2013 ~ P R E S E N T |
S T I L L E V O LV I N G
after all. His dying speech is probably one of the most
powerful, if not ambiguous (like Othello himself), lines in
the play:
OTHELLO
Set you down this,
And say besides that in Aleppo once,
Where a malignant and a turbaned Turk
Beat a Venetian and traduced the state,
I took by th’ throat the circumcised dog
And smote him – thus! (V.2.349-353)
154
Who is Othello talking about? Is he telling a story that
happened once upon a time? Or is he embodying the
‘malignant and turbaned Turk’, recreating the scene by
demonstrating how he killed the man himself? Some
critics even argue that through this re-enactment,
Othello converts to Islam. After all, if the Turks in
Shakespeare’s time were considered barbarians lacking
self-control then the pieces fit perfectly. Converted or
not, it becomes clear at the end of Othello that our title
character has changed into someone else.
These are just some of the topics I touched upon in my
MA dissertation. Overall, it was a fascinating experience
to read about European perceptions of Islam via original
manuscripts. It was also interesting to note how little
things have changed over time as the Western world
continues to vilify Muslims for existing. The medium
from Moors/Turks might have changed to another
race, but the fear remains the same. History is a vicious
cycle, after all.
Nur Alya Omar studied for one year at SASS before
transferring to Northumbria University where she
graduated with BA (Honours) in English Literature and
Creative Writing in 2016. Subsequently, she gained
a MA in Shakespeare Studies from King’s College,
University of London in 2017. Alya currently works as a
copywriter in an advertising firm.
◀ At the Shakespeare’s
Globe Theatre House
in England (2017)
◀ During my MA graduation at
King’s College, University of London (2018).