their desires with logical thought.
It is perhaps ironic that the actions of Iago and Othello
in this play confirm her arguments.

These opinions, however, are given to Desdemona in
moments of privacy. Emilia does not express such opinions in
the company of men. Ironically, it is Desdemona who exhibits
some power in public, making powerful use of language when
explaining to her father, in front of other Venetian senators,
that her ‘duty’ (I.3.182) is now owed to Othello.
It could be argued, however, that even in this instance,
Desdemona still fails to assert herself: although she disagrees
with her father, she couches this in terms of merely switching
her ‘duty’ from father to husband. The issue of the ‘duty’
itself remains unquestioned. This is because it is so
ideologically embedded that women do not seem to consider
any other possibility, other than, in private conversation with
one another.

This is not to say, however, that women in Othello do not exhibit any signs
of wielding power. Othello, when talking of his wife, often seems pre-
occupied with matters of the flesh.
Bemoaning the fact that he did not know earlier of his wife’s supposed
infidelity, Othello argues that he would have been happier ‘if the general
camp,/Pioneers and all, had tasted her sweet body,/So I had nothing
known’ (III.3.342-4).
He appears to be obsessed with Desdemona’s sexuality. On his way to
murder his wife, he states that ‘Thy bed, lust-stained, shall with lust’s blood
be spotted’ (V.1.36).
The repetition of the word ‘lust’, combined with the sexual associations of
Desdemona’s bed and the violent plosives and sibilants of this line, reflects
and draws attention to Othello’s preoccupation with sensual matters.

This preoccupation is partly driven by the fact that Desdemona wields
so much sexual power over him.
Even Cassio refers, jokingly, to Desdemona as ‘our great Captain’s
Captain’ (II.1.75), implying that she is the only individual capable of
controlling and taming Othello.
Desdemona uses this when attempting to persuade Othello to reinstate
Cassio: she tells the latter that ‘My lord shall never rest’ (III.3.22) until
she has changed his mind, an indication of the tenacity of the woman.
Attempting to change his mind, Desdemona is not frightened to use
her position and sexuality:
‘Tell me, Othello. I wonder in my soul What you would ask
me that I should deny, Or stand so mammering on?’
(III.3.68-70)

In this instance, she refers to her own unquestioning desire to please Othello, implying that
he cannot love her as she loves him if he is able to refuse her what she wants. Othello
responds with the interestingly oxymoronic term of endearment ‘Excellent wretch’
(III.3.90), suggesting that he is aware that her manipulation of him is fairly ‘wretched’, yet
finds it ‘excellently’ compelling.
Later in the play, however, Othello ceases to find Desdemona’s sexual power so
entertaining.
Speaking to Iago about his planned murder of Desdemona, Othello is adamant that he will
‘not expostulate with her, lest her body and beauty unprovide my mind again’ (IV.1.203-5).
As far is Othello is concerned, if he is tempted into conversation and interaction with his
wife, then her overpowering sexuality will deter him from the right and inevitable course of
action. He considers her to be a sexual hazard, a strumpet intent on using her body to blind
and deceive him. Male society, in addition to constructing women as second-rate citizens,
also constructs their sexual allure as evil.

Othello’s fear of Desdemona’s sexuality erupts into slanderous abuse on a
number of occasions.
He refers to her as ‘whore’ (III.3.356), a ‘subtle whore’ (IV.2.20) and a
‘cunning whore’ (IV.2.88), in addition to multiple references to her as a
‘strumpet’.
Bianca is described by Iago as a ‘housewife’ (IV.1.95) and ‘strumpet’
(IV.1.97), although there is no evidence to suggest that she actually is a
prostitute.
When she reveals his part in the horrific events of Act V, Iago vents his fury
upon Emilia, labelling her a ‘villainous whore’ (V.2.227).

Admonishing his wife for being a nag in Act II, Iago goes on to compound this
stereotype by suggesting that all women are not as they appear.
He seems to believe that all women are, essentially, ‘wild-cats’ (II.1.109) and
‘housewives’ (II.1.111).
All three women of the play are accused of prostitution and
inappropriate sexual conduct, yet it appears that none of them are guilty.
As male society falls apart in Cyprus, its constituent members seem to vent their
spleen and anger by labeling all of the female characters ‘whore’.
When things go wrong, it appears to be acceptable for men to blame the women.

What is the role of women?
The patriarchal Venetian society presented in
Othello, molded on the ideology of Elizabethan
England, seems to put women firmly in their place.
Men consider women to be possessions, who
ought to remain submissive and meek at all times.
The only power that women do seem to be able to
wield – their sexual power - is considered to be an
‘evil’ which must be resisted by the men in society.

Men seem free to be able to refer to women as
‘whores’ and get away with it.
The language that Shakespeare gives to his female
characters suggests that they have internalized
society’s expectations of them, and apart from in
moments of private conversation, behave as men
expect, believing this to be ‘natural’.
There is a suggestion, however, that women are
beginning to question the validity of unchecked
male authority.

These notes have considered Emilia’s seemingly feminist
opinions, but it is Desdemona, who in conversation with
Emilia, indicates that the tide may be finally turning:
‘Nay, we must think men are not gods’ (III.4.144)
By definition, this suggests that Desdemona has certainly
perceived men to be god-like figures in the past, but
indicates that her experiences with Othello have taught her
a lesson.
It is clear that the actions and language of Shakespeare’s
three female characters, although seemingly subservient,
signify a tentative step towards an egalitarian society.

Why should I care?
Because they care too…

Racism in Othello:
A Socio-Cultural Approach

This approach “examines literature in the cultural, economic and political context in
which it is written or received,” exploring the relationships between the artist and society.
Sometimes it examines the artist’s society to better understand the author’s literary works;
other times, it may examine the representation of such societal elements within the
literature itself.
One influential type of sociological criticism is Marxist criticism, which focuses on the
economic and political elements of art, often emphasizing the ideological content of
literature; because Marxist criticism often argues that all art is political, either challenging
or endorsing (by silence) the status quo, it is frequently evaluative and judgmental, a
tendency that “can lead to reductive judgment, as when Soviet critics rated Jack London
better than William Faulkner, Ernest Hemingway […] , because he illustrated the
principles of class struggle more clearly.” Nonetheless, Marxist criticism “can illuminate
political and economic dimensions of literature other approaches overlook.”

RaceOthello is one of the first black heroes in English literature.
A military general, he has risen to a position of power and
influence. At the same time, however, his status as a black-
skinned foreigner in Venice marks him as an outsider and
exposes him to some pretty overt racism, especially by his
wife's father, who believes his daughter's interracial marriage
can only be the result of Othello's trickery.
Because the play portrays fears of miscegenation (the
intermixing of races via marriage and/or sex), it's
nearly impossible to talk about race in Othello without also
discussing gender and sexuality.

Early17th-century English attitudes toward
non-Europeans were largely shaped by the
government's diplomatic policies and, to a
lesser extent, by exotic stories brought back by
travelers overseas.
The term “moor” was derived from the name
of the country Mauritania but was used to refer
to North Africans, West Africans or, even more
loosely, for non-whites or Muslims of any
origin.

North and West Africans living in Elizabethan England
were frequently singled out for their unusual dress,
behavior and customs and were commonly referred to as
“devils” or “villains.”
Moors were commonly stereotyped as sexually
overactive, prone to jealousy and generally wicked.
The public associated “blackness” with moral
corruption,
citing examples from Christian theology to support the
view that whiteness was the sign of purity, just as
blackness indicated sin.

Although Queen Elizabeth granted the Moors “full
diplomatic recognition” out of gratitude for their help in
conquering Spain,
in 1601 she deported them,
citing concerns about their irregular behavior and a fear
that allowing them to stay in England would lead to
overpopulation.
Blacks were not typically associated with slavery at that
time, since the slave trade would not be fully established
until the late 17th century.
Instead, the Elizabethan portrait of the dark-skinned
“other” clearly established him as a bestial force,
dangerous because of his sexuality, temper and magical
powers.

In his adaptation, Shakespeare incorporates these racial stereotypes into the dialogue,
assigning them to characters like Iago, Roderigo and Brabantio at the top of the play.
Their slurs and accusations provide the backdrop against which viewers must formulate
impressions of a man they do not know.
Once Othello enters, however, the audience must judge him—his calculated actions and
eloquent speech—not in the abstract, but in person.
Through the theatrical medium, Shakespeare helps the public see his protagonist in three
dimensions: the Moor from Cinthio's story transformed from an exotic and passionate
stereotype into a tragic figure in flesh and blood. The play's action reveals the depth of
affection shared by Othello and Desdemona, the enchanting power of the general's
poetry and, finally, Iago's easy manipulations of collegial and marital trust.
Through the treachery of a surprising white devil, Shakespeare challenges his audiences
to spot the true color of villainy.

As the setting for the original story (and substitute
for Shakespeare's London), Venice provides a
natural environment for the figure of the Moor to
be both revered and despised.
According to Venetian law, the Venetian Republic's
army general was required to be a foreigner.
Since Shakespeare's Venetians reflect the mores of
English society, it follows that Venetian society
would admire Othello for his valor and leadership
but still recoil at the notion of his marrying into its
families.

In both plays, Shakespeare calls on his audiences
to consider the person before them, complex as
he may be, rather than judging him by inherited
assumptions used to dismiss a maligned people in
the abstract. Shakespeare makes the stage a venue
for closer examination, a place where audiences
may begin to relate to “others,” not all at once,
but one extraordinary example at a time.
In adapting Cinthio, Shakespeare sets up familiar
stereotypes to explode them and to teach his
audiences compassion for those whom society
uses but never fully embraces as countrymen.

Why should I care?Othello's treatment of race and sexuality makes its one of Shakespeare's most relevant
and controversial plays. For some, the play's portrayal of a black man who marries and
then brutally murders a white woman in a fit of rage and jealousy makes Othello a racist
play.
For these critics, Shakespeare seems to endorse a xenophobic (anti-foreigner) attitude that
was pretty common throughout England and other parts of Europe. After all, they say,
the play is full of characters that express a blatant hatred of black men and foreigners,
and these characters often refer to Othello as "thick-lips," the "devil," and the "old black
ram" who supposedly contaminates his white wife with his hyper-sexuality. Not only that,
but Othello enacts a racist stereotype (that says black men are "savage") when he strangles
his wife on her bed.

Why should I care?
Yet, for other critics, neither the action in the play nor the characters' racist attitudes
makes the play (or Shakespeare) racist. For some, Othello is a play that portrays racism in a
way that provokes the audience into rethinking its ideas and attitudes about race. Many critics
argue that Shakespeare's play asks us to consider the tragedy of how Othello absorbs
and internalizes the dominant racist attitudes that surround him.
The idea is that Othello is a study of what happens when a society tells a man over and over and over
again that he is violent, savage, contaminating, and to be feared.
In the case of Othello, the character begins to believe it's all true and acts out a racist
stereotype – that of a "savage" killer.

Othello final

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