Othello by William Shakespeare

1. Othello by William Shakespeare • First performance by the King’s Men on November 1st, 1604 • Takes place in Venice and the island of Cyprus, but was also influenced by Shakespeare’s native England • The story of Othello, the Moor, who is destroyed by Iago the “supreme villain”

2. What is a Moor? • In Shakespeare’s time, a Moor was equivalent to “African” and was not necessarily a negative word. • Originally the word “Moor” meant “native of Mauritania” a country in North Africa. • However, Othello’s intended ethnicity is in some dispute. “Moor” is also a name applied to the Arab or Berber peoples of North Africa, who were Muslim, and lived in Spain. These people were not always dark-skinned.

3. He was certainly an outsider and different from other Venetian men. It can be assumed that Othello is dark-skinned. He is also a Christian, not a Muslim, and shows this throughout the play. So Othello the character was…

4. In the 17th century, English attitudes towards non-Europeans were not always empathetic. Any person who was “different” was usually quite visible due to their exotic dress and customs. Moors were commonly referred to as “devils” or “villains” and were thought to be sexually overactive. They were also thought to be prone to jealousy and generally wicked. The Moor in Shakespeare's time

5. The Moor in England cont… • The public associated “blackness” with moral corruption citing examples from Christian theology that whiteness was the sign of purity. • Queen Elizabeth did grant the Moors “full diplomatic recognition” out of thanks for their help in conquering Spain in 1601 but then she deported them citing concerns of over-population. • Moors were not associated with slavery, since the slave trade would not be established until the late 17th century. Please don’t ever call Othello an African-American 

6. While these attitudes most certainly connected to Shakespeare’s motivation and desire to write Othello, the play itself actually starts in Venice and then moves to Cyprus.

7. Venice is in northern Italy and Cyprus is a small island in the eastern Mediterranean. The time is 1570-1571 when the Ottoman Turks attacked Cyprus, a Venetian possession and Venice vows to defend Cyprus. Possessing Cyprus gave Venice trade and position power. Eventually the Venetians were forced to give Cyprus to the Turks. Setting Background

8. The Ottoman Empire

9. About Venetians in 1570 • Venice was an oligarchic city-state of much wealth. Because of its location on the route to the holy land, it was actually quite diverse. • Venice provides an environment for Othello to be both revered and despised. According to Venetian law, the army general was required to be a foreigner. Therefore, Othello would be admired for his valor and leadership but feared for his “otherness”. The idea of him marrying a white woman of a high position would make him despised. • Othello also “tames” his otherness by being a Christian…not a Muslim.

11. Where did Shakespeare get his inspiration for Othello? • The principle source for the play is a story by an Italian author, Giovanni Battista Giraldi, who is also known as Cinthio. In Cinthio’s story only one character was given a name “Disdemona” meaning “unlucky”

12. This is not American Lit! • No, obviously not, but it is what Early Americans would have been reading and discussing. • Shakespeare is timeless and Othello forces the reader to see Othello as a “civilized” outsider who is worthy of our empathy. He is not the villain and yet if he were a real person living in either Venice or England he would have been solely because of his difference.

13. Sources • Johnsen-Neshati, Kristin. A Cultural Context for Othello. July 2005 • Sheridan, Gregory. The Expansion of Venice & Race in Othello. October 98

14. Othello, the Moor army general, husband to Desdemona Desdemona, wife of Othello, and daughter of Brabantio Brabantio, a Venetian senator Iago, Othello’s ensign or ancient (serves Othello, third in command) Cassio, Othello’s lieutenant (2nd in command) Emilia, wife of Iago Roderigo, a gentleman tricked by Iago Montano, governor of Cyprus Duke of Venice Lovidico and Gratiano (noble Venetians) Character List