The Pervasive Power Of Prejudice Essay, Research Paper

The Pervasive Power of Prejudice

by Ben Lowe

One of the first subjects to emerge in Shakespeare? s Othello, and surely one of the most discussed, is that of the blazing racism against Othello, most notably by Iago, Roderigo, and Desdemona? s male parent, Brabantio. However, while racism is surely a valid subject, following grounds in that vena fails to supply any clear moral by the terminal of the drama. For though the racialist villains run into merely terminals as the drama draws to a stopping point, it was non their racism for which they finally suffer, but instead their villainousness, caused by green-eyed monster, passion, and choler, but non racial bias. The range must be broadened, hence, in order to hold on some kind of lesson. Upon deeper analysis, it becomes apparent that it is premature judgements of all sorts, and non simply racism, that drive the narrative to its tragic terminal: sexism, Othello? s haste to judgement, the repeating subject of repute, and the premise of Iago? s virtuousness by all parties join racism as biass that doom Othello to do his concluding tragic premise of his married woman? s unfaithfulness.

As mentioned earlier, racism leads off Othello? s twine of biass. Indeed, the full first act trades with Brabantio? s accusal that Othello has used some? humanistic disciplines inhibited and out of warrant? ( Ii 92 ) to lure Desdemona to encompass Othello? s? sooty bosom? ( Ii 84 ) . Were it non for the racial biass against the baronial Moor of Venice, Brabantio would hold reveled in Desdemona? s love for Othello, who is both a hero and a? adult male of royal besieging? ( Ii 24 ) . And though this bigoted difference does non take straight to Othello? s ruin, it establishes the form of easy premises and hard battles against them that will go on throughout the drama.

In the thick of this battle against undue prejudice, Othello introduces the following household of unjust premises, sexism. In defence of conveying his married woman to the field of conflict, Othello claims Desdemona, one of Cupid? s? light-winged plaything? ( Iii 288 ) , will non deflect him from the war. Relegating Desdemona to the place of a mere toy seems rather unjust, particularly served straight on the heels of a passionate address by Desdemona declaring her deep love for Othello. This willingness to disregard Desdemona as a weaker vas is one of the most of import undertones in Othello, because in seeing Desdemona as an inferior he ne’er gives her the opportunity to support herself against the calumniatory accusals against her, a opportunity that may hold saved her.

In Act II Iago enforces the sexism already established, dissing his married woman? s chatty nature ( though she speaks merely 16 words throughout Act II, Scene I, while Iago has over 150 written lines of address in the scene ) . Upon the heels of this maltreatment Iago claims he c

an think of nil positive to state about Emilia, saying he is? nil if non critical? ( IIi 132 ) . For the remainder of the drama Iago continues to inexcusably impeach his married woman of being excessively chatty and to minimize her in public and private until the concluding scene, when his bids to hush herself are ignored, and she is killed by Iago for pig-headedly talking the truth.

The following bias to emerge is of a more elusive sort, and possibly is non so immediately recognized as bias because we still use it today. It is the bias of repute, ? an idle and most false infliction ; oft got without virtue and lost without meriting? ( IIiii 278-280 ) , as Iago puts it. The first unjust repute, surely? got without virtue, ? is Iago? s. Throughout the drama Iago uses every character with whom he comes in contact to function his terminals, yet his repute keeps all from analysing his function in Cassio? s sudden autumn from favour. Iago was good cognizant of this power of his repute, declaring? he that filches from me my good name/ Robs me of that which non enriches him/ And makes me hapless so? ( IIIiii 181-3 ) . And hapless so does Iago do Cassio, whose repute was? lost without deserving. ? ( IIiii 280 ) . Cassio? s state of affairs by the terminal of Act II, in footings of merited repute, is exactly the antonym of Iago? s: while Iago strategies under his co-workers? protective premise that he is honorable, virtuous Cassio is cast out of his old place of authorization because of a stained repute, his old heroism and award overshadowed by one dark of inebriation. This openly recognized system of bias, like the sexism mentioned earlier, is one of the most influential prejudices in the drama, because merely as sexism blocks Desdemona from supporting herself, Cassio? s loss of repute supports him from explicating himself to Othello.

Through this array of biass Shakespeare softly teaches us his moral: easy premises lead to difficult terminals. Desdemona, Emilia, Cassio, and Othello were all victims of bias. Desdemona and Emila were killed by the premise that adult females are flawed and can non be trusted. Desdemona did non fight against this decision, while Emila was struck down for contending against it, talking for Desdemona against Iago? s will. Cassio was maimed because of the importance placed upon repute: without the paltry issues of societal position hindering him, Cassio would hold been by Othello? s side to rebut Iago? s accusals. And eventually, Othello was a victim of his ain biass. It was his premise of Desdemona? s failing, his weight given to Cassio? s repute, and his quickly formed belief, without much grounds, of Cassio? s and Desdemona? s guilt that guided Othello to slay his married woman. It is suiting that he should take his ain life, for the biass that led him to decease were his ain ; the killing manus should be his ain every bit good.