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Shakespeare’s play, ‘Othello’ presents several resistant readings, including feminist and post-colonial readings. These alternative readings are also apparent in Norman Gunston’s representation of ‘Othello’ and a dominant reading is evident in Orson Welles’ version. These resistant interpretations of ‘Othello’ not only highlight their existence within Elizabethan society, but also their relevance in contemporary context. This is shown in the gender inequalities and the racial prejudice that existed in that time, and still continue to exist in today’s society.
Othello as a dominant interpretation looks at the hamartia of the Moor, Othello, caused by the manipulation of Iago. It is Othello’s jealous and gullible flaws that Iago is able to act upon. In Welles’ ‘Othello’, the monochromatic nature of the film highlights the racial prejudice existing in society. Although Welles’ presents a resistant reading of the text, the black and white contrast depicts to some extent, the binary oppositions that are evident in the play.
Feminist criticism, which is the way that gender assumptions, especially about women, operate in ‘Othello’, is an important factor relating to how the women are portrayed and their status within a patriarchal society. The play consists of three significant women, Desdemona, Emilia and Bianca. Although each of these women play a different role, their subsequent downfalls can be seen as signifying the restrictions that a patriarchal society places on them.
Desdemona is a young Venetian woman, who is initially loyal to her father, Brabantio. However, once she marries Othello, she becomes devoted to him “I do perceive here a devoted duty … so much I challenge that I may profess due to the Moor my lord.” Desdemona makes her own choices in love. Her sexuality is independent of the restrictions of a patriarchal society. In choosing for herself and defying her father, she has broken an accepted order. This kind of independence in a woman was frowned upon in Venetian society.
College papers on Othello
Desdemona’s loyalty and submissiveness represents the role of women in the male-dominated society of the time. However, she does meddle in politics in her support of Cassio’s cause. “Be thou assured, good Cassio, I will do all my abilities in thy behalf.” She becomes involved in areas that she has no understanding of, and where she as a woman in a patriarchal society, has no place.
In Norman Gunston’s representation of ‘Othello’, and irreverent and reductionist attitude is adopted, as Desdemona is portrayed as a blonde mannequin, who is spoken by a ventriloquist doll’s feminist, high pitched voice. This suggests her submissiveness, while her appearance manifests the extreme marginalisation of women. The humiliating squirt of sauce over the doll’s gaudy dress denotes his exertion of power, and also the power held by men in Elizabethan times.
Emilia plays a significant, but different role to Desdemona. She initially does appear to be loyal to Iago, when she hands him the handkerchief “I nothing but to please his fantasy.” Despite this the gynophobic Iago is led to view all women as “bells in your parlors, wildcats in your kitchens, saints in your injuries, devils being offended, players in your housewivery and housewives in your beds.” It is evident that Iago’s perceptions of women do not change throughout the play.
The final section of the scene where Desdemona prepares for bed is particularly significant, where she asks Emilia whether there are “women do abuse their husbands in such gross kind?” Emilia’s speech here not only explores and challenges the social attitudes, which endorse a double standard in the matter of sexual infidelity, but more poignantly she makes both a claim for equality and a plea for kindness “the ills we do, their ills instruct us so.” Emilia in this scene shows her willingness to gain equal treatment and her courage to fight for women in a male dominated society. This is further suggested in the final scene, where Emilia shows her loyalty to Desdemona, in a fatal attempt to reveal the truth.
Bianca, described as a “strumpet”, exemplifies the negativity imposed upon females by a patriarchal society. This is highlighted in Cassio’s condescending and crude attitude towards her “Go to woman!” She represents what Othello and Iago come to view all women to be. She embodies Othello’s suspicions of Desdemona, and Iago’s cynical portrayal of Venetian woman.
Thus, the women in ‘Othello’ show how innocence, love and virtue can be turned to vice by the interferences of society that places the man above the woman.
A post-colonial interpretation of ‘Othello’ encompasses racism and an ideology of ‘black’ people. Othello is initially accepted into Venetian society, but only as a good soldier. However, the boundaries of acceptance are crossed when he marries the “fair” Desdemona. It is evident that society only accepts him when it is convenient for them, in war.
Othello is highly respected and regarded within Venetian society “Valiant Othello … noble Moor.” However, binary oppositions of light and dark imagery highlight the racial prejudice that is still evident. Black Othello loves Desdemona, whom he exalts as his “fair warrior”. Their marriage is described to Brabantio by the black-hearted Iago as one in which “an old black ram is tupping your white ewe” and “you’ll have your daughter covered with a Barbary horse.” The derogatory animal imagery used suggests that Iago sees Othello as an inferior being.
There is evidence of Othello’s isolation and “otherness” which in turn provokes Othello to seek acceptance from the people around him. For example, by marrying Desdemona and also referring to her father, and ”how of the invited me … to tell the story of my life.” This highlights the Eurocentrism and his desperation to be accepted and taken into “white” Venetian society.
In Norman Gunston’s representation of ‘Othello’, Gunston rubs black make-up across his face in a blatant attempt to portray the apparent racial prejudice in the play. It also depicts the tradition of whites blackening up, primarily as minstrels, again as an indication of the unacceptance of “black people” both in the play and in society, during the 170’s.
The subtle racial prejudice that is evident in the play, allow a post-colonial reading to be made.
A feminist and post-colonial interpretation can be made from Shakespeare’s ‘Othello’, and is evident in Gunston’s versions of the play. These alternative interpretations not only show the extreme marginalisation and suppression of women in patriarchal society, but also the racial prejudice that existed. Thus, it is apparent that white men held the supreme power during Elizabethan times, and in some cases, still do to this day.
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