Foreigners tend to draw negative attention to themselves in other cultures because they look, act, and often speak differently than natives, as in William Shakespeare’s Othello, the Moor of Venice. Othello is immediately disliked and misunderstood from the beginning, so he easily becomes a target of mischief. Since Othello is discriminated, he often expresses subservient feminine behavior, because beneath the surface of his title he feels inferior. Othello is a culturally-challenged foreigner who reveals a perplexing feminine side that fuels his masculine attitudes and behaviors, resulting in the tragic outcome of the play.
First, it is important to understand the generalities of masculine and feminine behaviors. Some masculine behaviors can be described as “strong, assertive, brave, active, independent, competitive, insensitive, unemotional, and aggressive” (Barkan, 227). Feminine behavior can be defined as “gentle, sensitive, nurturing, delicate, graceful, cooperative, decorative, dependent, emotional, passive, and weak” (Barkan, 227). Men and women are known to express both types of gender behaviors and culture conditions these traits.
In order to comprehend why Othello expresses odd gender traits, it is essential to examine the current position that he holds in society. Othello is a “black African of royal blood,” who was selected to be a supreme commander because “Venetian law required that the commander-in-chief of its forces be an alien, not a Venetian citizen, to prevent political ambition from interfering with his duties” (Arp, 1273). Othello also qualifies for the position because of “the battles, sieges, fortunes, that [he has] passed” (Shakespeare, 1286). Although Othello is brave and holds a respectful title, he is still a foreigner who is often discriminated against by others, such as Desdemona’s father, Brabantio, who accuses him of practicing witchcraft because he could not imagine how his “fair” daughter could “fall in love with what she feared to look on” (Shakespeare, 1284-85).
Sadly, Othello was “sold to slavery” in the past, which implies that he was once inferior; thus he tends to express some feminine behavior, such as being cooperative when Brabantio confronts him about marrying Desdemona (Shakespeare, 1286). Even though Othello is a fierce warrior, he is aware that he must comply in order to avoid the possibility of Venetian retaliation and upheaval against him because he is a foreigner. Also, as cultures vary considerably, gender traits vary as well because some societies are less structured, therefore, lacking a created gender system. Othello has engaged in vicious battles for most of his life, so he was probably denied a cultural upbringing; therefore, he is an uneducated, culturally challenged outsider. The simple fact that Othello marries Desdemona without her father’s knowledge or permission implies that Othello is unconfident and afraid that Desdemona’s father would not have approved, probably because of his race and vicious past.
Othello is clearly portrayed as courageous, especially in the beginning of the play when he explains to the Duke about capturing Desdemona’s heart by telling her stories of the troubles and triumphs of his past. However, as he explains, he also expresses his emotional side by speaking and acting like a love-sickened fool in front of others, revealing a great weakness by exposing his emotions. He also expresses weakness when he allows Desdemona to persuade him into forgiving Cassio in front of Iago after Othello had made the firm decision to dismiss Cassio from his title the night before because of his drunken misconduct. Othello’s vulnerability begins to make him an easy target for Iago, who also continues to feed on Othello’s timidities in regards of love.
As the play continues to unfold, Othello becomes completely insensitive to his wife, a behavior he does not present in the beginning. In the first scene of Act 2, he treats Desdemona in a gentle and loving manner when she greets him after battle; he is immediately dumbfounded by her presents and fails to convey his victory speech until after he addresses her. That is when Othello proves to be culturally challenged because he makes the mistake of vulnerably and poetically confessing his undying love for his wife in front of a group of men and women, including Iago; he again reveals his greatest weakness to a foe.
Another feminine trait that Othello shows throughout the play can be identified through his conversations with Iago, as he confides in Iago about his personal problems. Generally “when women talk with each other, they are more likely to talk about their personal lives than men are when they talk with each other” (Barkan, 227). It is clear that Othello’s cultural inexperience obviously reveals his naive side in the presence of Iago. It never seems to occur to Othello that “honest” Iago might not be as authentic as he appears. He values the advice of Iago, his ensign who is a low ranking officer, instead of the promise of his newly-wedded wife who sacrificed her relationship with her own father for him.
The sentimental side of Othello reveals cultural diversity and feminine weakness; especially when he dramatizes over his dead mother’s superstitious handkerchief. His harsh reaction reveals his sensitivity as he acts like an ignorant fool over the missing hankie, explaining that it was made by an Egyptian charmer that claimed the handkerchief would make his mother “amiable” so she could “subdue [his] father;” if it were ever lost, his father “should hold her loathed and his spirits should hunt after new fancies” (Shakespeare 1329-30). As a result of his culturally-challenged feminine reaction over the missing handkerchief, Othello becomes extremely insensitive and begins to engage in hostile conduct toward innocent Desdemona. His lack of being able to control his rage truly expresses his unsophisticated upbringing and points out the fact that his vicious past has shaped his unpredictable behavior.
Othello’s conflicting gender traits invent his bipolar attitude, causing him to become a ticking time bomb because his emotional feminine side is invoking his aggressive masculine side. As Iago fosters Othello’s distrusts and fury, Othello’s feminine behaviors, such as his insecurities, ignite some masculine reactions when he aggressively strikes Desdemona in front of spectators. After the physical abuse takes place, Desdemona surprisingly yields to him. As Othello’s jealousy climaxes, his masculine side forces him to become harsher to his wife, so he raises his voice and accuses sweet Desdemona of being “a whore” (Shakespeare, 1344).
Othello’s lack of education dissuades him from collecting the proper facts and evidence that would prove Desdemona’s innocence or guilt. Instead of confronting certain people about the handkerchief, such as Cassio and Bianca, and clarifying their relationship, Othello’s fury increases as Iago continues to feed his misconceptions. When Othello orders Iago to retrieve some poison to kill Desdemona with, he never finds it strange that Iago was so quick to tell him, “do it not with poison, strangle her in her bed, even the bed she hath contaminated” (Shakespeare, 1339). Othello’s ignorance also prevents him from recognizing Iago’s jealous motives against Cassio, especially when Iago says, “And for Cassio, let me be his undertaker” (Shakespeare, 1339).
As a result of Othello’s wrath due to his insecurities, he strangles poor Desdemona to death just minutes before the truth which he failed find actually emerges. Unfortunately, after the facts are exposed Othello’s fury subsides and his emotions set in. He finally makes the bold move of confronting Cassio about the handkerchief, which he was too passive to do so in the first place. Shakespeare’s play ends in tragedy, and it seems that every character loses one way or another. Since Othello was an obvious foreigner, he attracted several rivals and was too ignorant to sense the hidden intent of his sly enemies because he allowed his insecure feminine side and his lack of refinement to dictate his brute masculine actions and behaviors.
Unfortunately, Othello’s marriage and happiness is doomed right from the start, because he is a culturally challenged black African who cannot control his bipolar gender traits, so he exposes extreme feminine weaknesses that power his enemies and his masculine attitudes and behaviors, resulting in the dreadful conclusion of the play. Perhaps if Othello would have been of Venetian race, and culturally educated, he would have avoided foes all together, but unfortunately, discrimination led to chaos.
Works Cited
Barkan, Steven E. Sociology: Understanding and Changing the Social World, Comprehensive Edition. Irvington: Flat World Knowledge, Inc., 2012. Print.
Shakespeare, William. “Othello, Moor of Venice.” Perrine’s Literature: Structure, Sound and Sense. 10th ed. Ed. Thomas R. Arp and Greg Johnson. Boston: Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2009. 1273-1366. Print.
First, it is important to understand the generalities of masculine and feminine behaviors. Some masculine behaviors can be described as “strong, assertive, brave, active, independent, competitive, insensitive, unemotional, and aggressive” (Barkan, 227). Feminine behavior can be defined as “gentle, sensitive, nurturing, delicate, graceful, cooperative, decorative, dependent, emotional, passive, and weak” (Barkan, 227). Men and women are known to express both types of gender behaviors and culture conditions these traits.
In order to comprehend why Othello expresses odd gender traits, it is essential to examine the current position that he holds in society. Othello is a “black African of royal blood,” who was selected to be a supreme commander because “Venetian law required that the commander-in-chief of its forces be an alien, not a Venetian citizen, to prevent political ambition from interfering with his duties” (Arp, 1273). Othello also qualifies for the position because of “the battles, sieges, fortunes, that [he has] passed” (Shakespeare, 1286). Although Othello is brave and holds a respectful title, he is still a foreigner who is often discriminated against by others, such as Desdemona’s father, Brabantio, who accuses him of practicing witchcraft because he could not imagine how his “fair” daughter could “fall in love with what she feared to look on” (Shakespeare, 1284-85).
Sadly, Othello was “sold to slavery” in the past, which implies that he was once inferior; thus he tends to express some feminine behavior, such as being cooperative when Brabantio confronts him about marrying Desdemona (Shakespeare, 1286). Even though Othello is a fierce warrior, he is aware that he must comply in order to avoid the possibility of Venetian retaliation and upheaval against him because he is a foreigner. Also, as cultures vary considerably, gender traits vary as well because some societies are less structured, therefore, lacking a created gender system. Othello has engaged in vicious battles for most of his life, so he was probably denied a cultural upbringing; therefore, he is an uneducated, culturally challenged outsider. The simple fact that Othello marries Desdemona without her father’s knowledge or permission implies that Othello is unconfident and afraid that Desdemona’s father would not have approved, probably because of his race and vicious past.
Othello is clearly portrayed as courageous, especially in the beginning of the play when he explains to the Duke about capturing Desdemona’s heart by telling her stories of the troubles and triumphs of his past. However, as he explains, he also expresses his emotional side by speaking and acting like a love-sickened fool in front of others, revealing a great weakness by exposing his emotions. He also expresses weakness when he allows Desdemona to persuade him into forgiving Cassio in front of Iago after Othello had made the firm decision to dismiss Cassio from his title the night before because of his drunken misconduct. Othello’s vulnerability begins to make him an easy target for Iago, who also continues to feed on Othello’s timidities in regards of love.
As the play continues to unfold, Othello becomes completely insensitive to his wife, a behavior he does not present in the beginning. In the first scene of Act 2, he treats Desdemona in a gentle and loving manner when she greets him after battle; he is immediately dumbfounded by her presents and fails to convey his victory speech until after he addresses her. That is when Othello proves to be culturally challenged because he makes the mistake of vulnerably and poetically confessing his undying love for his wife in front of a group of men and women, including Iago; he again reveals his greatest weakness to a foe.
Another feminine trait that Othello shows throughout the play can be identified through his conversations with Iago, as he confides in Iago about his personal problems. Generally “when women talk with each other, they are more likely to talk about their personal lives than men are when they talk with each other” (Barkan, 227). It is clear that Othello’s cultural inexperience obviously reveals his naive side in the presence of Iago. It never seems to occur to Othello that “honest” Iago might not be as authentic as he appears. He values the advice of Iago, his ensign who is a low ranking officer, instead of the promise of his newly-wedded wife who sacrificed her relationship with her own father for him.
The sentimental side of Othello reveals cultural diversity and feminine weakness; especially when he dramatizes over his dead mother’s superstitious handkerchief. His harsh reaction reveals his sensitivity as he acts like an ignorant fool over the missing hankie, explaining that it was made by an Egyptian charmer that claimed the handkerchief would make his mother “amiable” so she could “subdue [his] father;” if it were ever lost, his father “should hold her loathed and his spirits should hunt after new fancies” (Shakespeare 1329-30). As a result of his culturally-challenged feminine reaction over the missing handkerchief, Othello becomes extremely insensitive and begins to engage in hostile conduct toward innocent Desdemona. His lack of being able to control his rage truly expresses his unsophisticated upbringing and points out the fact that his vicious past has shaped his unpredictable behavior.
Othello’s conflicting gender traits invent his bipolar attitude, causing him to become a ticking time bomb because his emotional feminine side is invoking his aggressive masculine side. As Iago fosters Othello’s distrusts and fury, Othello’s feminine behaviors, such as his insecurities, ignite some masculine reactions when he aggressively strikes Desdemona in front of spectators. After the physical abuse takes place, Desdemona surprisingly yields to him. As Othello’s jealousy climaxes, his masculine side forces him to become harsher to his wife, so he raises his voice and accuses sweet Desdemona of being “a whore” (Shakespeare, 1344).
Othello’s lack of education dissuades him from collecting the proper facts and evidence that would prove Desdemona’s innocence or guilt. Instead of confronting certain people about the handkerchief, such as Cassio and Bianca, and clarifying their relationship, Othello’s fury increases as Iago continues to feed his misconceptions. When Othello orders Iago to retrieve some poison to kill Desdemona with, he never finds it strange that Iago was so quick to tell him, “do it not with poison, strangle her in her bed, even the bed she hath contaminated” (Shakespeare, 1339). Othello’s ignorance also prevents him from recognizing Iago’s jealous motives against Cassio, especially when Iago says, “And for Cassio, let me be his undertaker” (Shakespeare, 1339).
As a result of Othello’s wrath due to his insecurities, he strangles poor Desdemona to death just minutes before the truth which he failed find actually emerges. Unfortunately, after the facts are exposed Othello’s fury subsides and his emotions set in. He finally makes the bold move of confronting Cassio about the handkerchief, which he was too passive to do so in the first place. Shakespeare’s play ends in tragedy, and it seems that every character loses one way or another. Since Othello was an obvious foreigner, he attracted several rivals and was too ignorant to sense the hidden intent of his sly enemies because he allowed his insecure feminine side and his lack of refinement to dictate his brute masculine actions and behaviors.
Unfortunately, Othello’s marriage and happiness is doomed right from the start, because he is a culturally challenged black African who cannot control his bipolar gender traits, so he exposes extreme feminine weaknesses that power his enemies and his masculine attitudes and behaviors, resulting in the dreadful conclusion of the play. Perhaps if Othello would have been of Venetian race, and culturally educated, he would have avoided foes all together, but unfortunately, discrimination led to chaos.
Works Cited
Barkan, Steven E. Sociology: Understanding and Changing the Social World, Comprehensive Edition. Irvington: Flat World Knowledge, Inc., 2012. Print.
Shakespeare, William. “Othello, Moor of Venice.” Perrine’s Literature: Structure, Sound and Sense. 10th ed. Ed. Thomas R. Arp and Greg Johnson. Boston: Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2009. 1273-1366. Print.