Monje 1

Thea Monje

Professor Kuzner

Shakespeare

27 March 2016

Xenophobia and Jealousy: The Hidden Antagonists of Shakespeare’s Othello

The ways in which a relationship can fail are innumerable. Many types of loves are

explored in the works of William Shakespeare, from the wildly successful to the utterly

catastrophic. Shakespeare’s Othello is of the latter variety, a tale of a man destroyed by

malevolent forces from around and within him. While his demise is largely contrived by Iago, a

jealous and xenophobic villain in the play, Shakespeare casts blame on Othello’s inherent flaws

for the ruination of his and Desdemona’s love. The xenophobia that Othello is subject to in his

life unquestionably contributes to his and Desdemona’s downfall, but the failure of their

relationship is a result of both Iago’s and Othello’s jealous dispositions.

People of different cultures, even in the 15th century, were predisposed to be prejudiced

against others as a result of their backgrounds, which Shakespeare makes clear in Othello.

Throughout the entire first scene of the play, Othello is only referred to as “the Moor” (“Moor”

being a word used to describe Northern Africans of the time) by Brabantio, Roderigo, and Iago.

“I am one, sir, that comes to tell you that your daughter / and the Moor are making the beast with

two backs” (1.1.114-5). By calling him a Moor, Iago ignores the longstanding friendship

between Brabantio and Othello, reducing him to a race as opposed to an old companion.
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Desdemona is seemingly unphased by Othello’s status as a Moor and loves him regardless of

race, which puts Brabantio in a position to not only judge Othello, but his own daughter.

Othello’s cultural background and, accordingly, race, is used to identify and degrade him from

the very beginning of the play, which weakens his self-esteem and social status.

Despite his ethnic origin, Othello has a serious advantage by being a well-respected

military general in the city of Venice. “Another of his fathom they have none / To lead their

business” (1.1.150-1). Even Iago, the one character who truly hates Othello, has respect for him

in terms of his skill as a general; his expertise in his role is so profound that even marrying

Desdemona would not put his job at stake. Saying that nobody of Othello’s “fathom,” or ability,

is fit to lead the Venetian forces also contradicts Iago himself, who is jealous of Othello’s

position. “Off-capped to him; and, by the faith of man, / I know my price, I am worth no worse a

place” (1.1.10-11). Though he may not be “worth no worse a place” than him, it does not change

that fact that he was not given the military promotion that the Moor he already disliked earned.

Iago is in a difficult position of knowing that Othello is skilled and successful but hating him for

the exact same reasons. This hateful, jealous behavior makes him a near-perfect villain that

Shakespeare utilizes in destroying Othello and Desdemona’s marriage.

Brabantio’s admires Othello because of who he is as a man and his numerous military

accomplishments, but is jealous of him and bitter about his marriage to Desdemona.

Her father loved me, oft invited me,

Still questioned me the story of my life

From year to year — the battles, sieges, fortunes

That I have passed. (1.3.128-31)

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The anger that Brabantio feels when he discovers the love between Othello and his daughter,

Desdemona, is, to a great extent, a result of their long-established friendship. Regardless of

Othello’s ethnic background, Brabantio has loved Othello and been invited to tell tales of war to

him for years. It seems unlikely that he is intrinsically evil or xenophobic because of this.

Brabantio and Othello are a great match for one another in comradeship, both being men who

take interest in “battles, sieges, [and] fortunes,” though Brabantio himself is a senator.

Unfortunately, they are also similar in character, both being terribly jealous men. If it is

acceptable for Brabantio to love Othello but not okay for Desdemona to love Othello, then it is

unlikely that xenophobia is the most prevalent force in keeping them apart. It is, rather,

Brabantio’s jealousy of Othello, who takes his daughter from him in secrecy: “Look to her,

Moor, if thou hast eyes to see: / She has deceived her father, and may thee” (1.3.292-3). He even

warns Othello against his own daughter, claiming that because Desdemona has deceived him,

she will cheat Othello as well. This is a hint at what is to come in the play, where trust becomes a

matter of life and death. While Othello’s rank in society still takes precedence over his status as a

Moor, Those who use Othello’s culture and race against him are the same people who do not

grant him the respect he deserves as a military general, the predominant example of which is

found in Iago.

Xenophobia might contribute Othello’s own loss of faith in his marriage, but Iago, the

character who most frequently uses race against Othello, is set on destroying him, and him alone.

It doesn’t matter who gets in the way, because as the primary antagonist of the play, Iago has no

qualms with ruining a few lives in the process of wrecking Othello’s life. “Your heart is burst;

you have lost half your soul. / Even now, now, very now, an old black ram / Is tupping your
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white ewe. Arise, Arise! (1.1.96-8)” Iago puts words in Brabantio’s mouth, practically

demanding that his “heart is burst” and that he’s “lost half his soul.” By making claims that are

the previsions of his own desires, Iago makes clear that his intention is not to shame Desdemona

or Brabantio, but rather to destroy Othello and his reputation as a man and military leader. Iago

also plays on Othello’s insecurities in order to make him jealous and question Desdemona’s

loyalty. Because of this, xenophobia is not the cause of the failure of Othello and Desdemona’s

relationship or her murder by Othello; rather, Othello is a jealous, hotheaded man, and it is these

flaws in conjunction with Iago’s immorality that ruins their love. After all, it is Othello himself

who ends up killing Desdemona in a jealous rage during the final act of the play. However, far

before this, when Othello and Iago discuss Desdemona’s loyalty in regards to Cassio, Iago

attempts to make Othello lose faith in his own wife.

Iago: Lord, I see you’re moved.

Othello: No, not much moved.

I do not think but Desdemona’s honest.

Iago: Long live she so! And long live you to think so!

Othello: And yet, how nature erring from itself —

(3.3.223-7)

Iago recognizes that Othello has reason to grow suspicious of Desdemona, given her association

with Cassio, Othello’s lieutenant who acted as a messenger for the couple before they were

married. Iago wants Othello to grow suspicious, pointing out that he is “moved,” and that he

hopes he can always believe that Desdemona isn’t cheating on him. His actions work, and
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Othello responds by referring to nature and how it errs from its deep-rooted character. In this

case, Iago goes on to suggest that Desdemona will eventually have a change in heart and fall for

someone who is more typically Venetian, i.e., someone who isn’t a Moor. Because Iago uses

suspicion and jealousy as his psychological weapons against love, xenophobia doesn’t cause love

to fail. Instead, Shakespeare places blame on Othello himself and Iago’s venomousness.

Jealousy tends to brings out the worst in people, whether it be in

Shakespearean literature

or modern day life. Xenophobia certainly has the power to destroy people and love, but in the

case of Othello, it only poses a threat. Othello’s extreme jealousy is a predominant factor in the

failure of his own love with Desdemona, and the failure of his own character as a man. Though

she is continually honest with him throughout the play, she is killed—not for her deception, but

for her husband’s fatal suspicion. While she falls victim to Othello, Othello himself falls victim

to jealousy, which is the underlying antagonist of the play itself.

Works Cited

Shakespeare, William, and Russ McDonald. The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice. New

York: Penguin, 2001. Print.