It was midnight, when the general came home to his beautiful Desdemona. Asleep in bed, a picture of peace and serenity. He was filled with hate, for he was told she had sex with one of his lieutenants. At six feet tall and two hundred plus pounds, hands big enough to palm a basketball, he did not need his sword. With his bare hands he choked her to death, while she pleaded for her life.
General OTHELLO is black. When Shakespeare wrote this play what was his thinking? What was happening 400 years ago? There was war between the Turks and the Cypriots; it seems the Cypriots with the British, were not going to allow the Muslims (Turks) to gain victory, and with this gallant fighter, Othello, an African (Moor), Cyprus could remain undefeated.
History shows African men were beloved by white women, especially for their sexual prowess; this accelerated the wrath of white men. It still happens today, at all levels of our society, and Baltimore is no exception.
However, OTHELLO shows how vulnerable and temperamental, the Black man could be. Like Sampson of the Bible, sex and jealousy, can be his downfall, (O. J. Simpson?)
Shakespeare brings out the cunning of men who are of European descent, when a non European is in position of prominence. Look what is happening in the U.K. and of course here at home in the USA, with Congress and Barack Obama, not to mention the upcoming polarized General Election, “no not a third term of Obama!”
OTHELLO begun its run at the Chesapeake Shakespeare theater, today September 16th, 2016, in Baltimore MD. This interpretation can awaken much in all races. I even saw Hitler in Jose Guzman ((Iago), “I hate the Moor (black)” aka. Jessie Owens?
Shakespeare may not care too much about black life as if they mattered, so he disposes OTHELLO, by having him say, “I am an honorable murderer”.
The modern day Othello, is he “the man”, or “the manipulated”? See it, then answer the question.
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