Othello I

Within the play Othello, the Moor of Venice by William Shakespeare, the characters dehumanize Othello by depicting him as a black old ram, a Barbary horse, and a Moor. They typically do not refer to him as Othello but inferior labels that designate he is not of the proper Venetian descent. For example, Iago states, "Even now, now, very now, an old black ram is tupping your white ewe (I.i.88-89)." Iago eludes that the ram is Othello. He is older than the ewe, who is Desdemona. Also, he inherits his black skin from his Moroccan descent. Also, the color has a symbolic meaning. He implies that Othello is dark and evil; whereas, Iago describes the ewe as white. Desdemona is pure and fair. Hence, this extended metaphor would be taken woefully by Brabantio.