Othello- Race in The Duke's Speech

Duke: “Let it be so./ Good night to everyone. [ To Brabantio] And, noble signor,/ If virtue no delighted beauty lack,/ Your son-in-law is far more fair than black.”

At this time in the story, the duke pardons Othello for stealing Desdemona. Both men then plan Othello’s and his wife’s departure to Cyprus. The Duke turns to Brabantio and tries to help him accept his new son-in-law. The passage contains words that stray away from physical hue and focus on the internal character. The Duke first addresses Brabantio as a “noble signor.”
Nobility addresses a person of a high ranking position and virtues characteristics. The world also described a person associated with good rather evil. The Duke then tells Brabantio that “if virtue no delighted beauty lack.” In this passage, the Duke focuses on the goodness and righteousness that associated with virtue. Virtue, an abstract word, focuses on the internal character of a person rather than the outward appearance. The Duke uses virtue to highlight Othello’s good character rather than his black skin color that appalls Brabantio. The Duke finally stamps Othello as a creature “for more fair than black” at the end of the passage. This action marks Othello’s whitening and illustrates the racism that the Venetians feel toward the Moore. If Othello did not have all the honors that he had accumulated throughout his service to the Venice, the Duke would not have overlooked his skin color. Overall, the Dukes words illustrate a racist Venice whiling to overlook race out of convenience.