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Jacobean England

1. Race

   • There were many negative connotations presented in the theatre about race.
   • Some people presented them as violent and blood thirsty.
   • Overall, throughout Elizabethan and Jocabean theatre, there is a villainous image of black men.
   • It was not uncommon for people to have black musicians and servants but in 1596, Queen Elizabeth I tried to have then all expelled. Not many were expelled as the people who used them for servants or musicians refused to give them up as they received no compensation.
   • The language of the play makes it difficult to see if Shakespeare meant for Othello to be a tawny moor or a black moor but there is some evidenc ein the text to suggest that Shakespeare did intend Otheloo to be black ("haply for I am black").

2. Religious Divisions

3. Women's Limited Rights

4. Customs in the theatre

   • It was common for white performers to paint themselves dark for black roles. However, it was often done in mockery.