THE REPRESENTATION OF “OTHERNESS” IN SHAKESPEARE’S TITUS ANDRONICUS AND OTHELLO

Abstract

The focus of this study is a deep analysis of the presence of the “Other” in Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus and Othello. Our objective is to show how a character’s possible dark soul has reasons which go beyond the medieval colour binarism that associates black skin with darkness and white skin with salvation. In order to do this, the first introductory part takes into consideration the symbolic meaning of both the colours black and white in Elizabethan imagery. Then, we describe how these colours, and especially black, were represented on Elizabethan stage. In this first chapter, the Elizabethan historical, cultural, and sociological background emerges as the social ground in which both Titus Andronicus and Othello were first written and performed. The second and the third chapters analyse “Otherness” in Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus and Othello, respectively. Then, a special focus is given to the analysis of the white and black skinned characters in both plays. In order to do this, not only language and gesture of the black skinned characters Aaron and Othello are examined but also the white skinned characters Iago, Tamora and Titus are explored in detail. The analysis of the characters that we mentioned above will show how darkness emerges through the characters’ modes of acting and speaking, and it is not strictly connected either to the blackness or to the whiteness of their skin colours. Both white and black skinned characters are capable of performing either "evil" or "good" deeds.