Stereotypes Of Characters In Shakespeare's Othello

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In Shakespeare’s tragedy Othello, the title character is a 16th century Moorish general of the Venetian army who, because of the cultural and historical background of the play’s setting, the playwright, and the original intended audience, is portrayed as both well-respected for his military prowess and disparaged for his race. Similarly, because of their immigration status in America, Hispanics in today’s American society are both noticed for their optimism, but Hispanics are also often assumed to be lazy. In Othello, Shakespeare presents Othello as a well respected military man. In act I scene II of Othello, the Duke calls Othello and tells him to go fight in the city of Cyprus because the city would be better in his hands since “the fortitude of the place is best known to [him].” Because he is a Moor, the Duke and the people of …show more content…
According to the article “Moors in Elizabethan England,” Moors in England were viewed as “beastlike, lacking with reasoning, sexually permissive, jealous, and gullible,” so the audience expected to have this characteristics. They are viewed in this characteristics since they don’t have the same customs and ideas as english people do. Throughout the play, we see different parts were Othello is referred back to in racial slurs. For example, once he was called a “Barbary Horse,” by calling Othello this two words, they describe him as a “beast-like” person. Not only are they being racist and judgemental about a Moor that is respected for his military actions, but they are also assuming and characterizing all Moors in a way, when not all Moors are the same. Furthermore, When Brabantio speaks like this to Othello, we can see how he is racist because he makes Othello be lower than he is; in this I mean, he points out how Othello is black and is not white and english like all the other man Brabantio's daughter said no to

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