Is Othello a racist play? Full audio version | Debates | Royal Shakespeare Company 

Such a high level discussion from all participants - scholarly yet very human, and so enlightening. A privilege watching this - thank you RSC.

King James, a patron of Shakespeare wrote a poem called the Lepanto, which was about an important battle between Christendom and the Ottomans, and occured around the island of Cyprus. Initially the Turks were defeated, and became Christianised, but then due to infighting and betrayal were lost again. In James' poem Satan is responsible for sowing the seeds of destruction and causing them to lose their baptism. The play of Othello is set largely in Cyprus, and Iago states early on that he intends to cause the Moor to lose his baptism. I wonder if Shakespeare was giving a nod to King James, personifying Cyprus in Othello, and Satan in Iago.

Could the name of the facilitator, and the names of the speakers, be added to the description please?

I waited for her to move, until I read the description, more carefully.

I thought that Iago knew exactly how to manipulate each character and turn their virtue to pitch, in order to achieve his ends. I wondered if Othello had spent so much time in the army, both fighting and leading that his mindset was that of war, allies or enemies, nothing in between. If you can't trust an ally you have to destory them, and Iago specifically told him to strangle Desdemona, rather than poison her.

Omg Hugh Quarshie’s voice 💕

video officially starts at 4:20

Not through the whole talk yet, but in my mind u could make Othello French or Spanish and have the play situated in British society; it would give the same dynamic to the story that I believe Shakespeare ment for it have. In this production, from the little that I've seen, I don't doubt for a second Iago being played by a coloured man. I'm unsure though of the casting of Othello. The actor doesn't have the temperament, that I find in the part of Othello. He is far too intellectual while the whole play circles around Othello being ruled by emotion. That is ment to give the interesting dynamic between him and Iago, who is Machiavellian. In any way, I would have loved to see this performance live back when it was up and running. Thanks for the scenes you put up here on yt and for an interesting talk! 🙏🏻Oscar

It would honestly be more surprising if the play wasn't racist. At the very least there is a complex, interesting, and intelligent character in Othello. He succumbs to stereotypes? What is expected? I think the fact that Shakespeare's plays are hundreds of years old is completely disregarded by some because the plays remain relevant. The parts that are outdated stand out more because of that. Could some of the plays be considered racist, sexist or otherwise outdated in ideology? Of course, and maybe they should be. Those parts are outdated. Does that means that the plays couldn't and shouldn't have the value that they do? I personally think it's ridiculous to think that. And perhaps, since there have been so many interpretations, they should be interpreted differently for the modern age. It wouldn't be difficult.

I've recently started to become obsessed with this play, Iago continues to be one of my dream roles, and this video is such an interesting and engaging discussion. Thank you so much!

the feminist trying to coax the absolutely goated man and getting shut down is so satisfying

With relation to cleopatra being ‘monopolised’ by white actors, this is almost certainly essentially wrong. Scholarship is divided about quite what race Cleopatra would have been, but it is almost universally accepted she would have had light skin. Some DNA analysis finds her to be white with blonde hair. Other DNA analysis, while accepting that a white gene is predominant, has actually found elements of sub Saharan African DNA that would have come up the Nile. (This isn’t imposing a ‘racist’ view this is literally just science. ) Its also worth noting that the Egyptian rulers were descended from Greeks - though as said, some research points to small examples wider pools of DNA origin. Also people around the Nile delta (though not blonde ) would have had palish skin. They were part of the Mediterranean coastal pool of DNA crucially before Arab expansion in the 7th century, and perhaps would have looked like ‘native’ (obviously going back 1,500 years ) non-Arab North Africans like the Berbers. So this claim that cleopatra either wasn’t white or rather was black or Arab is just nonsense.

Maybe she should have studied law.

This guy has his back up from the jump

Layman says: This host, God bless her; this institutionalised academic, introduces the discussion, by introducing her indoctrinated prejudice and bias. She's obviously been at university her whole life, maybe too long, and still, cannot think critically, nor objectively, is mistaken in some her statements of factoid, and is unable to pronounce Edinburgh correctly; it is not a town in Pennsylvania and we thinking people, with the powers of critical thinking and subjectivity, are still here in Kansas- hello! Wake up Princess Felicia! ...despite how she would have us think. You, the human, pronoun of choice, yourself are not in Kansas now, this is well out of your wheelhouse. Think about it. Othello was in fact, written for Richard Burbage and blackface, is what makes the play work as intended. Take it away and the point is lost, dumb. The guests, however have weighed up the play and understand the message, yet, are coerced by professional reputation via modern societel sensibilities, to tweak the play, for subjective, chip carriers. Give Shakespeare a well deserved break. If delighted beauty lack, Shakespeare's play is far more fair than black. My particular prejudice, is against ignorance. Me, I never bin to unyversity, ain't big on book readin. Bored with this conditioned, tangential aberration. Exit, stage left.

49:29 Priceless HAHAHAHAH

Only by liberal modern standards.

It was written by a black jewish italian woman named Amelia Bassano Lanier, so the answer is... .... no, it is not racist.

who cares? it was a long time ago.

Thanks for the discussion today about Othello as a play racist or no5 8 feel n9t .Ann DeakinWarwick