Contexts of Othello

Contexts of Othello

1. Historical

   • set in the 16th century in Venice and Cyprus
   • Othello is set against a backdrop of wars between Venice and Turkey that rages on in the later part of the sixteenth century
   • Cyprus, which is the setting for most of the action was a Venetian attacked by the Turks in 1570 and conquered a year later.
     • Can symbolize Iago's victory over Othello
     • Volatile situation in Cyprus used to represent Othello 's isolation and vulnerability
   • Iago the main villain or the play has a Spanish name.
     • in the 16th century, Spain was England's greatest enemy and biggest competitor for colonies
   • Moors- Islamic Arab inhabitants of North Africa

2. Social

   • patriarchal society- men made all decisions in their household and the father would choose who and when the daughter would marry. Daughters had to respect and obey their fathers. one married they had to respect and obey their husbands.
     • Desdemona breaks social rules when she marries Othello without her Father's approval and can be seen as having been punished for it.
   • in the 16th century a person's job reflected their character and the army was one of the most prestigious jobs
     • general- was thought to be brave, logical, loyal, courageous and trustworthy. Lieutenant-second in command, held same characters as general Ancient-was thought to be courageous and loyal
   • The great chain of being- Elizabethans believed that God set out an order for everything in the universe. e.g 1: the G.C.B of power- King,. Queen,Nobles,Merchants,Peasants. e.g 2: the G.C.B in households- Father, Mother, Sons, Daughters, Servants. these were orders believed to have been set by God and if someone was to go against this order, it was believed that a great punishment from God would befall them

3. Political

   • Queen Elizabeth I was the leader of England. Europe was spit in a war between the Catholic church and the Protestant church which also involved other countries. When Qeen Elizabeth came into power, alot of disaster was expected to follow due to the fact that she was a woman at a time when women were looked down upon. she was also merely 25 and had no family to fall back on in case of any problems. Contrary to people's beliefs, Q.E was one of the greatest rulers in England, inspiring an age of economic prosperity and a well of society