SALLY TODD How is Othello presented in Act One? Othello is presented in Act One by both himself and by others to be compliant with non-caucasian stereotypes, such as his martial qualities, but at times, he clearly inverts ideas of the Moor, for example through the way in which he is at home in the political, cosmopolitan and sophisticated environment of Venice. His character, therefore, lends itself to being multi-faceted and complex, which in Elizabethan times would have been met with interest and intrigue, owing to misconceptions that Moors were alien, primitive creatures, underdeveloped and even barbaric. Although Othello is a Moor, in the play he is a respected figure, with reverence for him having been gained from his abilities as a skilled warrior. He is called general 1 and valiant Othello by the Duke and through using these titles, Shakespeare is able to convey that Othello is not only respected in terms of war but also in his courageousness. This is an inversion of ideas that Moors were simply bloodthirsty, primitive warriors because the word valiant gives him a deeper, more humane quality. This is highlighted by the fact that he is addressed by his name, as opposed to the later reference to him as the valiant Moor 2. The direct article dehumanises him, and the words valiant and Moor are, in a way, oxymoronic in the way in which the stereotypes of a Moor would not correlate with the quality of being valiant, but rather, violent. Therefore Othello s multifaceted personality can be seen in the differing ways in which he is referred to by others, but the fact that he is repeatedly named as the Moor makes it an irreversible trait of his: it is his identity. Nevertheless, the respect in terms of state and warfare which envelops Othello is made very apparent, despite his being a Moor, through the high demand for his presence. He is told that he has been hotly called for 3 by the senate and is highly sought after by the duke about some present business of the state 4. From their unwavering demand for him it can be elicited that the perception of Othello as a valued warrior and representative of the state overrides the sour and suspicious sentiments towards non-caucasians. The audience would have been further convinced by his martial adroitness through his use of the imperative when he shouts holla! and commands his inferiors to stand there! 5. A Moor being so brusquely authoritative would have startled the audience in the way in which it goes against notions of non-caucasians being inferior, which can be seen in the culture of slavery which they were subject to in Elizabethan times. Moreover, it reinforces the portrayal of Othello as not being a conventional Moor, although he does fit the criteria of a fearsome warrior. The credibility of being seen to be skilled at warfare, however, is undermined by the fact that the connotations of it are bloodthirsty, brutal and primitive ones. In a way it could be seen to be more of a compliment to not fit this criteria and therefore avoid moorish stereotypes: to Elizabethan Londoners, moorish appearance and conduct was a spectacle and an outrage 6 which proves that at that time, to be called a Moor was definitely unfavourable. A very unsavoury aspect of Othello s military prowess is the way in which he brags about his experiences in an arrogant manner, going even so far as to use them as a tool to lure in Desdemona and win her affections. He also uses his storytelling skills to persuade Brabantio of his viability as a husband. He speaks of hair-breadth scapes and being sold to slavery and other such disastrous chances 7 in order to big himself up in front of Brabantio, making himself sound noble and therefore a favourable choice as a husband. He uses the rhetorical device of anaphora in his repetition of of not only to evoke pathos in his listeners, but also reverence. By mentioning slavery, it makes his ascension to such high military power all the more impressive, gently reminding them that he is, intrinsically, an inferior. In this sense he is bragging on the one level, but manipulating emotion too. Desdemona even states explicitly that she sacrificed her soul and fortunes essentially because of his honours and valiant parts 8 of military virtues. She would not have had such a florid and romantic impression had Othello not spoken with such exaggeration about his struggles. Othello obtained the desired outcome in her pathos for him when he says that she often cried when he spoke about some distressful stroke 9. Added to this, he arrogantly outlines that she loved him for the dangers he had experienced and that he loved her that she did pity them 10. Therefore Othello can 1 2 3 4 5 Shakespeare, William, Othello, CUP 2003 (1.2.37) Othello (1.3.47) Othello (1.2.44) Othello (1.2.90) Othello (1.2.57) 6 Alexander, Catharine M.S and Wells, Stanley (d), Shakespeare and Race, CUP, 2000 7 8 9 10 Othello (1.3.133.137) Othello (1.3.249-250) Othello (1.3.156) Othello (1.3.166-167)
be seen not only to be manipulative of emotions in order to obtain sympathy, but also to be sadistic in the way in which he revels in her world of sighs 11. Othello presents himself as a warrior in such a persuasive and heart-wrenching manner that he inveigles both Brabantio and Desdemona. Although respect is evoked, it is reversed by the arrogant surety with which he recounts his struggles, and from which it can be elicited that he forgets, or perhaps chooses to ignore, the fact that he is a Moor. Othello is exemplified as a typical Moor, mostly through the critical superiority of the other characters such as the use of diabolical language and crude, uncouth imagery. Iago s uncomplimentary diction and animalistic analogies, such as when he tells Brabantio that an old black ram is tupping his white ewe 12, correspond directly with perceptions of Moors as being primitive and bestial. The simple adjective black is not only racist, but the unsophisticatedness of the word links to ideas that non-caucasians were underdeveloped, and therefore inferior. The anthropomorphism used is a form of alienation, and it presents Othello as a kind of creature of a different species and as being from a stubborn bestialitie 13, which corresponds to the condescending air of suspicion of the Elizabethan time towards Moors. Later on, he is also referred to as a Barbary horse 14, which has not only the animalistic connotations, but the word play suggests the barbaric nature thought to be that of Moors. Added to this, when Iago tells Brabantio that his daughter and the Moor are now making the beast with two backs 15, he is saying that by association, Desdemona shares his bestial characteristics because she has lowered herself to Othello s level by marrying him. In this way, Desdemona adopts Moorish qualities which presents Othello as being able to sway others opinions of a Caucasian, elegant and sophisticated woman. It is hypocritical, however, for Iago talk so crudely and with such diabolical language about Othello when he himself has been criticised as being immoral and anti-christian. 16 Brabantio, too, is strongly convinced that Othello has used black magic and sorcery to win over the affections of his daughter, and will have partly believed so because of the stereotypes of the time and the suspicion with which people would have viewed Moors. Brabantio thinks that Desdemona has been bound in chains of magic 17 and that Othello has enchanted her with practices of cunning hell 18 and mixtures powerful over the blood 19. Witchcraft would have had diabolical and profane connotations, which correlates to his mention of hell. Moors were often met with diabolical stereotypes, which is shown when Iago calls Othello the devil 20 because of the colour of his skin. By showing other characters to be giving him satanic qualities, Shakespeare highlights the extreme racism of the Elizabethan period, such as when Brabantio says that Othello has a sooty bosom, and calls him a thing 21. Not only is this deeply racist, but by dehumanising him, Othello is presented as an object and even loses his identity as a Moor. Furthermore, when Brabantio says that by marrying him, Desdemona is erring against all rules of nature 22, he is insinuating that their marriage would be unnatural because of Othello s race because he is an erring barbarian. The meaning of erring can mean anti-christian, which again presents Othello as a diabolical and anti-religious figure. Added to this, there was said to be a biblical association with Moors of blackness and evil, which consolidates Othello s profane portrayal further. 23 The Duke, however, who is far more favourable to Othello than Brabantio and Iago, says that his son in law is far more fair than black 24. This is a rare example of another character extracting Othello from moorish stereotypes in the way in which he gives him the Caucasian quality of being fair-skinned. Fair can also mean just, and the Duke is saying 11 12 13 Othello (1.3.158) Othello (1.1.89) Gainsford, Thomas, The Glory of England, 1618 (Alexander, Catharine M.S and Wells, Stanley (d), Shakespeare and Race, CUP, 2000) 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Othello (1.1.111) Othello (1.1.115) Orkin, Martin, Othello and the Plain Face of Racism, 1987 Othello (1.2.65) Othello (1.3.102) Othello (1.3.104) Othello (1.1.92) Othello (1.2.70-71) Othello (1.3.101) Greenblatt, Stephen and Cohen, Walter (d), The Norton Shakespeare, Second Edition, 1997 Othello (1.3.286)
that Othello is not like other Moors, who were perhaps thought to be hot-headed because they are less well-informed and educated. His respect for Othello is seen clearly here, probably because of his skill in war, and he is not afraid to stand up to Brabantio. This can also be seen in the way in which he calls Othello by his first name, which suggests that he sees him as an equal, as opposed to the inferior manner in which Brabantio calls him the Moor. An aspect of Othello s portrayal that starkly contrasts stereotypes of non-caucasians is that of him as a husband and lover, which could not be more different from the tough, warrior-like depiction that so often surrounds him. Othello presents himself in a caring and loving way, for example when he says that his wife must have fit disposition with accommodation and besort as levels with her breeding 25, and that he thrives in this fair lady love 26. Even the Duke refers to them as these lovers 27. This does not correlate with moorish stereotypes of being hard, violent and primitive and it would have been unorthodox in the eyes of the audience for a Moor to speak of love in this way. Othello talks of the matchmaking Roman god of love, but claims that with proper satisfaction 28, he values just as highly free mental sympathy with his wife. This juxtaposes the crude sexual way in which Othello has often been depicted when there is mention of Desdemona. The way he presents himself is as a loyal and loving husband who respects his wife, but when Desdemona says that she does love the Moor 29, she distances and dehumanises him by using the direct article. Through calling him a Moor she is treating him with inferiority and is alienating him just as her father does constantly in this Act. Perhaps she does so with reason, however, because she is unsure of Othello s feelings towards her and whether they are real. His use of gustatory analogies with love, such as please the palate of his appetite 30 suggest that love is a fleeting pleasure for him, and has the disposable, short-lived nature of food. Iago also uses such imagery when he refers to Desdemona as the food which is now as luscious as locusts to him will soon be as acerb as the coloquintida. Correlating with this are the negatives aspects which surround Othello when it comes to love: not only can we guess that Desdemona is largely won by Othello because he is a skilled warrior, which means her love for him is false, but the attitudes of Iago and Brabantio speak volumes too. The fact that he is so often likened to animals when referring to him making love and the assumptions of Desdemona s father that he has used witchcraft to woo her both suggest that Othello is seen by others to be artificial in his love for Desdemona. It is not surprising that they might think that given his tall tales, which in themselves are a tool to win Desdemona s affections, have resulted in a frail vow 31of marriage. Iago s claim that Othello has done office 32 between his sheets is a worrying one, because it portrays him as an unfaithful lover. In this way, Othello presents himself as an enamoured lover, but others think otherwise because their perceptions of a Moor cannot be eradicated. Iago holds a large amount of contempt for Othello, and Brabantio resents him for marrying his daughter, with both sentiments stemming from the fact that Othello is a Moor, irregardless of the fact that by being a husband and lover, Othello does inverts these stereotypes. Nevertheless, Brabantio s feelings towards the marriage could be justified when viewed in the context of the associations with Moors of the time. As Samuel Taylor Coleridge writes, Shakespeare would have most surely known how an English audience was disposed in the beginning of the seventeenth century, and it would have been something monstrous for the beautiful and sophisticated Desdemona to fall in love with a veritable negro. 33 With this is mind, it would have been a surprise for the audience that Othello presents himself to be an eloquent orator and an intellectual in the manner in which he speaks, with such poise and surety and the persuasiveness of the rhetoric of his language. Othello is presented as being exceedingly respectful to the Duke and the senators, calling the goodness of the night upon them, addressing them in a cordial and exclamatory manner. He goes on to call them most potent, grave and reverend signiors and his very noble and approved good masters 34. Although such use of flattery in his language could easily be seen to be fake, it is in fact a very clever persuasive device, which depicts Othello as being wily and cunning. The result is successful, and can be seen in the Duke s response to one of Othello s tall, exaggerated tales 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 Othello (1.3.233-236) Othello (1.3.125) Othello (1.3.198) Othello (1.3.260) Othello (1.3.187) Othello (1.3.158) Othello (1.3.343) Othello (1.3.370) 33 Coleridge, Samuel Taylor, Lectures of Shakespeare, 1818-1819 (absoluteshakespeare.com, accessed on 30th October 2016) 34 Othello (1.3.76-77)
when he says that he thought that Othello s story would win 35 his daughter too. His use of rhetorical devices, such as addressing his listeners directly, and using anaphora, shows that he is knowledgable in how to win people over and that he is a clever man, albeit one who is at times false. It also explains why he, as a Moor, is so at home in the sophisticated environment of Venice and with figures of prestige such as the senators. His reference to Anthropophagi 36 shows intellect and this little detail in his speech would assure the other characters that he is not a stereotypically uneducated Moor, because he has read Pliny. Nevertheless, Othello s arrogance is made very apparent in Act One and he very willingly alludes to the services he has done the signiory 37. He brags that he is from men of royal siege 38 and refers to his parts, his title and his perfect soul 39. It would have been very unusual for a Moor to be so self-assured and proclamatory of his merits and it gives Othello a self-important air. His portrayal by Shakespeare, however, is one which inverts perceptions of Moors as being underdeveloped and ignorant in the way in which Othello is eloquent, knowledgeable and rhetorically very adept. It is possible that Othello brags and exploits his achievements in order to make up for the fact that he is a Moor, and therefore is disadvantaged because of the misconceptions of the time. These stereotypes make his merits all the more impressive, and it is implied, therefore, that Othello is an impressive man in the way in which he has managed to defy these ideas about non-caucasians. He defies these notions further with his humanity, respectfulness and honesty, being impressively magnanimous considering the condescension he is often faced with. An example of this could be when he says let him do his spite 40 to Iago, about Brabantio. This shows a maturity, and that Othello does not want to lower himself to the contemptuousness of Desdemona s father. Othello is also aware, and grateful, of what he has reached 41 and achieved, and he says it in a humble way, with words such as may, that prove that he does not take his merits for granted. He responds calmly to Brabantio s accusations of witchcraft and foul charms, simply saying, hold your hands. 42 He seems undeterred by the claims made, and does not react in a violent and impulsive way, as the audience might have expected, particularly owing to the sheer volume of Brabantio s abuse. He replies honestly, that it is most true that he has tane away 43 Desdemona, and swears wholeheartedly that there were no charms 44 used on his behalf. He even entreats Brabantio to let his sentence even fall upon 45 his life, which shows not only courage, but a conviction in what he has said himself, which is an admirable quality. In Act One, the characters who respect Othello are those who recognise these humane qualities of his, namely the Duke and Desdemona. Iago does not allow himself this because he is intrinsically manipulative and power-grabbing, and he uses the fact that Othello is a Moor to justify his scheming and ultimate destruction of his life. In the case of Brabantio, he lets his pride and the perception of the public of him override his views on Othello, and therefore because he is a Moor, he reacts badly to his daughter s marriage to him. Otherwise, Othello s humanity in Act One is acknowledged. This is important because the audience s perception of Moors can be turned on its head, and they can the appreciate the transition Othello experiences as a character once Iago has sown seeds in his mind, and consequently becomes an angry and vengeful character. Needless to say, Othello would not have been manipulated by Iago had he had the perceptiveness to see through his scheming. In a way, the audience would think him gullible and lacking in judgment and trust of Desdemona, but at the same time, a strong sense of pathos would have been evoked because of the way in which Iago tricks him. 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 Othello (1.3.170) Othello (1.3.143) Othello (1.2.19) Othello (1.2.22) Othello (1.2.31) Othello (1.2.18) Othello (1.2.24) Othello (1.3.82) Othello (1.3.79) Othello (1.1.170) Othello (1.3.118-119)
Iago uses Othello s free and open nature 46 to abuse his ear 47, that is to say manipulate him by planting ideas in his head that are not veritable. He says that Othello will as tender be led by the nose as asses are 48, again likening him to an animal which conforms to the primitiveness associated with Moors. Asses are also unintelligent animals, as it was thought non-caucasians were. Nevertheless, pathos for Othello would have been felt by the audience in the way in which Iago has such racial and personal contempt towards him, which can be seen when he says I hate the Moor 49, twice. He always does refer to Othello as the Moor which dehumanises him and makes him a kind of separate species. Pity is evoked for him in the way in which Iago admits that he follows him to serve his turn upon him 50, and that if he were the Moor 51, he would be able see through the apparently loyal service that a subordinate like he, Iago, was showing him. On the one hand, this shows Othello up as being gullible and as having an inability to judge character, but on the other, Iago is shown in a very poor light for being so manipulative and even wanting to cuckold him for sport 52. Added to this, the fact that Othello calls him honest Iago 53 and says that he is a man of honesty and trust 54 evokes pathos for Othello, because of the incredibly false impression he is under. He might perhaps be seen to be stupid to believe Iago, however he could also be seen to be looking for the best and installing trust in people. After all, Iago was thought of to be honest ubiquitously. Nevertheless, the trust that Othello places in Iago does not correlate to the complete lack of trust that he has in Desdemona and her loyalties to him; however, Othello could be said to put his military service and comradeship before any lover, which may be why he chose to believe Iago over his wife. In conclusion, Othello s character and its presentation in Act One has multiple nuances in it that depend on the other characters opinions of him, and how much they abide by beliefs in non-caucasian stereotypes of the time. As Harris wrote in 1958, if the rumours had any truth, Moors were people of insensitivity and cruelness, even murder 55, which illustrates the deep suspicion of non-caucasians in the Elizabethan period, and would perhaps account for the fact that Iago and Brabantio present Othello in such a barbaric and crude manner. Othello, as a sole character, can be seen to comply with these stereotypes, because he is a warrior, but also defy them in the way in which he is a lover, an eloquent orator and a humane man. In terms of Othello s presentation by others, if he is disliked, as in the case with Iago and Brabantio, he is portrayed unfavourably, diabolically and animalistically, but if he is genuinely respected, as he is by the senate and the duke, then he is depicted to be honourable and respected. 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 Othello (1.3.381) Othello (1.3.377) Othello (1.3.383-384) Othello (1.3.350) Othello (1.1.42) Othello (1.1.58) Othello (1.3.352-353) Othello (1.3.290) Othello (1.3.280) 55 Harris, Bernard, Shakespeare Survey II, 1958 (Alexander, Catharine M.S and Wells, Stanley (d), Shakespeare and Race, CUP, 2000)
BIBLIOGRAPHY Primary text - Shakespeare, William, Othello, CUP 2003 Secondary texts - Alexander, Catharine M.S and Wells, Stanley (d), Shakespeare and Race, CUP, 2000 Orkin, Martin, Othello and the Plain Face of Racism, 1987 Greenblatt, Stephen and Cohen, Walter (d), The Norton Shakespeare, Second Edition, 1997 Coleridge, Samuel Taylor, Lectures of Shakespeare, 1818-1819 (absoluteshakespeare.com, accessed on 30th October 2016)