(Shakespeare's Othello) How important do you think Venice is, in the play Othello? The last paprgraph certainly needs work. I wrote this last year, and received a C for it, which is mediocre.

How important do you think Venice is in the play Othello?

The first three scenes of Othello by William Shakespeare take place in Venice. These first few scenes set the pace of the whole play; therefore they hold the key to the importance of Venice in the play Othello.

The play opens in mid conversation, under the cover of nightfall. This indicates that in Venice there is some underhanded work taking place. It is in fact two officers of the Venetian army talking about their General (Othello) in an extremely derogatory manner. They intend to go to Senator Brabantio's home and inform him of the recent marriage between his daughter, Desdemona and Othello.

"Do, with timorous accent and dire yell."

From the Library of Congress: TITLE: Thos. W. Keen...

English: Photographic full-length portrait of Edwi...

Illustration of Othello and Iago

Iago - one of the officers is no friend of Othello, and secretly despises him. He wants panic to take place, and wishes to agitate Brabantio.

Whilst Brabantio has Othello as a trusted friend, he does not wish his daughter to have a romantic relationship with him, due to the detail that Othello is black, and is effectively looks as though he belongs to a lower class.

Iago uses words to create images that Brabantio would find offensive.

"an old black ram is tupping your white ewe." and "the devil will make a grandsire of you."

These are two of the images that Iago plants into Brabantio's mind.

Racism is a subject explored in Othello from start to finish. Othello himself, a Venetian of royal birth, has achieved his position within the Venetian army through his military prowess. He had not been such a good warrior, then it is unlikely that he would have achieved his rank, due to the fact that his fellow Venetians are exceptionally racist.

A vast number...