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Through Shakespeare’s play and Sax’s filmic adaptation of Othello, both composers have made social commentary through different narrative forms on racist beliefs and views, causing members of both audiences to reflect on the values that they or the people around them may hold, connecting them across time. In Shakespeare’s play, Othello is referred to by these characters several times as a “Moor” – an offensive racial epithet used derogatively in 17th century England. Additionally, Shakespeare has employed hellish imagery when Iago refers to Othello as “the devil,” associating the trait of dark skin with having an evil nature like the devil. Through this, Shakespeare is able to convey the way in which people of colour had been treated in Venice, despite Othello’s position of eminence and respect that he held from the Venetian court. This enables Shakespeare to comment on the unnecessary racial views held by his Jacobean audience where racism was especially prominent, prompting the audience to reflect and consider their own views as they are conflicted on whether to pity Othello, the tragic hero, or take side with the antagonist, Iago, who has a far more evil nature despite being a white man. Similarly, in Sax’s film, the setting of the 1981 Brixton riots is used to make commentary on systemic racism in industries. After John Othello’s promotion, he makes a speech following the death of Billy Coates saying that there will be “zero tolerance for racism,” in his police force. In this scene, Sax has employed multiple panning and long shots of the audience to which Othello speaks to, made up of mostly white men with some women, highlighting racism within industries as so far through the film, Othello is the only coloured police officer shown. Additionally, in the mis en scene of tiered seating, despite the fact that Othello is their leader and a powerful figure, he is placed below the people he is speaking to, displaying the way that not only those in the film, but a early 21st century society may not respect or treat coloured leaders the way they obey white leaders. Therefore, although racism is not as extreme as it was in Shakespeare’s audience, Sax has still made commentary on systemic racism which is one of the most prevalent examples of racism in our modern society and world. Like Shakespeare, Sax has engaged audiences to reflect on this and how they may treat leaders or even coworkers differently due to not just their race but to think further on perhaps gender, religion or ethnicity. Thus, in their different narrative forms of play and film, composers Shakespeare and Sax have communicated their values and beliefs on racist paradigms held by their audiences, prompting them to reflect on their own views.