This twist in storyline is what makes Othello stand out to open criticism perhaps to the audience of today's post-modern context. During the beginning parts of the play, Othello is often referred to as either "He", "The Moor" or "His Moorship" by Iago, Roderigo and Brabantio. It is because of this dominant image from their perspective that they find it difficult to see the man behind the blackness. .
Othello is also referred to as "thick-lips" and "the gross clasps of the lascivious Moor" (Act 1, Scene 1) by Roderigo. In Act 1 Scene 3 , Iago informs Brabantio of his daughter's marriage to Othello.
Iago: " an old black ram is tupping your white ewe.".
This is where Iago exhibits his racism of Othello choosing to describe him in a manner that is likely to anger Brabantio. With Iago and Othello, Shakespeare challenges racist attitudes by depicting Othello as being black-coloured, but being the good guy and Iago as the white, but evil man. The person who shows his racist attitude directly to Othello is Brabantio who in Act 1 Scene 2 accuses Othello of using magic to lure his daughter, Desdemona.
Brabantio: " to the sooty bosom / Of such a thing as thou".
Another character who is racist towards Othello is Emilia. In Act 5 Scene 2, Emilia is disgusted with Othello when she finds out that Othello had killed Desdemona. This is probably where she truly expresses her feelings about Othello. .
Emilia: "O, the more angel she, and you the blacker devil!".
These remarks give us an image of Othello being a person of high military reputation, but also being racially an alien within Venetian society - one which tentatively accepted him because of his military achievements. It is because of this that we see Iago as being jealous of Othello as he believes that Othello's racial colour automatically overrides all of his military achievements. This is why that even though Iago hates Othello for not promoting him and saying he slept with his wife, these are just excuses to cover up his racial prejudice against Othello.
