By William Shakespeare Othello By William Shakespeare An play expurgated by a man named Thomas Bowdler, who published a censored version of Shakespeare’s works, which Othello was included. 

Othello’s Summary Othello is a strong and powerful warrior, who falls in love with a woman named Desdemona. Iago, a fellow warrior who does not hold as much power as Othello, wants everything that he has, and to get there, he believes that he has to ruin Othello. He does this by making Othello believe that Desdemona is not faithful to him, and in the end Othello ends up smothering Desdemona to death.

Thomas Bowdler In 1807, a man named Thomas Bowdler, and his sister Henrietta, published a book called The Family Shakespeare. This was a censored version of a few of Shakespeare’s plays, including Othello. Bowdler states that he “removed everything that could give just offence to the religious and virtuous mind.” He also stated that it was more appropriate for women and children. http://departments.oxy.edu/library/geninfo/collections/special/bannedbooks/censoredworks.htm

Bowlder expurgated lines containing the word moor which is used to represent an African American man, and to some people may be offensive: “I am one, sir, that comes to tell you, your daughter and the Moor are now making the beast with two backs.” http://departments.oxy.edu/library/geninfo/collections/special/bannedbooks/censoredworks.htm

Shakespeare writes these things in no means to support racism, but he is merely exploring it; trying to find the meaning of why racial difference can effect one’s character. I believe that expurgation is such an ironic way of censoring children, because reading books that deal with racism can only help kids, looking deeper into it, understanding it and seeing effects of it. The main point of education is to help students think in their own way. Censoring novels and plays only takes away from that, and blocks out what needs to be understood in thoughtful way.

Othello is Challenged Today Surprisingly, Othello is still being challenged my teachers and parents in England. They believe that it should be banned due to the theme of race, and sexual reference. Their National Assessment Agency, is supporting this argument, but their has been no official decision yet. http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/mortarboard/2007/feb/02/puttingoutthelightisothel Our first amendment includes the promise to freedom of speech and press. Banning books takes away those freedoms. In this school, our library carries Othello, and also in the 12th grade English curriculum we also read it. 

Shakespeare had to have had a reason to make Othello black, and many different theaters have explored the reasoning for it. This play is known for its complexity in the characters, in love, hate, and passion. Expurgation completely contradicts that, and takes away from the complexity in this play master piece itself.