According to author Chinua Achebe, “The very idea of ​​a stereotype is to simplify. Instead of addressing the problem of all this great diversity… just make one big statement; this is it.” These broad simplifications have been encountered throughout history and often reflect the attitudes of an entire society in a specific time period. In particular, much can be discovered about the prevailing attitudes of a society through its literature. Shakespeare, specifically, wrote multiple works that incorporate generalizations of his era. For example, Shylock from The Merchant of Venice served as an archetype of the late 16th century Jew. Othello explicitly includes race and religion as a key part of the motivations behind the characters' actions. In Othello, Shakespeare portrays Othello as a character who transcends stereotypes but still has some connections to his cultural and religious origins. Shakespeare illustrates how the Venetian stereotypes of the early 17th century are not entirely accurate but have a basis and a history behind them. In doing so, Shakespeare is able to convey how stereotypes have a historical basis surrounding them; however, one cannot be expected to act in a way defined exclusively by others. Othello attempts to represent and break down the stereotypes of a particular group of people who were seen as strange and dangerous by a traditional and prejudiced audience, and does so successfully. The characterization of Othello as an atypical Moor is what initially begins to question the validity of stereotypes. held by the public at the time of writing. From the beginning of the play, Shakespeare immediately takes Othello's religious aspect out of consideration, as he makes Othello a Christian Moor, rather than... middle of paper... fulfilling expectations but also seeing him as a other human being. Works Cited Aubrey, James R. “The Race and Spectacle of the Monstrous in Othello.” CLIO 22.3 (Spring 1993): 221-238. Rpt. In Shakespearean criticism. Ed. Lynn M. Zott. vol. 68. Detroit: Gale, 2003. Literary Resource Center. Web March 8, 2012.Levistsky, Ruth M. “Prudence versus Wisdom in Othello.” Dalhousie Review 54.2 (Summer 1974): 281-288. Rpt. In Shakespearean criticism. Ed. Michael L. LaBlanc. vol. 72. Detroit: Gale, 2003. Literature Resource Center. Web 8 March 2012.Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1890. Print.Tiffany, Grace. “Othello: racist or anti-Islamist?” Shakespeare Newsletter Winter 2009: 111. Literature Resource Center. Network. February 6, 2012. Vaughan, Virginia. Othello: A Contextual History. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996. 22-24. Press.