Historical background Flashcards
What was the general attitude towards race during Elizabethan times?
Elizabethan literature tended to present other races using negative stereotypes - even shakespeare used stereotypes e.g. Aaron in Titus Andronicus is a black villain.
How did Shakeapeare challenge traditional values in terms of race?
The character of Othello was the first portrayal of a noble black protagonist in English literature. Iago, the white man, is a villain.
What was the general attitude towards gender during Elizabethan times?
Women were expected to be chaste, quiet, and subservient to their father and husband.
How did Shakeapeare challenge traditional values in terms of gender?
Desdemona is outspoken and assertive at the start of the play. She was “half the wooer” in her relationship with Othello.
What was the general attitude towards marriage during Elizabethan times?
Marriages were often arranged by a woman’s father - women were expected to marry someone of the same class and race.
How did Shakeapeare challenge traditional values in terms of marriage?
Othello and Desdemona’s marriage went against society’s expectations. Interracial marriages were seen as “unnatural”.
