Running head: OTHELLO’S INFLUENCE ON EARLY MODERN THEATRE

Breaking Down Racial Boundaries in Love: Othello’s Influence on Early Modern

Theatre

Name

Institution
OTHELLO’S INFLUENCE ON EARLY MODERN THEATRE

Breaking Down Racial Boundaries in Love: Othello’s Influence on Early Modern Theatre

Introduction

Two key themes that have been successfully handled throughout the centuries in

literature and play are love and racism. These elements have resulted in many people from

the Skaespeares’ time and today, including literature scholars, in an endless contention on

the effect of interracial love. Some argue that love between whites and blacks should be

allowed, while others refute it as it is against the culture’s norms. Shakespeare is such a

person who supports the debate that loves between different races should be allowed when

he combines nuanced and potently in Othello, a play by Shakespeare that challenges

traditional assumptions of race and love. Othello by Shakespeare is a drama with a Venice

and Cyprus setting initially presented in 1604. It depicts the tale of Othello, a Moorish

general, who marries Desdemona, a white Venetian, after falling in love with her.

Shakespeare allows his antagonistic character to become manipulative. Iago, who

persuades Othello that Desdemona has been infidelity, jeopardises their romance. The play

Othello, regarded as one of Shakespeare’s best, deals with issues of ethnic origin, betrayal,

and jealousy. The ramifications of their intercultural relationship and its impact on the

characters and society are pivotal in addressing the contention on modern racial prejudice

and love. Therefore, love between the races in early modern society was a healthy decision

for society because it enhanced the spirit of oneness, discouraged discrimination, and

eliminated the challenge of racial stereotypes. However, it is critical to recognise that it

leads to jealousy and downfalls of iconic members of society.

Arguments
OTHELLO’S INFLUENCE ON EARLY MODERN THEATRE

The love between the white race and black in early modern theatre enhanced the

spirit of oneness—people living together despite their colours and races. The drama

depicts a position against a society that strongly believes in white supremacists. The play

commences with Othello and Desdemona falling in love against the odds due to their

norms and traditions. This is supported by Shakespeare when he allows his character

Desdemona to say, “I saw Othello’s visage in his mind, And to his honours and his valiant

parts Did I my soul and fortunes consecrate” (1.3)1. This implied that she was determined

to love him regardless of race and colour. Reitz-Wilson confers to this argument when in

analysis, he said, “She falls in love with Othello not for his outward appearance but for his

words” (p.3)2. This analysis concluded that love between races enhanced togetherness.

The love between white and black races in early modern society, as depicted in the

theatre performances, made people release the barbarism in the held beliefs and norms of

the community about other races. Black people were considered inferior and did not

deserve affection3. Shakespeare allows his main characters to fall in love against the odds.

Desdemona falls in love with Othello against the societal norms of her people. In

describing how Desdemona came to love him, Othello expresses the following words,

“And bade me, if I had a friend that loved her, I should but

teach him how to tell my story, And that would woo her. She

loved me for the dangers I had passed, And I loved her that she

did pity them. This only is the witchcraft I have used” (Act

1.Sc3. 190-195)4.

1
Edwin Forrest and William Shakespeare. Edwin Forrest and William Shakespeare, Othello (New York:
W.A. Moore, C.S. Bernard, & American Dramatic Institute, 1860), (Act 1 Sc3).
2
Laura Reitz-Wilson, “Race and Othello on Film,” CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture 6, no.
1 (January 2004).
3
Susan C Staub, “Shakespeare's Botanical Imagination,” Amsterdam University Press 2023, 2023,
4
Edwin Forrest and William Shakespeare.
OTHELLO’S INFLUENCE ON EARLY MODERN THEATRE

Although the Venetians express astonishment at the idea of Desdemona loving

someone of a different race and origin, Othello clarifies that their love for each other is

based on mutual admiration and respect. Throughout the drama, Desdemona shows that

love can transcend racial and cultural boundaries. She struggled to break free from the

chuckles of societal norms and developed her deep love for Othello56. Behaviours depicted

by Iago and Roderigo have presented this rigid and barbaric norm of Venetian society as

they strongly opposed love affairs. The play raises important questions about love’s nature

and societal prejudices’ impact on relationships. Therefore, the love affair between

Desdemona and Othello, individuals from two distinctive races, shows how society started

appreciating the existence of different colours as one people.

The love between races propagated the peaceful coexistence of people from all

ethnic backgrounds and discouraged discrimination. Scholars in early modern society used

literature to speak against the vices of discrimination. They achieved this by allowing their

characters to fall in love and coexist, sometimes allowing them to fight and die to educate

society against racial prejudice. Shakespeares deliberately allows Iago to propagate racial

prejudice. In the play, Iago discriminates against Othello because he is black and seeks to

destroy the relationship by all means. He calls out to Brabantio (Desdemona’s father),

“sir, you’re robbed. For shame, put on your gown! Your heart is

burst. You have lost half your soul. Even now, now, very now, an

old black ram Is tupping your white ewe. Arise, arise!” (ACT 1.

SC.1: 98-100)7

5
Matthieu Chapman, “Whitewashing White Permanence: The (Dis)/(Re)Membering of White
Corporeality in Early Modern England,” Literature Compass, May 2022.
6
Daniel Lauby, “Recovering Transgender Shakespearean Performance in Sally Potter’s Orlando (1992)”
14, no. 2 (2023).
7
Edwin Forrest and William Shakespeare.
OTHELLO’S INFLUENCE ON EARLY MODERN THEATRE

Iago warns Brabantio that his daughter has eloped with Othello, a black man. The

provocative language implies that Brabantio has been robbed of his daughter’s purity and

that Othello defiled her. This meant that the norms of early modern society did not want

people of colour to marry whites. Most black people in this society were regarded as

enslaved and only meant to be seen but not heard, let alone marry a white girl8. The love

between Othello and Desdemona evoked discriminatory vices, which seemed to be fading

from the onset of the drama. This is evidenced by Othello’s privilege of working in the

army with fellow Venetian White men. Thus, black people were depicted as inferior in

early modern society. Shakespeare set the drama on stage to showcase the consequences of

discrimination by allowing his character Iago to be taken behind bars for destroying love

across races to enlighten the community from the vices of racial discrimination.

Counter Argument

However, other people and scholars believe that the love affairs between races in

early modern society resulted in jealousy and betrayal. This argument is vital because

individuals tend to experience jealousy when they suspect an unwanted third party

threatens their relationship with another person or something they desire9. The theme of

jealousy is prevalent throughout William Shakespeare’s play Othello and is portrayed by

various characters, including the main character, Othello. When Othello hears that

Desdemona has cheated on him with Cassio, he betrays his love by killing her. On the

other hand, Iago betrays Cassio by killing him to conceal the truth from the public10. This

theme suggests that love between races results in jealousy. Jealousy is akin to poison, can
8
Allison K. Deutermann, “Othello’s Strange Celebrity: Race and Publicity in Early Modern Drama,”
Early Modern Cultural Studies 1500–1700, 2021, pp. 25-43, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-52332-
9_2.
9
Lisa M. Barksdale-Shaw, “‘The Moor’s Abused by Some Most Villainous Knave, Some Base Notorious
Knave, Some Scurvy Fellow’: Legal Spaces, Racial Trauma and Shakespeare’s the Tragedy of Othello,
the Moor of Venice,” Shakespeare Survey 75, August 2022, pp. 122.
10
Edwin Forrest and William Shakespeare.
OTHELLO’S INFLUENCE ON EARLY MODERN THEATRE

corrupt people’s intentions, and is seen in how the characters react to being preoccupied

with jealousy11. The love affair between Othello and Desdemona makes it easy for Iago to

advance his self-interest agenda and plans for their downfall. However, as much as they

have a point to consider here, Shakespeare, whom they quote in their argument, allows his

main antagonist character to end up behind bars. Hence, as much as the play presents love

across the rifts between races in early modern theatre as a vice that propagates hate and

mistrust amongst society, Shakespeare uses this argument to reveal the truth about the held

misconceptions of race and love to educate the community.

The opposition believes that love across the boundaries of races in early modern

society most often resulted in the downfall of iconic societal figures. Othello feels inferior

due to his dark skin, which leads to his insecurity and self-doubt12. Iago makes him think

that Desdemona is cheating on him with Cassio13. Othello becomes furious when Iago

deceives him that Cassio had an affair with Desdemona because he believes his wife is

unfaithful. This is seen when he constantly questions Desdemona’s love and loyalty, as

societal views on race have influenced his mindset. He believes that because Cassio is

white and he is not and does not deserve Desdemona’s affection, she could have chosen

someone better. This is true to consider as it builds a compelling argument. However, love

across races builds and breaks racial boundaries14. Therefore, even though this

contemplation eventually compelled Othello to kill his lover and himself, leading to his

complete downfall but if not for the traditional barbaric beliefs held by Iago, all this could

not have happened.

11
Barbara Hodgdon, “Race-Ing Othello: Re-Engendering White-Out,” Othello, 2004, pp. 193.
12
Shormishtha Panja, “Marlowe and Shakespeare Cross Borders: Malta and Venice in the Early Modern
World,” Early Theatre 22, no. 1 (April 2019).
13
Bradley J Irish, “Racial Disgust in Early Modern England: The Case of Othello,” Shakespeare Quarterly
73, no. 3-4 (January 2022).
14
Laura Reitz-Wilson.
OTHELLO’S INFLUENCE ON EARLY MODERN THEATRE

Rebuttal

The argument advanced by the opposers of love between races that it results in

jealousy and man’s downfall does not hold ground. Love is the only tool that can end all

the love between races and is a powerful tool that ends discrimination against people from

other ethnic backgrounds15. Shakespeare allows his main characters to fall in love and even

hold a prominent position in the army, as in the case of Othello. At the same time, Iago

propagates racial prejudice, yet he does not succeed in his agenda. Shakespeares end the

drama by letting Iago remain behind bars for his stands against interracial marriages and

let him end up on the wrong side of the law. Therefore, this supports the love between

people from different races, making the opposing argument irrelevant.

Conclusion

Shakespeare’s play Othello’s epilogue serves as a potent reflection of the

transformational power of love across races. The long-existing argument about whether

love between races is a disinformation of the cultural norm is finally proven wrong.

Desdemona and Othello’s love transcends social norms and standards, acting as a beacon

of freedom and optimism. Their blossoming love proves that affection truly knows no

bounds, whether colour or ethnic background, irrespective of the prejudices and bigotry of

the period.

Nevertheless, their romantic story serves as a cautionary tale regarding the harmful

influence of cultural standards and expectations. Due to pressure from society’s

expectations, particularly the notion that a black man could not be a respectable

companion for a white woman, Othello ultimately failed. His terrible life due to these

15
Laura Reitz-Wilson,
OTHELLO’S INFLUENCE ON EARLY MODERN THEATRE

demands serves as a warning about the perils of letting society’s expectations rule our

lives.

This love against odds additionally functions as a critique of racism’s divisiveness.

Othello consistently experiences racial prejudice throughout the drama, eventually leading

to his demise. William Shakespeare makes a fantastic attempt to demonstrate the damage

that prejudice may inflict on society and its members. Thus, this play is still a classic that

inspires and tests spectators today, although having been written over a century ago.

People worldwide are still affected by its message of love and the perils of social

conventions and bigotry. Othello serves as an emblem of the continuous fight for equality

and fairness based on race and a testimony to the ability of love to triumph over hatred and

separation.
 OTHELLO’S INFLUENCE ON EARLY MODERN THEATRE

Bibliography

Barksdale-Shaw, Lisa M., “‘The Moor’s Abused by Some Most Villainous Knave, Some

Base Notorious Knave, Some Scurvy Fellow’: Legal Spaces, Racial Trauma and

Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice,” Shakespeare Survey 75,

2022, 103–21 <http://doi.org/10.1017/9781009245845.008>

Chapman, Matthieu, “Whitewashing White Permanence: The (Dis)/(Re)Membering of

White Corporeality in Early Modern England,” Literature Compass, 2022

<http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/lic3.12659>

Deutermann, Allison K., “Othello’s Strange Celebrity: Race and Publicity in Early Modern

Drama,” Early Modern Cultural Studies 1500–1700, 2021, 25–43

<http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-52332-9_2>

Forrest, Edwin, and William Shakespeare, Othello (New York: W.A. Moore, C.S. Bernard,

& American Dramatic Institute, 1860)

 OTHELLO’S INFLUENCE ON EARLY MODERN THEATRE

Hodgdon, Barbara, “Race-Ing Othello: Re-Engendering White-Out,” Othello, 2004, 190–

219 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-1-137-11548-5_9>

Irish, Bradley J, “Racial Disgust in Early Modern England: The Case of Othello,”

Shakespeare Quarterly, 73 (2022), 224–45 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/sq/quac057>

Lauby, Daniel, “Recovering Transgender Shakespearean Performance in Sally Potter’s

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<http://dx.doi.org/https://doi.org/10.18274/bl.v14i2.317>

Panja, Shormishtha, “Marlowe and Shakespeare Cross Borders: Malta and Venice in the

Early Modern World,” Early Theatre, 22 (2019)

<http://dx.doi.org/10.12745/et.22.1.3624>

Reitz-Wilson, Laura, “Race and Othello on Film,” CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and

Culture, 6 (2004) <http://dx.doi.org/10.7771/1481-4374.1213>

Staub, Susan C, “Shakespeare’s Botanical Imagination,” Amsterdam University Press 2023,

2023 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/9789048551101>