First of all, in regarding to whether Othello is a Muslim, I believe that at least at the time when the play starts, he is not a Muslim. Because when Othello firstly meets Desdemona in Cyprus in Act Two, Othello says: “Amen to that, sweet powers!” The word “Amen” shows us that he is not speaking in the way Muslims do. In fact, Muslims pray with a very similar word “Ameen.”  They have different pronunciations.  For this reason I believe he is not a Muslim. It is likely that he is a Christian, in recording to Act Two, “And then for her/To win the Moor, were’t to renounce his baptism”, this gives us a hint that Othello has been baptized. Moreover, when Othello tells Cassio and Montano to stop fighting, he says “For Christian shame put by this barbarous brawl!” This shows that he is likely a Christian and feels that the fighting is a shame as a Christian.

Moreover, Othello is a Venetian to the extent that he is appointed as a general who has the supreme power in Cyprus. According to common sense, one would not grant someone who has different nationality such great power that “if I [Othello] stir/Or do but lift this arm, the best of you/Shall sink in my rebuke.” In addition, Othello has served in the Venice military for many years; it is very likely that he becomes Venetian even though there seems no convincing evidences in act two to prove his nationality. Based on these two assumption, I believe Othello is a Venetian.