Background:
We have read and discussed both Shakespeare’s Othello and Susan Glaspell’s “Trifles.” Choose one of the following prompts to develop an essay of approximately 1200-1500 words (4-5 double-spaced pages, not counting the Works Cited page). You should rely upon the play itself as your primary source, although you are allowed to use scholarly published articles as references as long as you cite your sources following MLA format. (It is not acceptable to reference other student essays you find online, SparkNotes, GradeSaver.com, Wikipedia, and the like.) Actually, the prompts are written in such a way (and additional information already provided on Canvas) that you really don’t need to use outside sources at all. Save secondary sources for Essays 3 and 4 when you may actually need them. I’m always more interested in reading what you think as opposed to what somebody else thinks, in any case.
The Prompts:
Is Othello a racist play, or does it critique racist people? Explain. Be sure to consider what the characters in the play say and do, what stereotypes are employed, and the overall storyline. Your interpretation may likely depend on whether you see Othello as a monstrous fool or as an admirable man who is duped by a very good liar.
To Help You Get Started:
For Prompt One, think about our discussion of this very issue. On the one hand, Shakespeare could be suggesting that racism is wrong because all the villains or dupes in the play dislike Othello or discriminate against him, whereas the play’s “good guys,” including Desdemona, Cassio, the Duke, etc, respect him. On the other hand, Shakespeare could be accepting racist attitudes because of the context of his time period (consider the Great Chain of Being) and because Othello does fall from grace, killing himself and his wife because he is fooled into getting jealous. Take a side and argue from there, using the text as support for your view.
