Context (AO3) Flashcards
(7 cards)
Shakespeare’s life
-Global reputation - England’s most famous playwright and influence on writing and culture
-Married Anne Hathaway at 18
-Gathered reputation in London
-His plays are generally divided into 3 genres: histories, tragedies (Othello), and comedies
-First recorded performance of Othello 1604, generally thought written in 1603
The Renaissance period
-15th century - mid-17th century
-Theatre performances = popular form of entertainment in late Elizabethan/early Jacobean periods
-Cultural movement with flourishing of Latin and Ancient Greek philosophies and knowledge in Western Europe
-Many words and phrases are recorded in writing for the first time in Shakespeare’s work - development and flourishing of language in this period
Setting
Venice:
-Reputation as a cosmopolitan and diverse city, full of wealth and political stability
-Diverse population - cultural and ethnic variety backgrounds including those immigrated (like Oth) and adopted Venetian values
-Associated with exotic excitement and dangerous otherworldliness - many white characters intrigued by Othello and his backstory
Cyprus:
-A war outpost
-Critic Hadfield - “a critical utopian space”, a seemingly ideal society where tensions are brewing beneath the surface
-Oth = military senior officer, happy and successful despite being an outsider but subject to hate by Brab and Iago
-Racism and fear most likely a reflection of English fears and behaviours, as well as those of the Venetians
-Cyprus even more unknown than Venice, therefore more dangerous and closer to Arab and Turkish world -> the further the play is removed from Western Europe the more civilisation and honour break down
Race
-In Shakespearean England, the term ‘moor’ had numerous definitions to describe people from any region in Africa
-His precise origins do not matter to other characters - the very fact he is not white and European is enough to set him apart and make aware of his ‘otherness’
-Repeatedly referred to as black, most often by Iago - 16th and 17th centuries black could refer to both morality and race, white stood for purity and innocence, black was the antithesis
-Duke - ‘your son in law is far more fair than black’ - looking past his colour to describe him as good and moral
Dramatic context
-General dramatic conception = moors were menaces intent on destruction, when on stage presented as threat to moral, social and political order
-Othello’s character starkly different - protagonist and initially a noble, honourable man
-Shakespeare’s characterisation of him in some ways contrasts a stereotypical depiction
-We still see echoes of this typical characterisation e.g. quickly succumbs to a jealous rage and murdees his innocent, white, European wife
Religion
-Explores relationship between Christians and Muslims in late 16th century
-Set against backdrop of ongoing wars between Christian Republic of Venice and Muslim Ottoman Empire
-Religious conflict = important to a play who’s protagonist is a convert to Christianity
-The wars are subtle reminder of the conflict between Christianity and Muslims, yet another reminder of how Othello stands apart from society
-Great Chain of Being - Elizabethan/Jacobean concept, notion of heirarchy of all creation from God at top to animals at bottom -> Othello frequently compared to an animal by Iago
Women and marriage
-Women = subordinates, everything they owned became their husband’s possession including themselves
-Fathers were expected to choose a husband - Brab expects to do so for Des, he considers her under his ownership calling Othello a ‘foul thief’
-Des says she is ‘bound’ to both her husband and father and owes him a ‘duty’
-By the end of the final Act the normal social order has been disrupted by Oth murder of Des, Emilia is now free to speak up for herself and contradict the patriarchal hierarchy
-Stereotypes of Venetian women = Venice thought to be a city famous for freedoms and liberality it offered its inhabitants, thought to be as a place of sexual freedom -> male characters are quick to assume their wives are unfaithful
-Reputation of Venice as a hub of prostitution and sexual freedom may be a contributor to Oth quickly believing Des cheated on him and Iago being suspicious that Emilia slept with Oth
