Homework

Why has Shakespeare chosen to introduce the main character in this way? How are we, as the audience, being positioned to see Othello and to see other characters?

 

 

In the play, Othello, William Shakespeare decides to introduce his main character, Othello, much later in the play, and as a result, we as the audience are being positioned to see Othello and other characters even before they are seen in the play. Shakespeare's deliberate choice of introducing Othello by the use of other characters, allows the audience to understand that he is a black man who is very much prejudiced against in the beginning of the film, only because of his skin colour. Othello is referred to as

“an old black ram” (I.i.88),
 

in which the audience can identify the racist language chosen to describe Othello. As the audience, we are positioned to see Othello as a black man who serves other people or almost acts as a slave, which shows that the characters in Othello really sever Othello's reputation as the head of the army. Moreover, he is referred to as

“the thick-lips” (I.i.66),
 

which again emphasises the harsh language choices used by other characters in the play to describe Othello. As the audience we are positioned to see the charaters in the play as very prejudice and jealous of Othello's character and position in the play. As a result of the input of other characters in the play introducing Othello's character to the audience, the audience gets a prejudged perception of Othello as a black man who isn't respected by others in the play.