Othello CONTEXT Flashcards
Race
P.T 1
- Black people were seen as lower on the chain of being.
- They possessed animalistic qualities and had a primitive nature.
- Fit only to be slaves - However othello is high born and respected. Going against society’s expectations. (Othello says how he was sold to slavery and escaped)
- Seen as exotic and mysterious but evil and savage.
- Were often associated with witchcraft.
- Seen as having an unnatural sexual appetite “lascivious”
Race
P.T 2
The devil was portrayed as having black skin.
- Black people were often villains in the plays however Othello isn’t??
- In Cyprus Othello begins to conform to societal expectations of the time.
- Desdemona as a white venetian gets sympathy, or would have from an audience at the time.
- Black people were seen as having a physical disformity and it was the devils mark.
- Because Iago looks honest because he’s white, Othello sees him as incapable of villainy.
Gender
P.T 1
- Jacobean society was a patriarchal one.
- Women were lower than men on the chain of being.
- Desdemona pushes the boundaries of this by disobeying her father and marrying Othello.
- Seen as objects of their husband and fathers “Look to your house, your daughter and your bags” “I won his daughter” object - prize
- Most men assumed venetian women were promiscuous, which explains why female sexuality is a huge threat to males in the play.
- Gender and race overlap a lot in the play and several characters in the play believe that black men sexually contaminate white women, including Othello.
Gender
P.T 2
- Othello is easily convinced his wife is cheating on him.
- Desdemona seems a strong female character at the start of the play and doesn’t seem threatened.
- Desdemona understands societal expectations “I am bound for life and education” she is also at times in the play shown as being a submissive character.
- Desdemonas murder - being suffocated by bed sheets - shows how she’s suffocated by her faithfulness.
- Bianca’s a prostitute and therefore low on the chain of being. Seen as a “fallen woman”.
Religion
Jacobean (and elizabethan) society was an era of religious beliefs.
- Battling the Turks - an era of religious war.
- Othello’s concept of Hell was a real concern of the time.
- Hellish language would have been shocking for a jacobean audience.
- Many people believed that black people couldn’t be christian as they were not aligned with god. Therefore the tragic end was inevitable.
- Women were viewed as untrustworthy because of Eve’s sin.
The Renaissance Man
- The ideal man was well-balanced and in control of his emotions. Othello is portrayed as this at the start.
- However this changes in Cyprus and progresses.
Venice
- Known for its beauty, culture, civilisation and pleasure.
- It was also known for its sexual freedom which is why venetian women were seen as promiscuous.
Seven Deadly Sins
- foundation of morality.
- Shakespeare employs them as a way of showing faults within protagonists and villains.
- Othello-Wrath Iago-Envy
- These sins are thought to lead to murder, as proved by Othello and Iago.
Jealousy and Chaos
- Jealousy was seen as an infection with no cure or prevention. Evil Spirits.
- Chaos was the undoing of gods creation, a return to darkness and the break of the chain of being.
- Shakespeares contempories had a fear of the return to anarchy.
- Othello and Iago are both overcome by jealousy and chaos.
Cuckoldry
- This was a mans greatest fear becoming a horned beast, - This was a fear because it showed they couldn’t control there wife and had married someone with an unnatural sexual appetite.
- Young beautiful wives would have captivated their husbands but were also seen as a target of other men, as Roderigo confirms.
Courtly Love
- This is represented in Othello by Cassio, who is attractive. He uses poetic language and has a chivalrous manner.
- The lady who he is devoted to is expected to have other suitors.
- The courtly lover is a member of high society and concerned with the notions of honour and reputation.
Tragedy
P.T 1
- The tragic hero has to be played by someone with some kind of power (king, or prince) and they make a mistake or have misfortune.
- The tragic plot is that it must have a clear sense of plot and then a change in the heroes fortune from happiness to misery.
- Anagnorisis is when the hero has a moment of realisation but can’t do anything about it as it is too late.
- The audience experience catharsis through the heroes suffering and death.
Tragedy
P.T 2
- 16th C critics said it was no longer than 24 hours, in only one place and no subplots but continuous action.
- Shakespeare plays around with the convention as whilst Othello is primarily known as a tragedy it could also be a comedy.
- The reign of James I was the most prolific period of english dramatic writing.
- Jacobean tragedy’s revolve around an obsession with death, sexual passion and physical decay. Sin was always associated with sexuality.
