Othello: A Racist Play

Since Othello has been written, the protagonist, Othello, has been played by many different actors. These actors have been white and black. However, there is controversy around the play and it has been questioned whether black actors should continue to play Othello. Some people believe that black actors should not play Othello or act in any Shakespearean plays. Thomas Gregory believed that African Americans should only act in “plays written by African-Americans” (Shakespeare in Black and White) not in plays like Othello that were written by Caucasians. August Wilson believed that Shakespeare was limited in what he could do with ideas and that black people need ideas to “generate respect and understanding” (Shakespeare in Black and White) from …show more content…
Highlights), which is that they would be promoting racism. Othello can be seen as a racist play only because of the experiences we have had and because of events in history. However, in a conversation organized by the Royal Shakespeare Company, historian Onyeka argued that “our concept of racism is anachronistic” (Is Othello A Racist Play? Highlights) in this play. When the play was written, events such as the Jim Crow laws and the Hitler regime had not occurred yet. When we read the play, we apply those experiences to a play where those experiences and beliefs did not even exist. Onyeka also argued that Shakespeare’s audience “did not understand race” (Is Othello A Racist Play? Highlights). An example of this is that for them, the French people were a race. Our concept of racism has been modeled by the racist events that have happened after this play was written. Race does not have “the kind of force it has for us” (Is Othello A Racist Play? Highlights) until the 18th century. Othello’s race adds to the fact that he is an outsider in the Venetian world. The reason that this play is labeled to be racist is because we have interpreted the play as racist. Othello is a play that is open to interpretation and a person who has …show more content…
It “leans on racism” (Is Othello A Racist Play? Highlights with subtitles) and uses it dramatically and for symbolism. Even though Iago is a Venetian and has white skin, he is the “pole of moral negativity” (Garber 592), and Othello, even though he is a moor, has been given the characteristics of an upstanding white man. Iago is black on the inside and white on the outside while Othello is white on the inside and black on the outside. This symbolic comparison is only possible with the archetypal meanings of the words black and white and Iago’s race and Othello’s race. Othello’s race is not central to the play and therefore the perceived racism should not be a deciding factor in whether black actors should play