Othello context

Othello context

1. Venice and Cyprus

   •  Venice was associated with power, romance and high culture, an appropriate setting for the Othello–Desdemona love match.
   • Italy was associated with villainy, decadence and corruption, and frequently used as a setting for plays on such themes. Iago personifies these stereotypical Italian vices.
   • The isolation of and threats to the Cyprus setting symbolise the isolation of and threats to Desdemona and Othello.
   • The use of a military setting for a play about marriage underlines the conflict Othello faces when trying to combine love and work.

2. Attitude towards a person’s job and the status of someone who worked in the army

   • The people of Venice looked up to those who protect their country; Othello is valued and seen as a key part of Venetian society
   • Those with a successful profession would be of a high status and well-respected as a result
   • Othello is a military man, with a reputation for courage in battle and good judgement in military matters

3. Attitudes towards love and marriage & ideas about gender roles

   • In the Elizabethan and Jacobean Era, it would be expected as women would marry a powerful man, for status and wealth rather than love
   •  Women were financially dependent, had very few rights and seen as less intelligent then men
   • A man's honour was closely tied to his wife and daughter’s reputation
   • A woman would recognise that she has a duty to her father and husband, which would be expected of a woman at that time
   • Interracial marriage was seen as scandalous
   • Venetian women were seen as promiscuous

4. Literary context – aspects of Greek tragedy

   • Hubris is exaggerates self-confidence and pride resulting in fatal retribution
   • There are five main characteristics of Greek tragedy; tragic hero (Othello), tragic flaw (jealousy), tragedy ends with a catastrophe (Desdemona, Emilia and Othello die), chorus (Emilia sings the Willow Song)

5. Religious beliefs – particularly towards evil and the devil

   • Frequent references to God, Heaven, Hell and the devil – Shakespeare uses his audience’s moral associations with these terms to shape their perception of the characters.
   • Desdemona is linked to good through the use of references to heaven. Iago is linked to evil through references to hell and the devil.
   • Othello has converted to Christianity and subscribes to Christian values
   • Iago has atheistic attitudes and believes men are in control of their own fates