Here is the synopsis of our sample research paper on Othello/Elizabethan Outsider. Have the paper e-mailed to you 24/7/365.
Essay / Research Paper Abstract
A 5 page essay that examines Othello's position as an outsider in society, defines it and discusses how this contributed to his tragic downfall. While undoubtedly Shakespeare had universal themes in mind that would connect Othello's experience to his humanity, it is also true that Shakespeare's Elizabethan audience would have perceived Othello in terms of being an outsider to white society. Furthermore, the writer cites sources that confirm that Elizabethans saw the African race as monstrous, equating black with evil. Bibliography lists 5 sources.
Page Count:
5 pages (~225 words per page)
File: D0_khotheou.rtf
Buy This Term Paper »
Unformatted sample text from the term paper:
"Everyman," with characterization only in so far as this is necessary to individualize him (Heilman 139). This perspective suggests that Othellos black skin is no more than a distinguishing feature.
Other critics take similar views, Jane Adamson, for instance, insists that the fact that Othello is a Moor is significant only in that this identity is "part of a much
larger and deeper issue," which is specifically the difference between the "fated" and "free" aspects of self determination (Adamson 7-8). While undoubtedly Shakespeare had universal themes in mind that would
connect Othellos experience to his humanity, it is also true that Shakespeares Elizabethan audience would have perceived Othello in terms of being an outsider to white society. Drawing on
the work of Tzvatan Todorov, Edward Berry argues that Shakespeares society was incapable of seeing other cultures as being valuable in their own right. For them, culturally different populations were
not considered to be fully human. To be considered as fellow human beings, they had to assimilate European culture and attitudes. This framework can be seen in Shakespeares play. Othello
is either viewed as fully assimilated into the Elizabethan society or he is perceived as outside of society, a monster (Berry 315). In the Elizabethan society of Shakespeares age,
black people were considered to be outsiders in the most profound sense of this word as they were associated in the public mind with monsters (Aubrey 221). It seems reasonable,
therefore, that the numerous references to monstrosity would have been understood by Shakespeares contemporary audiences as substantiating their perception of black skin as equating with "other," that is, those outside
the mainstream of their society. From the thirteenth century onward, Elizabethans were exposed to numerous reports of discoveries of "monstrous races" in literature dealing with Africa (Aubrey 221). The
...