Shakespeare vs. Harlem Duet
Formation/Perpetuation of racist ideologies:- Othello is on the standard curriculum of most high schools. Also heavily examined in Universities in a post-colonial context. - Brabanzio startled @ news that O and D were "making the beast with two backs," and attacks O with his men.- Up until O's introduction he is never referred to by name: "he", "him", "the thick lips", and "the Barbary horse."- Iago presents the senator (B) with the image of a barbarous Moor (native of Africa) whose bestial sexual appetite has turned him into a thief and rapist. - Accusations from B that O used magic to seduce his daughter - how else could D be attracted to O without witchcraft? - The play, however does not present all that many aspects of racist thinking. The fear of cultural dilution is inherent in Brabanzio's character, much like it is in Billie's character in Harlem Duet. However, Iago's dislike for Othello seems mostly based on power struggles, and Roderigo's seems to be based on jealousy for the fair Desdemona. - By having Othello as a Moor, however, Shakespeare is able to construct a physical trait which seems to parallel his role within the play - that of the outsider.
Sears doesn't really take the plot from Othello, more the spirit - interracial relationships. The Duke pays much more attention to the supposed (in B's mind) "witchdoctor" Othello" than he does to Brabanzio, possibly helping Brabanzio's madness. - The text offers two sides: that of Billie, who believes in segregation and seems tied to the teachings of the militant Malcolm X, and that of Othello, who believes in integration, as preached by the passive Martin Luther King Jr. - Geographical evidence to back up this concept of cultural dilution is the fact that Columbia University is set in the middle of Harlem (acres of white culture in the middle of a predominantly black community, and the site of a great black cultural movement in the 1950's). Othello himself seems more level-headed and reasonable within the play, and this contrast of characters neutralizes any political affiliations the play would carry otherwise. The text offers no pretension regarding its racial themes, as Billie and Othello discuss these issues of race directly and honestly. Through racist remarks throughout the play we can see that Othello's skin colour bothers Roderigo, and conceivably helps to drive him mad. - As both a physical and political presence, Othello overshadows Brabanzio. On a much larger scale it can be said that Billie's madness stems from the dilution of her black culture as a whole - she feels O is diluting the culture, which is very much a fallacy. This shows us that O is self-conscious about his skin-colour and it is indeed a contributing factor to his madness. - Though Billie is the protagonist within "Harlem Duet", her views towards the dilution of her culture through integration are hyperbolic, and for this reason the play itself does not adopt a racist tone. uet:- Is it possible for Billie to be called a racist? Can minority groups be racist, since racism is based on power struggles? - Much more centrally focused on the issues of skin colour than Othello is. - After the insulations by I that D is having an affair with C, O muses by himself that D must not love him any more stating that one reason, among others is that he is black. The role of race in the formation of madness:Othello:- Roderigo threatens to drown himself as Othello is courting Desdemona, whom he loves.
Common topics in this essay:
Harlem Duet,
Othello Othello,
Othello Brabanzio,
Othello Racial,
Othello Sears,
Othello Roderigo,
Billie Othello,
Columbia University,
King Jr,
Duet Billie's,
harlem duet,
racist thinking,
skin colour,
based power struggles,
concerning skin,
power struggles,
madness stems,
based power,
cultural dilution,
throughout play,
madness othello,
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Acceptance Essays
