A Modern Approach and Interpretation of Shakespeare's Othello


Othello. Image from Wikipedia.


Othello was a play written by Shakespeare presumably in the years 1603 and 1604, during which a peace treaty was signed between England and Spain. This might have brought about the memory of the War of Cyprus that occurred when Shakespeare was much younger, inspiring him to write a play set in Venice around the time of this war. Othello was a Moor that Shakespeare portrayed as a kind, brave and charismatic character, contrary to the common belief at the time where people usually saw Black Moors in rather disdainful light.


In Act 1 Scene 3 of Othello, Iago tries to humiliate Othello in front of the Duke and judges by exposing Desdemona’s marriage to Othello, which was carried out without the consent of Brabantio. Previously, Iago and Roderigo wake Brabantio up and break the news of his daughter’s elopement “to the gross clasps of a lascivious Moor”, giving Brabantio the impression that she has been forced to wed. Othello arrives and agrees to settle the matter in court. Othello is victorious in convincing the Duke and the courts that he truly loves her, and with Desdemona insisting that she “did love the Moor to live with him”. 


Iago’s attempt to bring dishonour upon Othello is unsuccessful; however, he is undeterred by this. At the end of Act 1 Scene 3 Iago vows to ruin Othello and subsequently Cassio by saying, “Hell and night must bring this monstrous birth to the world’s light.”


A person coming into power through means of hard-work would create some friction between those who have already inherited power and are of high status by birth. In Professor Greenblatt’s lecture, “Shakespeare’s Coat of Arms,” he mentioned that when Shakespeare was granted a coat of arms, an individual attacked the Office of Heraldry and left a list of names of people who should not have been awarded the coats of arms, in which Shakespeare’s was one of the names mentioned. Jealousy and even hatred are invoked in people in situations as this, much like the jealousy and hatred harboured by Iago towards Othello. Occurrences in Shakespeare’s life like these could have been the spark behind stories like Othello.


Iago and Roderigo speak ill of Othello, and both of them seem reluctant to respect his orders and accept his leadership. Roderigo makes a coarse reference to Othello by calling him “the thick-lips,” which today would be considered a racist slur. Accepting a person from a foreign land as a superior offended the natives, and unfortunately, circumstances have not changed greatly in this aspect over the years as this can still be seen the in modern society.


The story of Othello explores many sensitive areas like racial disparity, discrimination and inequality, issues which are still prevalent at present. The given interpretation discusses how Shakespeare’s life might have influenced his work, and how issues of the past are still problems of the present. Shakespeare liked to allow space for his audiences to make his stories their own and I believe that while Othello can be interpreted in countless ways, this interpretation is important as it discusses issues that we ourselves have experienced or witnessed during some point in our lives, just as Shakespeare did. 

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