The issue of race is something which cannot be ignored in interpreting the tragedy of Othello. This thesis examines the presence or absence of racial issues by investigating the opinions of critics of the 1950s and contrasting them to critics of the 1980s (mostly from the United States) in order to bring about an understanding of how the tragedy was seen before and after the Civil Rights Movement. Aside from criticism of the two decades in question, I have also included references to relevant criticism from other periods whose authors· expertise were germane to the issue of race and racism. Certain Shakespeare critics, A. C. Bradley, for instance; was of great importance to my efforts because even though his criticism was written well before the earlier period I examined, Bradley set the tone for much of the criticism which followed. Including Bradley in this thesis also provides insight on how the play was viewed during an earlier period in Othello criticism.