Othello- a summary of context
- Created by: renee.hinkley13
- Created on: 28-01-20 18:26
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- Othello
- Historical background
- Believed that Othello was written to suit the interests of King James I who was interested in Turkish history and customs.
- Shakespeare compresses Cinthio's (1584) Italian Prose tale by adding supporting characters- Roderigo and Brabantio. He compresses the action into a few days against the background of military conflict.
- Shakespeare also turned a minor villain into a major one with Iago.
- The play may have been written to record the political and racial tensions between Europeans and Non-Europeans during the 17th Century.
- Social background
- Race
- Tensions existed between races as white people were believed to be superior, even when black people started to gain rights.
- Black people were seen as exotic creatures, villains or devils and their evil was associated with their race.
- "Moor" was a common term used to describe black people.
- Women
- Regarded as the 'weaker sex', emotionally and physically
- Subservient to men/obeying
- Shakespeare created strong female characters in the play that defy the rules
- Desdemona
- Marries Othello without her father's knowledge or permission, breaking several social rules
- Emelia
- Confronts Iago about his actions (at the end of the play).
- This defies the authority Iago is supposed to have over her
- Confronts Iago about his actions (at the end of the play).
- Desdemona
- Fathers would often choose when and who their daughter would marry
- Shakespeare wrote the play in the time of English Renaissance
- A time of cultural development through poetry and literature
- Connotations of setting
- Venice
- Power, high culture, richness, romance, corruption, conflict and promiscuous women
- General Italy
- Villainy
- Venice
- Race
- Historical background
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