Historical Context
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Transcript of Historical Context
Historical Context
• First performed in 1604 • Written during Shakespeare’s tragic period • Backdrop of the wars between Venice and Turkey • Shakespeare’s information probably came from The
History of the Turks by Richard Knolles, which was published in England in the autumn of 1603
• 1603: death of Queen Elizabeth 1 • No clear heir to the throne of England • James I of Scotland took the throne • Pirates and privateers were very common
under Elizabeth’s rule• Signed the Treaty of London (1604) with Spain
What does this have to do with Shakespeare?
• Heavily influenced by what is happening in England • Historically, the war between Venice and Turkey
ended in the 1500s• Why would Othello be set to this backdrop? • Parallel to what is happening in England: Spain vs.
England
History of Othello• Not an original creation of Shakespeare’s • “Un Capitono Moro” by Giovanni Battista Giraldi Cinzio • Original story only contained the outline of Shakespeare’s plot:
Moor general deceived by his ensign (right hand man) into believing his wife is unfaithful
• Shakespeare added new characters, such as Roderigo and Brabanzio, Desdemona’s father
• Compressed the action to the space of a few days • Most important change: changed the ensign (minor villain) inot the
arch-villian Iago• Can be debated that the play is actually about Iago and his
manipulation of the other characters
Othello’s race
• Othello’s race is constantly open to debate• The word “Moor” has a different meaning today • Othell’s darkness or blackness is alluded to many
times in the play • Opposition of black and white imagery is a
marker of difference between Othello and the other characters
• Creates a tension in the play
Heroic or Egotistical?
• Thought to be one of Shakespeare’s most heroic plays • Debates over whether Othello is a heroic character or
simply egotistical • Largest role of a Moor character in Elizabethan
England • Othello is seen to be a noble figure with great
authority and respect• Iago is the only character with a stereotypical view of
Othello (look at his word choice when describing Othello)
A series of 70 paintings depicting love, race, jealousy, and evil
Othello by Nabil Kanso
Themes of the Play
Some of the themes we will be looking at while reading Othello:
• Jealousy • Prejudice• Appearance and Reality
Major Characters
• Iago• Othello• Desdemona