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'Otherness' in Shakespeare's Othello and the Merchant Of

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The Representation of ‘Otherness’ in Shakespeare’s Othello and The Merchant of Venice Othello and Shylock Diplomarbeit zur Erlangung des akademischen Grades einer Magistra der Philosophie an der Karl-Franzens-Universität Graz vorgelegt von Gerda TISCHLER am Institut für Anglistik Begutachter: o. Univ.-Prof. Mag. Dr. Werner Wolf Graz, 2013 Acknowledgement First and foremost, I would like to express my gratitude to my supervisor Professor Werner Wolf, who has not only offered valuable guidance, assistance, and help in the composition of this thesis, but who has also been an inspiring and very encouraging mentor throughout the rest of my studies, supporting me in many ways. Additionally, I would like to thank my former teachers Waltraud Wagner and Liselotte Schedlbauer, who stirred up my enthusiasm for both the English language and literature. I also want to express my warmest and sincere thanks to my parents, who have always encouraged me in the actualisation of my dreams and who have been incredibly supportive in any respect throughout my entire life. Besides, I want to thank Christopher for showing so much sympathy and understanding, and for making me laugh wholeheartedly at least once a day. Lastly, I am indebted to my family, friends, and anyone without whom the completion of this thesis would not have been possible. Contents 1 Introduction ............................................................................................................... 5 2 The ‘Other’ – Attempts at an Explanation ............................................................. 7 2.1 The Concept of ‘Otherness’ ........................................................................................... 7 2.2 ‘Otherness’, Stigma and Race ....................................................................................... 8 3 ‘Otherness’ in 16th - Century England .................................................................. 10 3.1 The ‘Other’ and Elizabethan Thinking ...................................................................... 10 3.2 Early Modern Conceptions of Race, and Racial Othering ....................................... 14 3.3 The Image of Africans .................................................................................................. 17 3.4 The Image of Jews ........................................................................................................ 21 3.5 The Venetian State ....................................................................................................... 25 3.5.1 ‘Venice, the Rich’ ................................................................................................... 25 3.5.2 Venice seen from an English Perspective ............................................................... 27 3.6 The ‘Other’ on the Elizabethan Stage ........................................................................ 29 3.6.1 Staging the African Myth ....................................................................................... 29 3.6.2 The Representation of Jews .................................................................................... 31 4 Othello ...................................................................................................................... 33 4.1 Introductory Remarks on Othello ............................................................................... 33 4.2 Othello throughout the Centuries ............................................................................... 34 4.3 ‘Otherness’ Welcomed or Rejected? .......................................................................... 37 4.3.1 “Your son-in-law is far more fair than black” – The Importance of Colour in Othello .................................................................................................................... 37 4.3.1.1 ‘Black’ vs ‘White’ and the (racial) Connotations of this Opposition .......................... 37 4.3.1.2 Othello’s Blackness washed white? ............................................................................. 41 4.3.2 The Question of Acceptance ................................................................................... 45 4.3.2.1 The General .................................................................................................................. 45 4.3.2.2 Othello, the Husband, and the Issue of Miscegenation ................................................ 47 4.3.3 Strangeness and the Question of Trust ................................................................... 49 4.3.3.1 The Moor of Venice ..................................................................................................... 49 4.3.3.2 “Honest Iago” ............................................................................................................... 51 4.3.4 Insane Jealousy ....................................................................................................... 56 4.3.4.1 Othello, the Black ......................................................................................................... 56 4.3.4.2 Othello, the Soldier ...................................................................................................... 60 4.4 Results ............................................................................................................................ 64 iii 5 Shylock ..................................................................................................................... 67 5.1 Introductory Remarks on The Merchant of Venice ................................................... 67 5.2 Shylock Throughout the Centuries ............................................................................. 70 5.3 ‘Otherness’ Welcomed or Rejected? .......................................................................... 72 5.3.1 “Because I am a Jew!” – Representations of Shylock as Victim ........................... 72 5.3.1.1 The Venetian Upper Class’ Claims of Superiority ....................................................... 72 5.3.1.2 Digression: The Casket Choice .................................................................................... 75 5.3.1.3 The Venetian Population’s Inexplicable Hatred .......................................................... 77 5.3.1.4 The City’s Discriminatory Administrative and Judicial System .................................. 78 5.3.2 “But since I am a dog beware my fangs” – Representations of Shylock as Perpetrator ............................................................................................................... 79 5.3.2.1 The Jew’s Isolation and Alienation: Cause for, or Result of, his Viciousness? ........... 79 5.3.2.2 The Bond ...................................................................................................................... 81 5.3.2.3 Shylock’s Thirst for Revenge ....................................................................................... 84 5.3.3 “Which is the merchant here, and which the Jew?” – The Economies in The Merchant of Venice ................................................................................................. 88 5.3.3.1 The Importance of Money ............................................................................................ 88 5.3.3.2 Usury and the Mysteriousness of Money ..................................................................... 89 5.3.3.3 The Christians’ Prodigality, and Shylock’s Thrift ....................................................... 91 5.3.3.4 Shylock – A Covert Critique of Puritanism? ............................................................... 93 5.3.4 “Our house is hell” – Shylock and the Domestic Sphere ....................................... 94 5.3.5 “I will have my bond!” – The Tension between Justice and Mercy ....................... 96 5.3.5.1 “I crave the law” ........................................................................................................... 96 5.3.5.2 “Then must the Jew be merciful” ................................................................................. 98 5.3.6 “Thou shalt have Justice more than thou desir’st” – Ambivalent Aspects of the Verdict on Shylock ............................................................................................... 100 5.3.6.1 The Judgement and the Forced Conversion ............................................................... 100 5.3.6.2 The Last Act in Belmont – A Recuperation and Reconciliation of Oppositions? ..... 102 5.3.7 Digression: Jessica ................................................................................................ 104 5.4 Results .......................................................................................................................... 106 6 The ‘Otherness’ of Othello and Shylock – an Evaluation ................................. 111 7 Conclusion ............................................................................................................. 117 8 Bibliography .......................................................................................................... 120 9 List of Abbreviations ............................................................................................ 125 iv 1 Introduction “What a difference a difference makes.” - Mary Ann Sullivan - Throughout the centuries, none of Shakespeare’s masterpieces have caused more controversy, heated debate and conflicting interpretations than Othello and The Merchant of Venice. The two plays, investigating issues of cultural and ethnic identity and depicting
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