Vandehei“Othello the Moor”In 1604, the most influential writer of his time, William Shakespeare, wrote “Othello”. This comedy tells a story of race, tragedy and revenge. Contrary to most stories, in “Othello” black represents good and white represents evil, but why did Shakespeare do this? Was it to shed light on society's ignorance of racism? On the other hand, perhaps, to demonstrate that good and evil exist in all colors. “Othello” explores prejudice and racism in a tragic tale. Although Othello is a highly qualified general, some people still show great disdain towards him. Characters commonly call Othello “The Moor” throughout the story. “A Moor is a person of Arab origin who lives with dignity in North Africa, of Muslim religion and of uncultured, crude, coarse and cruel origins”. (1) The use of “Moor” combined with other vulgar terms emphasizes the portrayal of Othello, demonstrating that race played a key role in “Othello.” Thus, Shakespeare sheds light on society's ignorance towards racism and the fact that good and evil exist in all colors through the relationships between each character and the protagonist, Othello. The show begins on the streets of Venice where Iago, the white villa and Rodrigo are arguing. Rodrigo wants nothing more than to please Desdemona (a white Venetian); however, he learns that the Moor has just married Desdemona. Enraged by this, he accuses Iago of having stolen his money and of loving the Moor. Iago convinces Rodrigo that this is not true; he serves the moor only to serve himself. Iago tells Rodrigo of his hatred towards the moor for neglecting him for a promotion. Beside himself, Rodrigo exclaims: "What luck the big lip owes if it can bring you." (2) Here, Shakespeare begins to represent the… center of the paper… Peare's plays tend to have a specific character who influences others in one way or another. In Othello, Iago plays this role. Othello has done nothing wrong, except that he is black and comes from another culture. Because he is black, Brabantio does not want his daughter to be married to him. Iago's portrayal of Othello as “barbarian,” “devil,” and “the moor” unknowingly influences the other characters. Iago's ability to use his racial slurs to influence others' representations of Othello. Iago's manipulation of the relationships between Othello and the other characters affects how Othello sees himself. The conception of good and evil in society is black and white; however, Shakespeare changes these roles in Othello. In this way, Shakespeare is able to establish that society is unaware of the racism that constantly surrounds it. Therefore, race plays a role in Othello.