Racial Conflict in the Selected Plays of William Shakespeare

Shahaji Mastud

doi:10.24113/ijellh.v9i5.11047

Abstract

William Shakespeare embraces the racial concerns of the seventeenth century in his various plays. The racial clash was one of the significant inquiries of the seventeenth century. There were numerous prohibitions against the relationship of black and white. The etymological colonialism was at the core of the Shakespearean dramatization that rendered on racism. The language utilized as a pioneering instrument for racial discrimination. Moreover, Shakespeare's play was effectively associated with darker-looking individuals during Elizabethan times. Therefore, the darker-looking Othello and the Jewish Shylock have assumed a significant role in the play. They dominated their respective play, that’s why Shakespeare's works depict the dramatization of racial conflict. There are numerous cases of racial segregation in the current situation, so the issue of race is expected to be re-evaluated with a fresh point of view.This knowledge will help to solve the problem of racial conflict with ground breaking thoughts.

Highlights

Conflict is based on cultural perspective, and it progresses to global conflict
A lack of tolerance leads to violent behaviour, and violent behaviour creates another cycle of conflict, anxiety, and stress in the individual
As Geraldine Heng explains, “race has no singular or stable referent” because “race is a structural relationship for the articulation and management of human differences, rather than a substantive content.” 2 on the other hand James Peterson says that, “Race, for the most part here, refers to socially constructed phenomena associated with the experiences of Africans in America: Colored folks, Negroes, Afro‐Americans, and eventually African Americans.” (P. 291)3 The racial discrimination based on the caste, creed and colour

Summary

Introduction

The major source of the conflict is misunderstanding, different goals, morals, beliefs, and thoughts among the people. Shakespeare’s plays like Othello, Merchant of Venice, Titus Andronicus, and the Tempest uses the terms like bond, slave and the primary concepts of the race, so why in those drama’s he uses terminology regarding racism. Tempest has the theme of racism, and racial presentation of the Caliban. Merchant of Venice, Titus Andronicus, and Tempest used words such as ‘Witch’, ‘Monster’, and ‘Slave’ in the play to symbolise racial inferiority.

Results

Conclusion