The Effects of Racism and Misogyny in Othello Essay example

The Effects of Racism and Misogyny in Othello Race and gender heavily influence the course of peoples’ lives. Shakespeare’s â€Å"Othello† depicts a society in which racist and misogynist behaviour informs and affects how characters are perceived and treated. Women in the play are viewed by men as objects, available for their possession and use. The constant subtle and overt racism that Othello encounters throughout the play contribute to his downfall. The unjust treatment of women and people of colour in â€Å"Othello† is proof that their society is one of racism and misogyny. Male characters in the play perceive women as objects to possess and use as they see fit. Unwed women were considered the property of their fathers until marriage, and†¦show more content†¦This becomes indisputable when Emilia says, â€Å"’They are all but stomachs, and we all but food;/ they eat us hungrily, and when they are full,/ they belch us.’† (3 .4.98-103). Emilia remarks on the way men use women with a lack of reverence, treating them as food to consume when they want and to throw away when they are finished. This statement is an accurate metaphor for Bianca and Cassio’s relationship, but also for that of Emilia and her verbally abusive husband, Iago. Every female character in Othello faces disrespect, mistreatment and misogyny from the men in their lives. Racism is prevalent and poignant in Venetian society. Iago uses racist language to amplify the anger in Brabantio when he reports on Desdemona’s marriage to Othello. Iago shouts, â€Å"‘Even now, now, very now, an old black ram/ is tupping your white ewe.’†(1.1.89-90). Iago uses racial slurs to his advantage, by calling Othello â€Å"an old black ram† he is referring to the Elizabethan-period belief that black men were animalistic sexually, and he is trying to anger Brabantio with the imagery of his daughter sleeping with an older black man. Brabantio’s racism is the dominant reason for his reaction to Desdemona and Othello’s marriage. This is evident when he claims, â€Å"‘She, in spite of nature,/ of years, of country, credit, every thing,/ to fall in love with what she fear’d to look on?’†(1.3.96-98). In this quote, Brabantio is trying to explain that the idea ofShow MoreRelatedA Malevolent Villain Essay1086 Words   |  5 Pageswork. Another malicious character is Iago, the villain in one of William Shakespeare’s greatest tragedies, Othello. In this play Iago sets out to destroy Othello for multiple reasons, most of which are unsubstantiated imaginings. Iago’s role as a malicious villain is evidenced by his misogynist, racist, and manipulative behaviors. The first evidence of Iago’s malicious villainy is his misogyny. Iago hates women and repeatedly debases sex. He is cruel to his wife and does not show her love. HenryRead MoreEssay on Othello – Racism Expressed in Words1961 Words   |  8 PagesOthello –   Racism Expressed in Words  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚   The Bard of Avon’s tragic play Othello expresses racism; there is no doubt about this among most critics. However, to what degree – to a vulgar extent? Or to an excusable level?    In her book, Everybody’s Shakespeare: Reflections Chiefly on the Tragedies, Maynard Mack comments on the audience’s reaction to the black-white union in the play:    That a beautiful Venetian girl should fall in love with â€Å"a veritable negro† seemed to manyRead More Racism in William Shakespeare’s Othello Essay2606 Words   |  11 PagesRacism in William Shakespeare’s Othello    In William Shakespeare’s tragic play Othello racism is featured throughout, not only by Iago in his despicable animalistic remarks about Othello’s marriage, but also by other characters. Let us in this essay analyze the racial references and their degrees of implicit racism. Racism persists from the opening scene till the closing scene in this play. In â€Å"Historical Differences: Misogyny and Othello† Valerie Wayne comments on the racism inherent inRead More The Character of Iago in Shakespeares Othello Essay1620 Words   |  7 PagesIago in Othello   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the play Othello, the character Iago plays a paramount role in the destruction of Othello and all of those around him.   Some critics state that Iagos actions are motiveless and that he is a purely evil character.   However, during the course of this paper, certain motives for Iagos actions will be discussed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   For the first motive to be understood the reader must become knowledgeable of Othellos heritage and the setting of the play.   Othello is a MoslemRead MoreEssay on Analyses of Race and Gender Issues in Shakespeares Othello3144 Words   |  13 PagesAnalyses of Race and Gender Issues in Othello      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The discussion of race in Shakespeares Othello has received a great deal of critical attention. Virginia Mason Vaughn, in her book Othello: A Contextual History, surveys this critical history, beginning with Marvin Rosenbergs 1961 book The Masks of Othello (a book documenting the nineteenth-century tendency toward representing Othello as light-skinned), and continuing through to Jack DAmicos 1991 book The Moor in English RenaissanceRead MoreEssay Heart of Darkness vs Seasons of Migrations to the North3138 Words   |  13 Pagesthese novellas are supported by moral and psychological views that are exerted throughout. Alienation is a key concept in the novellas as they symbolise dislocation. To reveal the consequences of displacement, Conrad implemented evident racism and Salih employed misogyny that later on created criticisms. The idea of control represents both continents in these novels. Europe seemed to have a dominant control over Africa and because of this Europeans attempted to impose their failed morals upon the

How to Revise an Essay

Revising an essays may seem like a difficult task, but once you know some tricks of the trade, it can be a lot easier and more rewarding. Try these three strategies to improve your work: Read it out loud. Read your paper out loud, even just to yourself. Listen to your sentences. Do they sound correct? Do your sentences sound choppy or disconnected? Do the words you use sound like they fit in the sentence? Are your sentences longer than you would normally speak? Many people are auditory learners, meaning that they have a better sense of their writing when they hear it. Reading your work out loud can help you catch mistakes by hearing them, when you never would have seen them. Reoutline your argument. Look at the topic sentence of each paragraph. Make an outline of your paper, using each topic sentence as an entry. Look at your argument structure. Does each paragraph in a given section add to your argument? Does your paper follow a logical order? Do you repeat yourself? Does each paragraph add to the final product? Looking at how you succeeded in organizing your argument can also show where you failed at making your point and can help you find ways to better present your argument. Put it away for a while. The best way to revise an essay is to put it aside for an evening. Do other work, go have some fun, think about anything other than the paper. When you return to it, come at it with fresh eyes. Was that argument really what you were trying to say? Have you left out any words or ideas that you thought you had included? Is there a better structure for your argument? By stepping away from the paper, you can edit it later as if it were someone else work, and catch mistakes that were blending in yesterday.

Looking for Mr. Right Free Essays

Most single people in every society around the world have one thing in common. We are all looking for a partner that we can marry. Every society has its method on how we choose a spouse. We will write a custom essay sample on Looking for Mr. Right or any similar topic only for you Order Now The Indians have arranged marriages, the Chinese have online dating websites, and the Americans have social gatherings. All of the methods are different but do we find the the perfect partner? While on a field trip, Serena Nanda, met many young singles that was in the process of being arranged for marriage. She couldn’t understand, why these young men and women weren’t reluctant and against the idea of them being married off to a complete stranger that their parents picked. In America we are not used to the term arranged marriage. In an American society, we marry someone we choose, are attracted, and love. Whereas in china they have online dating where they choose from many profiles online and chat through emails which then leads to meeting in person and finally getting married. In Indian culture arranged marriages have been the norm for many centuries and almost all marriages are arranged. Serena Nanda, met this young intelligent college graduate name Sita. She had been waiting close to over a year for her parents to pick someone whom she would marry. Sita believed, marriage is so important that it should not be left to them, inexperienced people, to choose. It’s so important that she left it in the hands of her parents. While, Americans would say, â€Å"we who are getting married would know best. † Since we are going to be spending the rest of our life we should know whom we would get along with or whom we love. In contrast, Gong Haiyan is a college educated chinese women, who does not have the luxury of having a option between arranged marriage or of choosing for herself. If it was up to her parent to pick a partner for her they would be able to find someone whom she would be interested . And if it was up to her to find someone. She didn’t have time and like she said, â€Å"I didn’t know a soul in the city. † The only option she had was online dating. This method is a relatively a new form of finding a love. In a Chinese society of 1. billion people separated from love by â€Å"three towering mountains,†with no social scenes, no time, and no connections. China’s online dating solves all these problems. With a couple minutes they can create a profile in a online dating website with little or no money and be connected to other singles. Online dating is designed to help provide an efficient way for people to meet potential partners and to get to know them thr ough emails. Eventually you narrow down your options and if you connect then you get married. This method has worked and many Chinese have found a spouse and are happy. Gong Haiyan and many other found their spouse through online dating are married. For Americans dating takes place in social gatherings. Social gatherings can be co-ed softball teams, bars, parties, churches or libraries where people with similar interests can meet and socialize. The process of dating in America is called traditional dating in a social scene. It starts by asking a man or woman of interest out on a traditional date. Usually Americans ask out on several dates to dinners, dances or movies and get’s to further explore the relationship and person he or she is. You get to know that person’s character and personality through dating and if a friendship is developed then it can lead to a romantic relationship and hopefully lead to marriage. Whereas in India they rely on the parents guidance, they decide if the match is suitable and only then will the bride and groom have a say. They won’t compel their child to marry a person whom they dislike. If the match is refused by one only then will another be sought. The process of looking for a partner for their child is not easy. It may take years to find the right match. Arranged marriage, online dating and traditional dating have many similarities but yet at the same time have many differences. Arranged marriages in India have made me realize just how picky marriage are. In India marriage is not just important between the individuals but also important between the family. They need to know the bride’s characteristics to see if she will get along with the family of the groom. Once married the bride will move in with the groom’s family and she needs to get along or she can find it very difficult. In the end all they want is someone that has a good personality that the family could get along. Whereas in China and America they don’t pay attention to the bride or groom getting along with the family because they are not expecting to move in with the In-laws. For this reason family relationship is overlooked and is not a priority. Another major difference is how divorce is looked at. In India family reputation is so important that a divorce is still a scandal. And in China and America, divorce is just looked as normal. It happens when two individuals lose interest in each other or when they no longer are happy. In America when one is in love with someone, we don’t care if someone in the household was divorced. It has no weight. In India if someone in the household was divorced it puts the whole family in a negative light and it makes hard to get re-married. In every society single people are looking for someone to marry. In India the parents of the bride and groom are focused in finding the right partner. In China online dating tend to focus on finding a husband or wife and in America oneself looks for a prospective partner. In the end the methods are different but the end result is the same, they all find a husband or wife but did they make right decision? Only time will tell. How to cite Looking for Mr. Right, Papers