What do we learn about views towards foreigners/moors?
Before Brabantio enters in act 1 scene 3, Othello is described as the 'valiant moor' which although could be seen as negative because he is known for being black, it can be seen as positive because although he is black and a lot of Venetian people tended to be quite racist, as displayed by Brabantio, the word "valiant" shows they respect him. However when Brabantio enters, we learn that he has quite a negative attitude towards the moor when he accuses Othello as using "spells and medicines" to trick his daughter into marrying her because she would never "fall in love with what she feared to look on", this is playing to the stereotype of black people being a mystical negro and therefore shows a very negative view on foreigners. Throughout the rest of the discussion about whether Desdemona was tricked into marrying Othello, we notice that no other person in a position of power is intentionally negative about Othello, portraying that on the whole he is viewed in a positive way for being a moor in the 17th century.
What is ironic about Othello's claim that "rude am i in my speech"?
The fact that Othello is implying that he is unskilled in the art of speech is indeed ironic due to the fact that he actually won Desdemona over through the stories he told her about his life. He must be good at telling stories based on the very fact that he actually brought Desdemona to tears through the telling of his "travailous history". It is also ironic that although Brabantio is accusing Othello of stealing Desdemona from him, he is the reason why they even know each other in the first place. We are known to this because Othello mentions that he "questioned me the story of my life" therefore implying that he spent a lot of time round their house, with Desdemona. This also portrays that they're again playing down to black stereotypes, in this case the moor being an object of curiosity.
What is startling about Othello's decision to let Desdemona speak on his behalf?
As we know, people of the 17th century were unbeknownst to the black community as a whole as many of them weren't around. Therefore it is completely startling that Othello would place his life in the hands of a white woman of status because she absolutely had more power over him, despite being a woman in a patriarchal society, and could've convinced them that Othello had indeed snatched her and "stolen" her from her father.
Using the thinking question above, what 'stories' does Othello tell in his speech to the senate?
Othello shares of the experiences he has lived through such as being "sold to slavery" when he was fighting in earlier battles. By sharing these stories of his exciting life, he is placing himself in the stereotype of an object of curiosity. All of his stories portrays that he believes the false ideology of what it means to be a good soldier, i.e. valiant and brave. He tells these stories with the knowledge that this will make him look more innocent as he is playing into their stereotypical thoughts of him. As well as doing this, he is acknowledging his tragic flaw without even realizing.
