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Obama...
A
Modern Day Othello |
| by JD Nutt, IG Web-Editor
- Report last updated on May 3rd, 2011 -
Oklahoma City, OK. |
| Othello, the Moor of Venice is based on
the Italian short story "Un Capitano Moro" ("A
Moorish Captain") by Cinthio, first published in 1565. The William
Shakespeare version is believed to have been written in
approximately 1603.
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| It is said Cinthio's tale was based
on an actual incident occurring in Venice around 1508.
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| Othello, a Moorish general in the
Venetian army is a brave and competent soldier of advanced years
in the service of the Venetian Republic. He elopes with
Desdemona, the beautiful daughter of a respected Venetian
senator. After being deployed to Cyprus, Othello is manipulated
by Iago, into believing Desdemona is an adultress. Othello
murders her before killing himself.
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| Because of its varied and current themes of
racism, love, jealousy, and betrayal, Othello is still often performed in
professional and community theatres alike and has been the basis for
numerous operatic, film, and literary adaptations.
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| As critics have established, the term 'Moor'
referred to dark-skinned people in general, used interchangeably with
similarly ambiguous terms as 'African', "Ethiopian', 'Negro', and
even 'Indian' to designate a figure from Africa (or beyond).
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| There have been many differing views on the
character of Othello over the years. F.R. Leavis describes Othello as
"egotistical". There are those who also take a less critical
approach to the character of Othello such as William Hazlitt saying that
"the nature of the Moor is noble... but his blood is of the most
inflammable kind".
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| The notes in Wordsworth Editions' publication of
Othello states that the Cinthio tale has a "partly-racist
warning". Cinthio drew a moral (which he placed in the mouth of
Desdemona) that European women are unwise to marry the temperamental males
of other nations.
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| One must ask if the Moor Obama too has been
blinded by racism, love, jealousy, and betrayal. Will his downfall be that
of a egotistical man.
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| As Cinthio drew a moral that European women are
unwise to marry the temperamental males of other nations, It parallels with
current day politics and the disorganization that has become of the sleight
of hand with which our president leads our nation into ruin.
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| Only death will surely follow. The
Death of a Republic by the hand of a Moor.
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| Note: Although the
"Moors" came to be identified as Muslim, the name
Moor pre-dates Islam. It derives from the small Numidian
Kingdom of Maure of the 3rd century BCE in what is now
northern central and western part of Algeria and a part of
northern Morocco.
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