Haply for I am Black": The Issue of Race in Othello

Othello's race does not greatly impact his downfall in the play. He maintains that while Shakespeare touches upon the issue of race, the cause of Othello's demise lies elsewhere.1 However, the implications of race in the play directly lead to its tragic ending; it is this issue that impels the characters to set the tragedy in motion. Brabantio would agree to the union of Othello and Desdemona if it were not for Othello's blackness. Roderigo …

…opposed to acknowledging and accepting that they exist, Othello increases his internal conflict. Had he the necessary strength and faith in himself, the conflict could not have arisen; for when there is no resistance, the struggle ceases. Rather than label Othello as a racist or anti-racist play, it is more significant to see how, from a racial standpoint, the tragedy demonstrates the explosive effects that racial dissonance can produce when combined with other personal insecurities.