William Shakespeare: Othello

Alternativer Bildtext:

Venetian woman, is at the center of the drama • the setting of Venice is crucial, only in such a cosmopolitan (weltbürgerlich) city could a Moor risk such a marriage • lago is characterized from the very beginning as a resourceful villain; he goals Rodrigo into doing his dirty work and he fools Othello into believing he is his most honest and loyal follower • perhabs most intriguing is lago's insistence that he is only leading people to follow their natural inclination (Neigung) • lago's method of villainy is also revealed in the scene: he appeals to different people by feigning (vortäuschen) loyalty or by framing himself as a trusted friend and confidant • he discovers what motivated them and leverages it for his own ends ACT 1, SCENE 2 lago demonstrates his loyalty by warning Othello that an angry Brabantio is searching for him • however Cassio arrives with a message from the Duke: Othello is urgently needed due to Turkish aggression in the Mediterranean • when Brabantio arrives to confront Othello accusing him of bewitching his daughter and stealing her away, Othello stands up to him confidently • Brabantio then follows Othello and the others to the Duke's court, certain his status as a prominent Venetian citizen will uphold his authority . lago cements his role as master manipulator having just come from Brabantio where he insulted Othello and sounded the alarm on his elopement (Durchbrennen), he now plays the role of loyal follower Othello, whose confidence in Act 1 is unshakeable, does not shrink from a confrontation with Brabantio; he is certain his military and love for Desdemona will see him through • Cassio's arrival with a summons (Aufforderung) from the Duke offers an opportunity to determine whose authority is stronger: the Moor or Brabantio . . ACT 1, SCENE 3 • the Duke of Venice and his senators meet to determine where the Turkish Navy is most likely to attack • when Othello and Brabantio arrive, Brabantio accuses Othello of charming or even drugging his daughter into marrying him Othello responds with an account of how Brabantio invited him to his house where Desdemona fell in love with him because of his stories of war and adventure . he suggests they summoned Desdemona for her side of the story and when she arrives she supports Othello's version of events Brabantio warns Othello that she has deceived her father • the Duke orders Othello to Cyprus to fend off the invasion • Desdemona insists on going with him Roderigo, upset at how things turned out, is reassured by lago, who urges him to go to Cyprus too • it's important to know that Othello is confident and charismatic, a leader of men and an object of desire • the Duke and Senators clearly prefer him to Brabantio even after the latter appeals to racial and customary kinship (Verwandtschaft) with his fellow Venetian citizens • his stories bolster (stärken) the sense of his accomplishment winning over Desdemona • the set of experiences and his eloquence (Beredtheit) in reacting them are Othello's source of strength their marriage flying in the face of convention is based on a romantic notion of adventure that Othello trades on and Desdemona feeds on in hopes of escaping her fathers suffocating will • while Desdemona is a strong character who stands up for her desire and choice of husband, she is also potentially caught in a fantasy since she has little experience of the world • we'll want to keep this in mind as we see how lago works to plant the seeds of their destruction by praying on these insecurities ACT 2, SCENE 1 • the play's setting moves from Venice to Cyprus, where Cassio arrived first • a storm has caused delay and there is concern for the safety of Othello and the others • next to land is Desdemona who is sailing with lago and his wife Emilia • while they wait for Othello they talk about women's desire which gives us a clear idea of lago's underlying hostility toward women, who's nature he believes is fundamentally deceptive • when lago notices that Cassio and Desdemona are friendly and look like a natural couple, he hatches his plan to use jealousy to enact his revenge • then Othello arrives, greets Desdemona and announces that the Turkish fleet has been destroyed by the storm • the stage for lago's plan of is set • the first indication is his contempt (Verachtung) for women: they're dishonest and promiscuous • Emilia shows no indication that she'll stand up for her husband in order to defend her gender ACT 2, SCENE 2 • Othello sends a herald to announce that there will be a celebration to mark the destruction of the Turkish fleet as well as Othello's recent marriage the military mission Othello leads comes to an anti climactic conclusion when the term sinks the Turkish fleet • this plot point fades as the Venetians arrived safely with little to do now apart from celebrate their good fortune • Shakespeare clears the way for a test of Othello's skill in managing a peacetime garrison as well as an exploration of how Othello and Desdemona's relationship will bear up under lago's plot against them ACT 2, SCENE 3 • lago encourages Cassio to drink, hoping to take advantage of his inability to handle liquor • though Cassio knows better, lago persuades him, making him a target lago sets Roderigo on core with him and a brawl (Schlägerei) breaks out, Cassio beats Roderigo and Montano, who tries to intervene, is wounded • after Othello returns to his lodging, Cassio bemoans his carelessness to lago lago faking friendship, reassures him he can help he suggests Cassio appeal to Desdemona to intercede (einsetzen) with her husband • after Cassio exists, lago suggests that he is only giving advice and that it's Cassio's responsibility to see what kind of trouble it might bring him • scene ends with Roderigo disappointed again, beaten, almost out of money, determined to return to Venice lago reassures him his plan has just begun and that he should stay . . this interrupts Othello's private time with Desdemona and he arrives angry, demoting Cassio and casting him • in this scene lago begins to turn the screw on Othello and Desdemona • he does it by first compromising Cassio, who he will use as a wedge (Keil) to drive between them • it is important to know the indirectness that characterized his method, he is playing the long game • equally important is his cultivation of the nickname ,,honest lago" demonstrates how affective he is in getting his adversaries (Kontrahenten) to participate in their own destruction • the inclining Desdemona: she is inclined (geneigt) to believe what she hears as she did with Othello's stories of adventure Cassio is so desperate to return to Othello's good graces that he'll do anything, believe easily a man of lago's skill → this makes them both right for manipulation the image of a net, mashing all lago's victims: this important metaphor foreshadows the way the setting reflects a net or a trap slowly closing on it's victims: → Venice (place with space), to Cyprus (an island with limited space), then to the Fortress, a garden, private rooms, the bedchamber and finally the bed itself, where the net closes . ACT 3, SCENE 1 • Cassio has hired a group of musicians to play outside Othello and Desdemona's room presumably in order to cheer up his former superior • Othello, angry at being woken up, sends a clownish servant to pay them to stop • once the musicians have departed, Cassio pays the servant to take a message to Emilia, lago's wife, who is also Desdemona's waiting woman lago enters and wonders whether Cassio has made any progress in getting Desdemona's help • when he learns Cassio needs to speak to Emilia, he goes to get her also promising to lure Othello away so Cassio can ask for Desdemona's help • Cassio tries to return to Othello's good graces by arranging music for the newly wedded couple on their first real night together but it doesn't work lago's plan takes another step forward as Cassio is making progress in gaining an interview with Desdemona lago is careful here to use intermediaries (Vermittler) in order to hide his connection to the plot • an important gap is beginning to open here: the audience knows lago to be a scheming threat to Othello and Desdemona but the characters in the play grow more certain that he's not only honest but actively helping them in their time of need . ACT 3, SCENE 2 • Othello, lago and some gentlemen stroll together • Othello gives lago some letters to deliver to a ship bound for Venice • Othello then embarks on a tour of the fortifications • this interaction shows two things about lago: he is trusted by Othello (important to see before scene 3, where he uses that trust to undermine Othello's faith in his wife's fidelity): Othello uses lago as a conveyer of information, which is significant because lago manipulates others by inventing and spreading misinformation to influence their behavior rather than taking a more direct action • his role as a person, who controls information is an essential element of his character ACT 3, SCENE 3 • opens with Desdemona assuring Cassio she'll help him get his rank back when Cassio sees Othello and lago approaching, he leaves in a hurry • in responds, lago makes one of his signature remarks: by encouraging Othello to think he knows something he's keeping hidden, he opens a space in which doubt then jealousy can grow • when Othello asks Desdemona what she's been doing, she tells him she's been talking to a suitor, which could mean a man who has a romantic interest but in this case means someone who needs something from her • Desdemona then asks Othello when he'll consider listening to Cassio's suit; Othello says not now • when she exits lago piles on the inferences that for example she did deceive her father marrying you and when she seemed to shake inferior looks she loved them most . when Desdemona reenters the scene to inform him that his dinner guests await he tells her he has a headache, she offers her handkerchief, he rejects it and it falls to the ground • Emilia picks it up, then lago demands it's the perfect object to plant in Cassio's quarters • Othello's increasing jealousy is exacerbated by lago's claim that he's heard Cassio talk in his sleep about having sex with Desdemona • he claims he's seen Cassio with the handkerchief; Othello swears he'll kill Desdemona, lago promises to kill Cassio • this long scene demonstrates lago's method of leading Othello to think the worst possible thoughts about his wife • he does this by suggesting possibilities by indirection and by innuendo • it also provides the material, the handkerchief, for the ocular proof Othello demands at the scene's end ACT 3, SCENE 4 • Desdemona is determined to advance Cassio's suit only to be confronted about her handkerchief • when she tells him, she doesn't have it, Othello offers a lengthy explanation of it's origins: losing it would break the spell of love • after Othello exits, Cassio arrives to plead further with Desdemona: she tells him that she is trying but that her husband is out of sorts they speculate about what's going on with Othello wondering about the cause of his sudden jealousy . • at scene's end we learn that Cassio has found the handkerchief in his chamber as he asks his lover Bianca to copy the stitching on it • the importance of the handkerchief comes to the force in this scene • Othello, who in act 1 dismissed Brabantio's charges of witchcraft, charms and magic, here succumbs to the idea that the little peace of cloth has power in the web of it • this demonstrates a further erosion of his self-assurance • we also learn that lago has planted the handkerchief in Cassio's bedchamber advancing his plan to provide ocular proof of the affair with Desdemona ACT 4, SCENE 1 • begins with a crucial exchange between lago and Othello • lago again opens a space in which Othello might fill his mind with images of Desdemona's affair with Cassio • in this scene things get graphic: lago offers explicit displays of sexuality only to disavow them → the effects are swift and devastating • Othello falls down in a trance; after he recovers lago instructs him to hide and observe as lago and Cassio have a conversation lago talks about Bianca with Cassio and makes him laugh while Othello watches but cannot hear what they're saying • Othello believes Cassio is talking about Desdemona and becomes enraged • then Bianca enters with the handkerchief Cassio told her to copy • to Othello this seems like certain proof Desdemona has been unfaithful to him • Lodovico arrives from Venice bringing messages from the Duke these contain orders for Othello to return to Venice leaving Cassio in charge in Cyprus • Desdemona's glad to hear of Cassio's good fortune but Othello interprets her reaction all wrong: he yells and strikes her • Lodovico is shocked at Othello's uncharacteristic behavior • lago pretends to be shocked as well, however he reiterates his loyalty to Othello about whom he will not speak badly • as jealousy takes hold of Othello, lago escalates the situation manufacturing evidence of an affair, he builds a false case against Desdemona bit by bit and now he plays his final card • he gives Othello the ocular proof Othello has demanded: the ocular or visible proof is the handkerchief Cassio has given to Bianca his lover • this comes after the scenes opening conversations between lago and Othello in which lago aggressively plants animated images of sexual congress between Cassio and Desdemona • while the audience can see the absurdity of these moments, Othello is drawn into them by lago's skill in enlisting Othello's own imagination as in this exchange lago's goal of his revenge is not just to get something he has lost but the destruction of a marriage, madness and the death of Othello and Desdemona . • at the end of this scene with Othello at his most vulnerable lago suggests the most intimate method of murdering Desdemona: to strangle her in her bed ACT 4, SCENE 2 • Othello nearly insane with jealousy aggressively questions Emilia about Desdemona and Cassio's relationship Emilia vehemently denies any wrongdoing but Othello doesn't believe her • he speaks cruelly to Desdemona and accuses her of being a strumpet although he also says he loves her • she's confused and sad so she asks Emilia to fetch lago who plays the friend and tries to cheer her up • after Desdemona and Emilia leave Roderigo arrives and angrily confronts lago: he complains once again that he has provided lago money yet lago has failed to get Desdemona for him lago as he has done before calms him down and presents a solution to the problem • he tells him Othello and Desdemona will leave Cyprus shortly and Cassio will be in charge; he suggests Roderigo kill Cassio • the scene ends with another angry outburst from Roderigo who continues to be frustrated at his lack of progress in wining Desdemona from the Moor lago's rhetorical skill is on display as he rallies him into staying so that he may use him further • lago talks him into killing Cassio so that Othello and Desdemona will have to stay in Cyprus ACT 4, SCENE 3 • Othello tells Desdemona to go to bed and to send Emilia and her other servants away for the night • as Emilia helps get her ready fro bed, Desdemona remembers a song her mother's servant used to sing: a song of willow, about a woman who's lover left her Emilia tries to comfort Desdemona saying men are often jealous and treat their wives unfairly • Desdemona is shocked that wife's might be unfaithful • in Emilia's long speech that follows she blames husbands for their wives infidelity . • Othello coldly dismisses Desdemona to the bed in which he plans to kill her • in the intimate scene between the two women that follows Desdemona expresses her confusion about why Othello thinks could possibly be unfaithful Emilia more wollt wise protests that of course women have affairs and blames it own husbands by calling out the double standard in which only men are allowed to have affairs she gives an compelling argument for the humanity, equality, agency and sexual needs of women • she also turns the traditional leadership role of men back on itself noting that because men are supposed to be leaders it's no surprise women would learn to have affairs from them . ACT 5, SCENE 1 • opens in the street lago gives Roderigo a weapon and tells him to wait for Cassio and then kills him lago waits nearby hidden Roderigo fails and is wounded by Cassio, lago joins and wounds Cassio and exits • Othello hears Cassio and thinks that lago has carried out the planned murder, so he joins to complete his part of the plan • Grantiano and Lodovico enter looking for the source of all the noises • lago enters pretending he's there for the first time, fakes concern for Cassio and stabs Roderigo again, he dies Bianca arrives, worried about Cassio's wound • the scene takes place at night, which is important because lago can directly take action in his intrigue without the others knowing • lago's plans have gone off perfectly • lago still has reputation as a honest man, which he doesn't want to lose, so he wounds Cassio, then kills Roderigo, so he can't give away lago's role in the plot ACT 5, SCENE 2 • Othello enters his bedchamber with a candle and finds Desdemona asleep in their bed • he kisses her, she wakes up and he encourages her to confess her sins • he tells her that he's gonna kill her and brings up the handkerchief, she pleads with him • he refuses to believe her and smothers her • he closes the curtains to let Emilia in who discovers Desdemona's nearly dead • Desdemona expresses her love for Othello and tries to take the blame for her death, after that she dies • Othello tells Emilia he killed Desdemona because of an affair with Cassio • Emilia who knows this is a lie realizes her husband is the villain lago, Montano and Gratiano enter, Emilia accuses her husband Othello finally realizing the truth tries to attack lago, is disarmed by Montano and lago stabs Emilia in confusion, then flees • lago refuses to explain the evil things he did • Othello admits his fault, stabs himself, falls on the bed and dies kissing Desdemona • the scene begins with Othello holding a candle which he uses to construct a metaphor → if he can put out a light he can put it on again, but if he ends Desdemona's life he can't bring her back • Desdemona begins the play as a romantic, naive young girl desperate for adventure, which she found though Othello AUTHOR •. baptized on April 26, 1956 in Stratford-upon-Avon • son of a wealthy glove-maker and town councilor and a farmer's daughter • went to a local grammar school and probably became teacher himself . together with his wife Anne Hathaway he worked as an actor and a playwright in London • in the middle of his career, he wrote the tragedies for which he is most famous for: Hamlet, Machet and King Lear writing several more poems, including a collection of over 100 sonnets, Shakespeare died in Stratford in 1616 CHARACTERS Othello Christian Moor, protagonist, tragic hero gentle, eloquent and physically powerful, open nature • married to Desdemona (without Brabantio's permission) . highly respected and honored by the Duke, his officers and the people of Venice → brave and reliable general of the Venetian army darker skin: not socially accepted as a person outsider: easy prey (Beute) for lago sensitive about his age (way older than Desdemona), his status as a cultural and racial outsider • reputation and honor are very important to him • his trust and jealousy are lethal for him; his behavior is changed by lago: → at the beginning: noble and gentle, charismatic, confident, calm, trustworthy, moral, honorable, loving, trusting Othello's speeches through lago's influence: violent, insecure, emotional, jealous, naive, bad-tempted, revengeful, emotionally vulnerable, disrespectful Characteristics of a tragic hero a person of (royal blood) importance • His fortune changes from good to bad A person who is good overall, but has one minor weakness that causes his downfall at the beginning • long and flowing • uses more complex sentences • a lot of commas and semicolons → suggests that he is talking slowly, calmly and carefully • poetically lago • Othello's ensign, villain of the play • personification of evil . at the end • language is more metaphorical • loses control over words as he does over himself → uses the weakness of people around him (e.g. Roderigo's lust for Desdemona, Cassio's concern about his reputation, Othello's jealousy) to deceive and manipulate them • hates Othello because he promoted Cassio instead of him • takes revenge by contriving a plan to alienate Othello and Desdemona → turns Othello's love for his wife into blind jealousy, using lies and insinuations (Anspielungen) • thinks that Othello slept with his wife Emilia → „wife for wife" general hatred for women Desdemona daughter of the Venetian senator Brabantio secretly married to Othello; knows that her marriage will not meet with the approval of her father and the Venetian aristocratic society • stands firm in her allegiance to Othello when Brabantio confronts her → loves Othello because of the many adventures he survived, his honor and his bravery • pure, pretty, gentle, independent, empathetic, authority but submissive, curious, naive Michael Cassio highly educated young man from Florence, whom Othello has promoted to his lieutenant, very loyal . → surprised by Othello's suspicions and his violent behavior professes her innocence till the very last moment, but falls victim to Othello, who is eaten up by jealousy caused by lago • well-versed in statistic, but inexperienced in combat (Kampf) object of lago's contrivances Emilia • lago's wife and Desdemona's loyal lady-in-waiting knows about her husband's malign (verleumden) nature, but without realizing she assists lago contriving his plot • after Desdemona's death she reveals lago's deceitful (hinterlistig) maneuver and boldly confronts her husband: ,,Though hast not half the power to do me harm {...} I care not for thy sword, I'll make thee knows" → lago spreads the word that Cassio has an affair with Desdemona destroys Cassio's reputation by involving him into a drunken brawl and thus causing his dismissal as lieutenant Roderigo • jealous suitor of Desdemona • young, rich, naive/foolish . • frustrated as Desdemona married Othello • lago makes him think Cassio is another potential rival for him desperate enough to help lago kill Cassio . →fooled by lago, thinking he would help him getting Desdemona RELATIONSHIP: OTHELLO & DESDEMONA • Desdemona faces criticism for her bold choice of marrying a black man • she fell in love with the stories he told active character, chose to love him • Desdemona remains loyal to him even after their misunderstandings • young relationship → do not know each other very well, otherwise Othello would not have been so open to lago's intrigue extremely passionate and overwhelming love; true feelings Othello does not trust her in the end; does not want to hear the truth → after killing her and being taught by Emilia that Desdemona really loved him, Othello kills himself out of a broken heart • Desdemona behaves like she is his property: he is her ,,lord" →very obedient MOTIFS Darkness and light • lago often hides in darkness to prevent people from knowing his identity • he stays out of sight in the hours of the morning as he and Roderigo goad (anstacheln) Brabantio about Desdemona's elopement • he hides in shadows while Cassio and Rodrigo confront each other using the darkness as cover as he deals blows to both sides of the fight • Othello enters Desdemona's bedchamber by the light of a candle and uses the light as a metaphor for her life which he plans to snuff out as he would a candle • Othello and Desdemona's contrasting skin colors are also illustrated through the text • Desdemona is called a white you and fair Desdemona while Othello is referred to as a black ram and black Othello • in addition the contrast of Othello's dark skin and lago's light skin brings situational irony to their portrayals in the play despite conventional associations of dark with evil and light with good, lago the light skinned one, not the Moor Othello, plays the devil which undercuts racial stereotyping of the day Animals and devils • as the devil figure in the play lago frequently uses beats and demon imagery to extend the negative associations with blackness he uses to manipulate the plays racial tensions • in the plays opening he suggests to Brabantio that Othello and Desdemona are making the beast with two backs and calls Othello an old black ram these beast references are like a virus and careful readers can track the moments in which the contagion is passed to others Cassio after getting drunk under lago's encouragement declares he is by-and-by a fool and presently a beast when lago plants the seed of suspicion in Othello's mind, Othello too begins to use animal and hell references • when Emilia finds out lago has used her: she will play the swan . . THEMES Love • powerful force in the lives of Desdemona and Othello: their secret marriage is the spark that ignites the plot • Desdemona is utterly devoted to Othello → wanting to take the blame when he murders her rather than have him suffer • yet Othello's love for Desdemona proves to be his undoing → causes him to be easily manipulated by lago: sees it as a point of weakness in Othello's otherwise strict military demeanor • the two couples Othello&Desdemona / lago&Emilia have very different relationships: o Othello and Desdemona have a romantic relationship / lago and Emilia's relationship is plagued by mistrust and misogyny Betrayal • trust and betrayal are features of nearly every relationship in Othello • lago: trusted officer, advisor and friend → his position of trust allows him the opportunity to manipulate others (Othello, Desdemona, Roderigo) • lago betrays all this trust in spectacular fashion • trust between Othello and Desdemona is also an important feature of the play: → at the start : unquestioningly accepts Desdemona's love and fidelity; convinced of it and it gives him confidence and security; she in turn trusts him utterly → then: due to lago's manipulations Othello looses trust in Desdemona and ultimately betrays her trust by murdering her Honor and reputation • reputation is the immortal part" which distinguishes man from animal → a life without reputation is not worth living • honor and reputation play an essential part for various characters Othello: kills Desdemona to maintain his reputation and honor → lago: begins his intrigue when he feels discriminated and insufficiently honored Cassio: after his involvement in the nightly brawl, while he was drunk, he feels ashamed and humiliated and implores lago to help him restore his reputation • modern point of view: Othello's, lago's and Cassio's actions are hard to understand, but in the light of the ancient concept of honor and reputation, their train of thought might be easier to reconstruct Jealousy • Othello: his excessive jealousy causes the tragic development and outcome o Othello is a tragic character • lago gentle and noble man, but fails to see through lago's intricate net of lies → naive and therefore susceptible to lago's ploys → convicted that lago is an honest man: his trust in lago increases whereas the trust in his devoted wife decreases completely convicted of his wife's guilt and believes killing Desdemona in his duty in order to bring about justice and restore order . jealous of Cassio's promotion: job related jealousy jealous because he thinks that Othello slept with his wife: sexual jealousy Roderigo → Jealous of Othello because he is married to Desdemona → jealous of Cassio because he thinks Cassio is having an affair with Desdemona: sexual jealousy • imagery of jealousy → green eyed monster: parasite that destroys his host from the inside → something monstrous and dangerous → poisonousness SYMBOLS Handkerchief given to Desdemona as a gift from Othello is a symbol of love and trust originally is has been Othello's mother's • Othello even explains to her that the handkerchief allowed his mother to make her husband faithful in their marriage: represents fidelity • when lago gets it, he controls it's symbolism • by seeing Cassio with it, Othello interprets it as as symbol of unfaithfulness and betrayal Willow tree • Desdemona shares a song of willow • in shale spears plays are willow trees often associated with the death of women • symbol of Desdemona's sadness and emotion of her lost love Color Green • ,,It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock the meat it feeds on." . symbolizes the jealously which undoes Othello's marriage, sanity and life • lago sees the will of a person as the gardener of a body THEATRE BACK THEN Connection to Othello jokes in scene I Not many female characters • Educational because it deals with current topics Many metaphors: powerful monologues and dialogues • Action starts with fencing • Stage directions to tell the time of the day or how people should act HISTORICAL CONTEXT • Renaissance → time of learning interest in literature (book, theatre) • King Henry VIII (1504-1547) → broke with Catholicism → establishes the Church of England under his rule → Catholics were discriminated • Queen Mary (1553-1558) → restores Catholicism → Protestants were discriminated • Queen Elizabeth I (1558-1603) her reign is called the ,,Golden Age" Spanish Armada was defeated under her reign → voyages took place to discover the New World → 1566: founding of the London Stock Exchange : many people got rich → theatre got popular as a form of entertainment, also for lower classes → established the Church of England → makes Protestantism the only religion tolerated → returns to the Protestant faith → Catholics were discriminated again • 1605 Gunpowder Plot → after James I became King of England LANGUAGE Prose → written texts to express madness → text spoken by low-status characters → for comedy no line breaks • no special number of syllables • Othello uses prose when his jealousy takes over → craziness, aggressiveness Verse • appropriate form of speech → in great affairs of state →in matters of life and death → in any other dramatic and death • every line has 5 stresses and 5 unstressed syllables → like the human heartbeat • Othello uses verse mostly → when he being rational POSSIBLE CONNECTION: ,,OTHELLO" AND ,,TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD" Differences: Othello & Tom Robinson • Othello has a stronger position • Othello is treated with respect • Tom R. Is not treated well • Othello is more confident (talks to Brabantio) • Tom R. Additionally confronted with "fake" racism • Tom R. Has no chance to explain • Tom R. Is accused due to skin color •. Othello is accused due to envy and secret marriage RELEVANCE OF OTHELLO TODAY • translated into modern language • Played all over the world timeless Topics • One of the best-known authors Similarities • accused by a father because of a daughter Reduced to outer appearance (race) by people • Similar characters: proud, honest • Reader sympathizes with them