Othello: Act I: Diction

       In the Shakespearean play, Othello, Shakespeare intertwines racism into the lines of the characters subtly and bluntly.  Othello being from another region and of a different race is often the object of racist comments and jokes throughout the play thus far.  Iago describes Othello as "an old black ram... tupping your white ewe," (I. i. 88-89).  In this line Shakespeare uses the analogy of an animal to show that Iago views Othello like an animal.  Iago also calls Othello "the Devil," (I. i. 91).  Iago is not the only person who says racist comments about Othello.  The Duke and other characters of the play also do.  This allows the reader to understand that these comments are not always meant to be derogatory.  The comments are just part of the culture of the time.