Throughout the play of “Othello,” each character is ranked in some way; for example, they are directly ranked by social class and officer rank. This essay argues that Desdemona’s social… CONTINUE READING In recent years, social justice ideology has infiltrated many of our institutions, especially the universities and, particularly, in the humanities.” Social Hierarchy • Othello, like the rest of Shakespeare's plays, was written in a very hierarchical age. However, the allegations of race directly lead to its tragic ending. Bianca is brave enough to show her sexual prowess and her love for Cassio. ... historical, social… Key quotation (Aside) O, you are well tuned now!But I'll set down the pegs that make this music, As honest as I am. Othello was a General in the Venetian Military, and while that was a highly classed job, it was considered below Desdemona’s class. In Act 2, Scene 1 of Othello, Iago formulates his plan to drive Othello mad. Desdemona was the daughter of a senator, a well regarded, upper class man. Aside from rank, each of these major characters also has a different heritage. ’s race does not prominently impact his demise, although Shakespeare touches upon the issue of race, the reason for Othello’s demise lies somewhere else.. Race, Citizenship and Social Order in William Shakespeare’s Othello January 2014 International Journal of Applied Linguistics & English Literature VOL.3, No. Social class in Othello causes a lot of conflicts (Goodland and OConnor 15-35). They include jealousy, fears of infidelity, greed, and his anger at being passed on for a promotion. Othello perhaps never fully realizes how he has erred. This only is the witchcraft I have used.” –Othello (act 1, scene 3, 167-169) Othello and Desdemona’s manifestly love-filled relationship was somewhat shielded by society’s views of the age, social position and race differences, that would evidently cause implications. • It is important to remember that Othello is set in Italy, not in England, where Shakespeare wrote; he was not attempting to represent his own society. Feelings of inadequacy and distrust without question aid in the tragedy. Class issues comprise another topic in literature, whereby people are divided into categories based on their social identities (Xu 34). Othello belongs to the out group and once he has been isolated, he is weak and defenceless. … For Othello, being “different” required him to always be aware of the implications of social perceptions of class and race. (William Salter’s Othello’s Lamentation) “ Unfortunately, I don’t think it simply comes down to the location of a portrait. Barbantio’s is more subtle when prejudicing Othello, the cause of this may be of his higher social class than that of the other two. The military hierarchy in William Shakespeare's "Othello" consists of Othello as the top-ranking officer, or general, Cassio as the second in rank, or lieutenant, and Iago as the third-ranking officer, the ancient. 1 Othello’s treatment of classism makes is one of Shakespeare’s most relevant and controversial plays. There is another ranking system that is indirectly used by a couple of characters called the Great Chain of Being, which ranks each living being and matter by closeness to God. William Shakespeare's "Othello” can be read from a feminist perspective. We have, for example, largely overlooked the fact that Shakespeare’s most jealous husbands are married to the only children of important men. Bianca, in Othello, is the character who is facing all this social pressure and is an example of the fear of men towards women’s empowerment. Iago later shouts “Even now, very now, an old black ram is tupping your white ewe” insisting that Othello and Desdemona are having sexual intercourse at this moment in time. Othello brings us closer to an understanding of Greek tragedy than any other of Shakespeare's plays. In conclusion, as it is well known that literature mirrors society, it is quite clear that literature does not only provide us with a picture of the way the community is but also interprets some issues for us. Iago looks down upon Othello and … Race and racial differences can kill. Brabantio and also Othello are paramount in the ‘trading’ of Desdemona, Othello says ‘For such proceedings I am charged withal - I won his daughter’ (Act 1, Sc 3, 93-94). Only Iago voices an explicitly stereotypical view of Othello, depicting him from the … Both as an orphan at Gateshead and as a governess at Thornfield, Jane holds a position that is between classes, and interacts with people of every level, from working-class servants to aristocrats. However, Barbantio is nevertheless still frank with his opinion as he accuses Othello of using witchcraft and black magic in wooing of his daughter. This shows that even Othello who is portrayed as a noble and good man, sympathizes with the idea of women being property, having ‘won’ Desdemona. Othello is a play that asks us to examine the position of women in society, since it explores issues such as: clandestine marriage, accusations of adultery, and it includes three different social classes of women. 2(2):33-38 Social class could determine all sorts of things, from what a person could wear to where he could live to what jobs his children could get. Othello was crafted at the dawn of the 17th century, shaped by complex social and geopolitical issues that new historicist critics, who seek to place literary works within a historical framework, have recently sought to unravel. In class Essay (Othello) Intro: * William Shakespeare created one of his most famous plays Othello to investigate in an influential manner the unrelenting issues of racial discrimination and gender equility. The Venetian society is hugely based on descent and birth. Traditionally, it is the father’s duty to pass their daughter to a proper man of the same race and social class however, the defiance on Desdemona’s part negatively affects her father’s untarnished honor as it appears he has lost control. What needs more scrutiny is the relationship between violent jealousy, gender, and class in the early modern period. In-depth explanations of Othello's themes. Iago is twenty-eight years old. She denies her being a prostitute on many occasions, so it … Some families moved from one class to another, but most people were born into a particular class and stayed there. Shakespeare shifts the action from Venice to Cyprus. A storm has dispersed the Venetian fleet so that Cassio arrives first, anxious for Othello's safety. Othello. In Othello, Shakespeare’s Venetians reflect the mores of English society and reflects his cultural context. the whole character’s image. Iago’s plot is a cruel play of ostracism and racial discrimination. (2.1.191–93) Setting the scene. Yet from its first staging to the present, Othello has also been among the few Shakespearean plays to be repeatedly staged to enthusiastic audiences, not only … Life in 19th-century Britain was governed by social class, and people typically stayed in the class into which they were born. Nevertheless an understanding of the social environment of Shakespeare's time The Importance Of Human Nature In Shakespeare's Othello 1050 Words | 5 Pages. Othello’s ensign (a job also known as an ancient or standard-bearer), and the villain of the play. Social position also impacted Othello and Desdemona’s relationship, as they were from different social classes. Othello, by contrast, is a noble figure of great authority, respected and admired by the duke and senate of Venice as well as by those who serve him, such as Cassio, Montano, and Lodovico. The audience can now see that Iago is rude, arrogant, foul mouthed and has low social class. Free, fun, and packed with easy-to-understand explanations! In the play Othello written by William Shakespeare and in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn written by Mark Twain, race is challenged through conflicts in the plot, social class, and character relationships. Regarding gender roles as linked to the social viewpoint, Shakespeare created the couple of Othello and Desdemona as a typical representation of dynamics between women and men in the Elizabethan Society of London. This makes Brabantio think about how society would view this. It follows that Venetian society would admire Othello for his valour and leadership but still recoil at the notion of his marrying into its families, especially those of social standing. Lois Tyson (2006) considers classism to be an ideology that equates one’s value as a human being with the social class to which one belongs. Chances of an individual from low social class moving into a high social class are slim. Shakespeare has showed it in Othello. “Too Gentle”: Jealousy and Class in Othello “Too Gentle”: Jealousy and Class in Othello Olson, Rebecca, -- 2015-01-07 00:00:00 abstract: Seventeenth-century writers were fascinated by the emotional turmoil that jealousy provoked, and their jealous characters feel darker and more psychologically realistic than earlier representations. Othello 2 Othello 2 Othello In Othello by William Shakespeare, the villain Iago has many motives for ruining the lives of Othello, Cassio, Desdemona, and Roderigo. Act 2 Scene 1: Cassio is of a higher social class than Iago and therefore is permitted to kiss his wife in front of him, according to Venetian customs. The Role Of Race In Othello And Huckleberry Finn 941 Words | 4 Pages. RACE, CITIZENSHIP, AND SOCIAL ORDER IN SHAKESPEARE'S OTHELLO In this scene Shakespeare presents Iago as a devious and manipulative man. ( a job also known as an ancient or standard-bearer ), the. 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