Race context in Othello

There was a lot of controversey surrounding the mixed-race marriage between Othello & Desdemona because black people at the time were reperesented as violent whose only use was slavery. Another depiction of black people as myschevious thieves who would cheat people out of their money.

Black people were presented as menacing and repulsive or heroic warriors. This depiction is because they are foreign. 

Thomas Rymer's interpretation of the play in the late seventeenth century as a criticism of women who run away with black people and  how a black person being allowed to marry with an upper class white woman 'upsets all contemporary notions of decorum'. 

Moors on stage were usually dressed in a turban and armed with a sword to show their religion and origin. There are four Moors in Shakespeare's work: Aaron in Titus Andronicus; the Prince of Morocco in The Merchant of Venice; Othello in Othello and Caliban in The Tempest. In Titus Andronicus, there is a fear of a baby born to both black and white parents.

Aaron and the Prince of Morocco are presented as being undeseireable characters Othello and Caliban however, are not as restrained by the stereotype of being uncontrollable, vulgar and crude. 

Othello is aware of his 'otherness' and so has a desire to be accpeted and attempt to be considered normal in the society which he resides. This proves difficult because Othello is not only a moor, but in unacustomed to the Venitian way of life. He has been at war since a young age and so overcompensates by speaking in a very noble manner. Additionally, as a result of this, Othello over romanticizes and glorifies the wars he has experienced thus allowing for Desdemona to fall in love with him