Othello
In this log, I will discuss the first act of William Shakespeare’s Othello. This tragedy
takes place in Venice, Italy, in a period of war against the Turks. Othello, the tragic hero of the
play, is a valiant Moor soldier who marries the young and beautiful Desdemona in secrecy.
Driven by hatred and revenge against the main character, the antagonist of the plot, Iago, along
with his friend Roderigo, plans on destroying his rival’s life. As a consequence, he reveals the
secret marriage to Desdemona’s father, Brabantio, a Venetian senator who accuses Othello of
putting a spell or drugging his daughter. At the end of Act 1, Iago decides to turn Othello against
Cassio, his lieutenant, by insinuating the latter is trying to seduce Desdemona.
Since the very beginning of the story, it is possible to remark the idea of Orientalism, as
proposed by Edward Said. Orientalism can be seen in the negative and prejudiced depiction of
Othello through the other characters’ lines. The tragic hero is often referred to by his skin color
and his ethnicity. Due to his origin, Othello is described as a “lascivious Moor” and accused of
practicing dark magic in order to seduce Desdemona. I would argue that this characterization
denounces the colonially built hierarchization of Western and Eastern societies, in which the
first one is considered civilized and superior, and the latter is portrayed as exotic and primitive.
Bearing in mind that literature reflects major power relations, I consider this to be the most
relevant issue in Act 1.