In a typical work of literature, the blackness of something represents its darkness and evil, and the whiteness represents the purity and goodness of something. William Shakespeare plays with the status quo of literature in his play Othello by giving Iago, a white man who should represent purity, a black and evil heart and by giving Othello, a black man, a noble and white heart while 'he should represent evil. Shakespeare “bases his play on the rupture between exterior signifiers and interior signifiers, between the black, evil-looking face of the Moor and his “perfect soul,” between the honest-looking white exterior of his former self and the ulcerous evil which multiplies around his heart” (Calderwood 59). Shakespeare brilliantly spoils the usual use of chiaroscuro in each character. As the play progresses, we are shown how the other characters in the play view Othello and Iago. Othello has the negative stereotype of a black Moor: disrespected and hated, except to those who know him and his nobility. He is constantly and disrespectfully nicknamed “the Moor”. “Othello is only mentioned by name in the Senate, when the Duke, paying tribute to his prowess as a soldier, hails him as ‘valiant Othello’” (Room 82). Even though Othello is a valiant soldier, which the Duke recognizes, many characters in the play choose to only see his skin color. "The audience is constantly reminded that Othello is a black African, not only by his physical presence on stage, but also because almost every other character in the play, who is white, sees him as different from them, and perhaps inferior to themselves" (Room 82). While some characters accept the stereotype of the "Moor", others admire him and are able to look beyond his dark...... middle of paper ...... compared to the devil. Othello's soul is white and pure, although his skin is black, and Iago's soul is black where his skin is white. In Othello, Shakespeare contrasts the light and dark images between Othello and Iago, breaking protocol and showing his skill in intertwining chiaroscuro. Works Cited Calderwood, James L. The Properties of Othello. Amherst: University of Massachusetts Press, 1989. Hall, Joan Lord. Othello. Westport: Greenwood Press, 1999. Hyman, Stanley Edgar. Iago: Some approaches to the illusion of his motivation. New York: Atheneum, 1970. Kolin, Philip C. Blackness Made Visible. Othello: new critical essays. Comp. and ed. Philippe Kolin. New York: Routledge, 2002. 1-13. Siegel, Paul N. Shakespearean Tragedy and the Elizabethan Compromise. New York: New York University Press, 1957. Shakespeare, William. Othello. Class script. Holy Bible