Shakespearian racism

William Shakespeare uses clever diction and imagery to portray the clear racism in the play Othello, the Moor of Venice.  It would appear that, even back in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, that fair-skinned people were racist and prejudice against black/dark-skinned people.  In one page of dialogue alone, Iago equivolates Othello with a "black ram" and the "Devil".  On looking at the footnote, I was able to see how the devil reference was also a bash at Othello's race.  In old pictures and carvings of the devil, he was represented as being black, as Othello is.  Even the Duke, who loves and admires Othello, comments on his race as a way to consol Brabantio.  "If virtue no delighted beauty lack, your son-in-law is far more fair than black" (I. iii. 286-287).  He is basically saying that, even though Othello is black, Brabantio should consider himself lucky that his son-in-law is so refined and sophisticated for his race.  Iago constantly shows his supposed superiority over Othello by only refering to him as "the Moor".  Iago, along with more people of the time I'm sure, saw Othello as being closer to an animal than a respectable man.