She is abused, stol’n from me, and corrupted
By spells and medicines bought of mountebanks;
For nature so preposterously to err,
Being not deficient, blind, or lame of sense,
Sans witchcraft could not.
– William Shakespeare
Othello, Act 1, Scene 3. Brabantio lays charges against Othello before the Duke of Venice of using potions and black magic to seduce and steal Desdemona away from him. He demands justice from the Duke who is in council with the Senators. The racial overtones are clear in Brabantio’s pleadings as he associates the black Moor’s race with witchcraft. He uses sexist language in comparing his daughter to a piece of property that has been "stol’n" from him.