Research Question: Analyze how encounters with foreign cultures within plays like Othello and The Merchant of Venice shape perceptions of national identity. Start by identifying characters who are influenced by or represent different cultures, then discuss how these interactions affect their identity and relationships with others.

Shakespeare’s plays often engage with foreign cultures, using characters from different backgrounds to explore issues of race, identity, and belonging. In works like Othello and The Merchant of Venice, foreign characters are portrayed in ways that challenge and reinforce perceptions of national identity in Elizabethan England. These plays explore the complexities of cultural interactions, shedding light on the tension between the familiar and the foreign and the impact that foreignness has on both individuals and the society they inhabit.

In Othello, the title character is a Moor and a foreigner in Venetian society. His cultural background and race place him outside the accepted norms of Venetian society, and much of the drama in the play arises from Othello’s status as an outsider. His marriage to Desdemona, a Venetian woman, serves as a point of tension, as it challenges the conventional boundaries of race, class, and nationality. Iago’s manipulation of Othello is partly fueled by Othello’s outsider status. Iago exploits Othello’s insecurities about his race and foreignness, suggesting that Othello’s lack of cultural belonging makes him vulnerable to jealousy and distrust. The play highlights how foreignness, particularly in the form of race, influences an individual’s sense of identity and how others perceive them.

Othello’s tragic downfall is, in part, a consequence of his outsider status. His identity as a Moor is seen as something that makes him different, and this difference becomes a source of weakness in his interactions with others. The play exposes the prejudices that shape perceptions of national identity and the ways in which foreignness can be used as a tool of manipulation. The relationship between Othello and Desdemona is symbolic of the larger societal fear of the "other," and Othello’s ultimate tragedy suggests that the tension between cultural integration and exclusion is deeply ingrained in the fabric of the Venetian society Shakespeare depicts.

In The Merchant of Venice, Shylock, a Jewish moneylender, represents another "foreigner" whose identity is shaped by his cultural background. As a Jewish man in a predominantly Christian society, Shylock’s cultural and religious practices set him apart from the other characters, particularly from Antonio, the Christian merchant. The play presents Shylock as an outsider, and his relationship with Antonio is fraught with hostility due to their religious and cultural differences. Shylock’s famous monologue in Act 3, Scene 1—“Hath not a Jew eyes?”—reveals the deep frustration he feels at being dehumanized because of his foreignness. Through this monologue, Shakespeare critiques the prejudice and discrimination that come with cultural and religious differences.

The dynamics between Shylock and the other characters in the play demonstrate the complexities of national identity, particularly in the context of foreignness and cultural diversity. Shylock’s foreignness is portrayed as both a source of strength—his adherence to his Jewish faith and practices—and a source of weakness—his status as a social outsider. The play engages with questions of integration, belonging, and the treatment of the "other," using Shylock’s character to explore how foreignness can both shape and challenge national identity.

Both Othello and The Merchant of Venice show how encounters with foreign cultures challenge and complicate perceptions of national identity. Foreign characters in these plays are marked by their differences, but they also reflect the complexities of identity formation in a society that is increasingly aware of its multicultural dimensions. Shakespeare uses these characters to explore issues of race, religion, and belonging, and in doing so, highlights the ways in which national identity is both fluid and constructed. The interaction between foreign characters and the societies they inhabit forces the audience to question the boundaries of national identity and the value placed on cultural homogeneity versus diversity.

In conclusion, Shakespeare’s portrayal of foreign cultures in Othello and The Merchant of Venice illuminates the complexities of national identity and the social tensions that arise when individuals from different cultural backgrounds interact. The plays explore how foreignness shapes identity, influences relationships, and challenges societal norms, offering a critical reflection on the construction of national identity in both Shakespeare’s time and our own. By highlighting the struggles of characters like Othello and Shylock, Shakespeare invites the audience to reconsider their perceptions of the “other” and the impact of cultural diversity on social cohesion.