Hugh Quarshie: Is Othello a racist play? | Debates | Royal Shakespeare Company
Summary
TLDRThe speaker reflects on the portrayal of Othello in Shakespeare's play, questioning whether it perpetuates racial stereotypes. They explore the historical context of 'the Moor' in Elizabethan England and Shakespeare's potential exposure to black individuals. The speaker suggests that while Shakespeare may have had the opportunity to understand black people better, his play leans towards racism by omission, as it fails to delve into Othello's psychology, instead focusing on his emotional outbursts and Iago's manipulations, thus reinforcing preconceived notions about the character's ethnicity.
Takeaways
- 🎭 The speaker resisted playing the role of 'Othello' due to concerns about reinforcing racial stereotypes based on the character's ethnicity.
- 📚 Shakespeare adapted 'Othello' from a short story by Cinthio, but introduced racial epithets and stereotypes not present in the original plot.
- 🤔 The speaker questions whether Shakespeare's portrayal of Othello was influenced by personal bias or a lack of understanding of black people, despite the presence of black individuals in Elizabethan England.
- 🕵️♂️ It's suggested that Shakespeare might have read John Pory's translation of 'The Geographical History of Africa', which could have influenced his depiction of Othello's character.
- 🎭 The speaker believes that Shakespeare could have portrayed Othello's psychology more deeply but chose to focus on the dramatic and emotional aspects of the character.
- 🧐 The speaker argues that 'Othello' is racist by omission, as it does not delve into the character's psyche and instead relies on racial stereotypes for dramatic effect.
- 👥 The speaker discusses the importance of challenging the traditional portrayal of Othello and Iago, emphasizing the need to resist reinforcing racist assumptions.
- 🎨 In their production, the speaker's team attempted to avoid portraying Othello as gullible due to his ethnicity, making it more difficult for Iago to manipulate him.
- 🏥 The fit in their production was depicted as a transient ischemic attack (mini-stroke), suggesting a medical rather than racial explanation for Othello's behavior.
- 🤝 The speaker emphasizes the need for more effort in avoiding racism in portrayals of 'Othello', both in terms of commission and omission.
- 📖 The script reflects on the degrees of racism, distinguishing between casual racism and more deliberate acts, and the importance of being conscious of these in artistic representations.
Q & A
What is the speaker's initial stance on playing the role of Othello?
-The speaker resisted playing the role of Othello for years because they believed it reinforced problematic assumptions about black people based on their ethnicity.
What historical context does the speaker provide about the portrayal of Moors in Elizabethan England?
-In Elizabethan England, Moors were often portrayed as menacing threats to the social, moral, and sexual order, not just in Shakespeare's plays but also in others like 'The Battle of Alcazar.'
How does the speaker describe Shakespeare's adaptation of Cinthio's short story?
-Shakespeare adapted Cinthio's short story by adding characters like Roderigo, a storm, and a Turkish fleet, and introducing racial epithets to emphasize Othello's appearance.
Does the speaker believe Shakespeare was being a bigot by including racial language in Othello?
-The speaker questions whether Shakespeare's inclusion of racial epithets and Iago's comments about Moors being changeable indicates bigotry, as it seems to reinforce negative stereotypes.
Did Shakespeare know any black people, according to the speaker?
-Yes, Shakespeare could have known black people as there were several hundred black individuals in Elizabethan England, and there were three ambassadorial visits from North African states.
What is the significance of John Pory's translation of Leo Africanus' work for Shakespeare?
-Shakespeare likely read John Pory's translation of Leo Africanus' 'Geographical History of Africa,' which included sensational and stereotypical views about jealousy in Moors.
How does the speaker view Othello's rapid transformation in Act 3, Scene 3?
-The speaker finds Othello's rapid transformation from loving husband to murderous honor killer in a single scene problematic, suggesting it may reflect stereotypes about Moors being prone to jealousy and violence.
What distinction does the speaker make between different types of racism in literature?
-The speaker distinguishes between racism by commission (active inclusion of racist ideas) and racism by omission (failure to fully explore or challenge stereotypes), suggesting Othello is an example of the latter.
Why does the speaker believe Shakespeare wasn't very interested in Othello's psychology?
-The speaker argues that Shakespeare didn't delve deeply into Othello's psychology because Iago has more soliloquies, which engage the audience more directly than Othello's speeches.
How does the speaker's production of Othello address the issue of racism?
-The speaker's production avoids suggesting Othello's actions are due to his ethnicity by casting a black Iago, making it harder for Iago to manipulate Othello, and depicting Othello's fit as a transient ischemic attack rather than an epileptic fit.
Outlines
🎭 The Role of Othello and Its Historical Context
This paragraph discusses the author's initial resistance to the role of Othello, citing concerns about racial stereotypes perpetuated by the character's portrayal. It delves into the historical and literary traditions that influenced the character's depiction, including the Elizabethan stage's use of 'moors' as symbols of menace. The author also examines Shakespeare's adaptation of the story from a short story by Cinthio, noting the introduction of racial epithets and questioning whether Shakespeare's portrayal was influenced by personal bias or the conventions of his time. The paragraph concludes with a consideration of whether Shakespeare was aware of the black community in Elizabethan England and whether his work reflects a lack of personal interaction with them.
🤔 The Complexity of Othello's Character and Racism in Literature
The second paragraph explores the transformation of Othello's character from a wise and experienced leader to a jealous and violent murderer, questioning the rapidity and plausibility of this change. It suggests that the character's swift descent may be influenced by prevailing stereotypes of 'moors' as irrational and prone to violence. The discussion also touches on the broader themes of racism in literature, defining it as the attribution of character traits based on ethnicity. The author critiques casual racism, exemplified by a reference to a controversial comment, and emphasizes the need for greater sensitivity and accuracy in representing diverse characters.
🎨 Reinterpreting Othello to Challenge Racist Stereotypes
In this paragraph, the author reflects on the production choices made to challenge the traditional racist interpretations of Othello. They argue that Shakespeare's lack of interest in Othello's psychology and the character's limited direct engagement with the audience contribute to a superficial understanding of his motivations. The author discusses efforts to present a more nuanced portrayal of Othello, avoiding simplistic racial assumptions and providing a more complex understanding of his actions. The paragraph concludes with a critique of the play's portrayal of Othello as a victim of his ethnicity, suggesting that the play is racist by omission rather than commission.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Racial Epithets
💡Stereotypes
💡Othello
💡Cinthio
💡Moor
💡Racism by Omission
💡Iago
💡Soliloquy
💡Jealousy
💡Cultural Representation
💡Racial Assumptions
Highlights
The speaker resisted playing Othello for years due to the problematic portrayal of black people based on literary and theatrical conventions.
Shakespeare's adaptation of Giraldi Cinthio's short story includes significant changes, particularly the introduction of racial epithets and a focus on Othello's appearance.
The speaker questions whether Shakespeare was reinforcing racial stereotypes by making Othello's transformation into a violent character happen so quickly.
Shakespeare might have known black people in Elizabethan England, as evidenced by records and ambassadorial visits from North African states.
The speaker critiques Shakespeare for possibly not understanding or caring to understand black people, questioning if he was lazy or bigoted in his portrayal of Othello.
The transition of Othello from a wise, experienced leader to a jealous, violent character happens very rapidly, raising questions about racial stereotyping.
Shakespeare's use of racial epithets and the portrayal of Moors as prone to jealousy and irrationality is seen as problematic by the speaker.
The speaker suggests that Shakespeare might have relied on existing stereotypes about Moors, leading to a rapid and extreme character change in Othello.
Shakespeare is accused of not exploring Othello's psychology deeply, instead focusing on the emotional turmoil and dramatic elements of the plot.
Iago's numerous soliloquies allow him to engage with the audience more deeply than Othello, highlighting Shakespeare's potential lack of interest in Othello's inner life.
The speaker believes that Shakespeare could have provided more insight into Othello's character instead of relying on stereotypes about Moors.
The production aimed to avoid suggesting that Othello's actions were solely due to his ethnicity, attempting to present a more nuanced portrayal.
The reinterpretation of Othello's fit as a transient ischemic attack instead of an epileptic fit was an effort to distance the play from racial stereotypes.
The speaker concludes that 'Othello' is racist more by omission than commission, suggesting that Shakespeare did not fully explore the complexities of Othello's character.
The production's effort to challenge the play's potential racism includes making Iago's manipulation of Othello more difficult and less dependent on Othello's ethnicity.
Transcripts
I resisted the role of a fella for years
because it seemed to me that it was
problematic in that the assumptions
contained in the short story of which
the players based the conventions and
the traditions both literary and
theatrical just reinforced the notion
that the shakespeare and chin Theo the
short story writer were suggesting that
black people behave as they do because
of their ethnicity for the white man and
black makeup wouldn't have any issues
with that that was just a given you'll
be following the convention and then
actually if you departed from the
convention you wouldn't you'd be denying
the audience a little bit like the Red
Indians of John Ford westerns you know
whenever you saw a red engine relating
around the circle wagons you knew that
that was that was what you want to see a
Western for the shootout between the the
engines and the white settlers and it
seemed to me that the convention of the
more innale is Elizabethan England on
the stage not just in Shakespeare's
plays but not in other players like the
Battle of Alcazar lasts two million the
stutely plays whenever a more appeared
that usually signaled something menacing
or a threat to the social moral and
sexual order of society so when a
genuinely black actor comes to play the
role then it just seemed to me that it
was important to be aware of the
possible implications of the role and
resist any attempt to endorse what I
thought might be racist assumptions but
let me that was just to give the
background to that that particular essay
but let me try to address the the the
the issue here is is a fellow a racist
play to be fair to Shakespeare we have
to remember that he did not invent his
plot he adapted a short story by Joe
Girardi chin Theo a Renaissance writer
whoo this is one of the short story and
his Glee haircut almighty I believe in
them the the interesting thing is you
have to remember in other words that
Shakespeare was committed to the same
plot structure as chin Theo's in other
words the black general ends up
murdering his white wife the interesting
thing is the changes that Shakespeare
made to that that short story in order
to get from A to Z so to speak and the
one of the interesting things is because
he invented certain things like the
character of Roderigo he invited a storm
invited the Turkish fleet invited the
fit but what he also invented or
introduced was the racial epithets and
the rather fierce racial epithets thick
lips bosom what she feared to look
upon the constant references to a
fellow's appearance so it's arguable
then that although he was constrained by
the original short story in plot terms
he was liberated when it came to
introducing the the racial language now
I know of course it's it's a mistake to
attribute the views of a character to
the author necessarily but when
Shakespeare says when he actually have
as Iago say these Moors
are changeable in their wills and then
goes on to demonstrate precisely that
then I think it's fair to to ask well
what Shakespeare being a bit of a bigot
here the question arises also did did
Shakespeare know any black people could
he have known any black people and the
answer is yes he could have there were I
think it's been established she probably
know your colleague Don
dr. Miranda Coffman who's written a book
called black tutors and who might I
introduce rebut a fellow and she's
established through parish records that
there were several hundred what she has
some records of between two and three
hundred black people on parish records
but that implies that there was a much
larger black population in Elizabethan
England there were three ambassadorial
visits from ambassadors from the the
Barbary Coast states because of course
they had a common enemy in philip ii of
spain so the the north african states it
was in their interest to form an
alliance with Elizabeth the first
so yes Shakespeare could have known some
black people the question in my mind is
then did he do his homework did he
bother to get to know any black people
if he didn't was he being lazy if he did
get to know some black people and still
wrote the Othello of the second half who
does become an obsessive murderous honor
killer was he being a bigot because he
the FL o of the first half is certainly
magnanimous he was astute he's mature
he's experienced his wise and then in
the space of a single scene the so
called temptation scene at 3 scene 3
which is admittedly a long scene he is
persuaded that his wife has been
unfaithful and not simply that but that
he should then murder her Oh execute her
and certain but they're only although
it's long scene there are only about 300
lines in the text as written between a
fellow saying perdition catch my soul
but I do love thee and when I love thee
not chaos is come again to his saying
barely 300 lines later now do I see it
is true look here Yaga all my fond love
thus do I blow to heaven it is gone now
the worry in my mind is
that happens very quickly and perhaps
that because of the convention of the
Moors being perceived to be prone to
jealousy to irrationality to violence
that somehow was the the subtext well
those Moors are like that aren't there
that explains the rapidity of this
transition and there again that's that
when that gave of gave me pause for
thought
so the the idea to that just going back
to the idea that Shakespeare checks
would do his research and it's widely
thought that he read John pora's
translation of the geographical history
of Africa by my court Leo africanus in
which he did make the point that no
nation is so subject unto jealousy
talked about the Blamey I the men whose
heads do grow beneath their shoulders
but the more interesting thing is that
he picked up a sensational bit to the
story but the more interesting thing was
the author of that story Hassan Al Hasan
was his real original then a man who had
been expelled from under Lucia and I
think 1492 had traveled extensively
through Africa before being kidnapped by
pirates and given as a as a hostage or a
gift to Pope Leo the tenth who then
baptized him as Leo Giovanni africanus
so but that arguably was he argued was a
more interesting
template rather than the sensational
stuff that he wrote for his European
audience now we have to credit
Shakespeare with sufficient imagination
and intelligence to know that what he
read wasn't necessarily true and
certainly the Othello of the first part
goes against the grain of the the moor
as established on the Elizabethan stage
but then it is as if Shakespeare
stretches the the
very totally and said that when he
releases it the arrow flies very fast
and very violent it violently to its
target you know in other words he heum
goes against the grain of
characterization but only to how a
fellow revert violently to type in the
second part I would chop it into messes
cuckold me and and so forth as you know
we replayed it but so and the the more
altom utley that the question is what do
we mean by racist and to my mind it's
it's very simple that where race becomes
the prime if not the sole determinant of
character a value of moral value and the
suggestion any suggestion that a
character behaves as it does because of
his ethnicity is by definition racist
any suggestion that a character favors
as she does because of her agenda is by
definition sexist and so on you you you
get the point but I think there are
degrees of racism you know I think
sometimes you have to try a little
harder not to be racist I think come on
Jeremy Clarkson you could have tried a
bit harder when you said eenie meenie
miney moe catch any and buy his toe you
know that I think was lazy casual racism
it seems to me that there's racism by
commission and racism by omission and I
would I think my conclusion would be
that a fella is racist by omission and I
say this because it seems to me that
Shakespeare ultimately isn't that
interested in a fellow's psychology I
think he went the point that he wants to
get to quite quickly is the seismic
eruptions of emotion the the your fellow
music what's become known as the Othello
music the the elaborate verse like to
the Pontic sea and you know his his
great speeches and why do I say he's not
that interested in Othello psychology
because Iago has twice the number of
soliloquies that Othello does Iago
soliloquies enable him to engage
directly with an audience in a way
that'll fellow symmetries don't put out
the light and then put out the light if
I quench these are flaming minister I
can again that former light restore
should I repent me he's not talking to
the audience he's talking to a light but
once put out thy light without Cunnings
pattern of excelling nature he's not
talking to the audience he's talking to
the sleeping form of Desdemona in other
words a fellow's soliloquies don't
reveal very much about him he doesn't
isn't allowed to develop the same kind
of relationship with the audience as
Iago does a fellow is if you like one of
the the victims one of if Yago is the
cause then a fellow is the effect it
seems to me that Shakespeare could try
it have tried a little harder to to
allow us to enter into the mind of our
fellow but he didn't and I think he
resorted to a kind of comfortable
complacent attitude well I don't have to
explain very much about about this mores
because everybody knows what the
characteristic of the Moors are which is
why in our production we have attempted
quite assiduously to avoid any
conclusion that our fellow behaves as he
does because of his ethnicity
not simply because of the casting of a
black Iago but also Iago is subjected to
those of you who saw the production to a
fairly harsh interrogation and it's at
every point it's made very hard for Iago
to persuade Authority to put his plot
into effect and and by the way the fit
in our production was not an epileptic
fit but for those who aren't familiar
with medical terminology it was a
transient ischemic attack
a mini-stroke which can often change the
brain structure and the personality so
we were at we went to some lengths to
try to pull the playback from suggesting
that our fellow is gullible because of
his ethnicity we tried to make it much
harder for a yarder to persuade him and
therefore to make a fellow less of a
fool and to make the play less racist
but so yes in conclusion it's it's a
play that's racist by omission rather
than commission
浏览更多相关视频
Othello - William Shakespeare - So You Haven't Read
Unit 9: AP English Lit Faculty Lecture with Associate Professor Kim Coles (and Keith Hamilton Cobb)
Othello by William Shakespeare | Motifs
Othello - Play Summary
Othello Theme of Appearance and Reality Analysis - Shakespeare Today Series
How NOT to Hate Shakespeare | Rob Crisell | TEDxTemecula
5.0 / 5 (0 votes)