The representation of Language, Race and Ethnicity in Shakespearean tragedies

Abstract

Language, race and ethnicity are the leading themes of William Shakespearean’s time. He portrays these aspects in his great plays. Shakespeare shows us the colonial problems in many ways but the presentation of language; race and ethnicity are unique in the plays of The Tempest, Othello and The Merchant of Venice. Colonization of nations generally dominates their resources, labor, and markets, may also impose socio-cultural, religious and linguistic structures on the indigenous population. I intend to explore these issues in my dissertation, and show their use in Shakespeare. The first chapter explores language and its representation as well as the linguistic imperialism in Shakespeare’s play, The Tempest. I will discuss colonial presentation of language used a tool in Othello and The Merchant of Venice, too. In the second chapter, I intend to how race is introduced as a colonial subject in Shakespeare’s play Othello. The chapter will examine racial inequality imperial rule, racial discrimination, new racism, racial complex, inferiority and superiority, identity crisis in the play of The Tempest and The Merchant of Venice. In the third chapter, I intend to look at the portrayal of ethics specially based on religion and belief in Shakespeare’s play The Merchant of Venice. Here, I will discuss Shakespeare’s presentation of cultural domination, English imperialism, cultural conflicts and representation. I will also show the resistance, usurpation, superiority of European culture, slavery, cultural difference and the relation between colonizers and colonized in Shakespeare’s play The Tempest and Othello. The conclusion will provide a view of Shakespeare’s conception about language, race and ethnicity in the context of the colonizing process.