When Othello finishes his monologue the duke relieves him of any guilt he may have for using black magic to marry Desdmona, and ultimately dismisses Desdmona's father's claims.
Othello is a Moor, which is to say an African, but it is not clear whether or not he was actually born in Africa. He does say that he was a soldier since he was seven years old, and that he had...