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It is certainly not hard to conclude that it is probably Shakespeare's most controversial play. There is a clear theme of racism throughout, one which was firmly embedded in the Venetian society which rejects the marriage of Othello and Desdemona as erring, 'against all rules of nature,' [1.3.102] Nothing separates Othello from, 'the wealthy curled darlings of our nation,' [1.2.68] except skin-color - he matches or even exceeds them in reputation. At the start of the play, he appears confident that,

OTHELLO: My parts, my title, and my perfect soul

Shall manifest me rightly.

Othello 1.2.31-2

when he is called in front of the court on charges of witchcraft. Yet the malevolent Iago is able to call on Othello's deep-rooted insecurities about his race in order to play Othello and Desdemona against one another until their marriage fails. Essentially, Iago is a personification of the bigoted white race, who tries to inform the public of the impurity of Othello and Desdemona's marriage. He demonstrates how this miscegenation is threatening to the existing social order, and ultimately, Othello's lifetime of achievement is not sufficient to persuade others from prejudice in a moment of crisis (such as Desdemona's elopement,) or sustain his self-esteem in the long run. Othello is structured so that the main premise of the play, introducing the main themes, appears near the beginning. It is obvious that Iago has an agenda planned of malevolent proportions with Othello at its target. He is the catalyst of all the destructive happenings within the play starting from the very beginning when he and Roderigo approach the residence of Brabantio in 1.1. He uses crude, racist language to appeal to the senator's traditional beliefs, including such phrases as,

IAGO: Even now, now, very now, an old black ram

Is tupping your white ewe!

Othello 1.1.87-88
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