Jacobean England

Jacobean England

1. Race

   • The term 'Moor' was derived from the name of the country Mauritania, but was used to refer to North Africans, West Africans, or non-whites or Muslims of any origin.
   • The public associated 'blackness' with moral corruption, citing examples from Christian theology to support the views that 'whiteness' was the sign of purity, and 'blackness' indicated sin.
   • Queen Elizabeth deported Moors from England, due to concerns about over-population and irregular behaviour. About 900 of the 200,000 London Citizens were of African/ Arabic heritage.
   • The slave trade was not fully established until the late 17th Century, therefore, non-whites were not used as slaves, although they were thought to be the inferior race in society.
   • Moors were commonly stereotyped as sexually over-active, prone to jealousy and generally evil.

2. The religious division between the Christians and Turks

   • Religion was more significant to Jacobean England than race. Society was extremely religious, and any non-Christians were minorities and seen to be inferior.
   • Society feared God, as they believed that he was the creator and controller of everything. Because of this, they behaved as purely and religiously as possible, in order to please God. They also strongly believed in witchcraft and supernatural beings and activities, and would commonly accuse minorities of this 'crime'.
   • It was in England's and North Africa's interest to unite against the Turks, while they were busy attempting to conquer the Mediterranean lands in Europe and the nations of North Africa. Christian forces united against the Turks in the battle of Lepanto in 1571 and defeated them for the first time since the 14th Century.
   • The tragic hero Othello is seen to be 'civillised' and 'worthy of empathy' from a Jacobean audience as he is a Christian character, defending Cyprus against the Turks, which makes him a respected General in Venetian society.

3. Women's limited rights and roles

   • Gender roles in the Jacobean era were similar to those of the preceding Elizabethan era- women were inferior in a patriarchal society.
   • Girls were not given an education, as they were taught mothering skills, such as sewing, as preparation for when they became a wife. They generally married young, at as young as 12 years old.
   • Women had no choice in their spouse because they were seen as property of their parents. Therefore, they were expected to respect their parents as if they were servant and master. When they did get married, they then were property of their husband, and were expected to adopt a good wife and mother role. They married for financial security, rather than love.

4. Customs in the theatre

   • It is speculated that Shakespeare wrote 'Othello' for King James I, as he was interested in the history of the Christian and Turkish division.
   • Theatre was a thriving and well-paid industry, and London had around 20 theatres, with playwrights giving them new material every week. It was a popular form of leisure and entertainment. However, as it was a male-dominated society, women roles were often played by young men.
   • Tragic and satire (hyperbolically comical) were at their peak in Jacobean England. Playwrights, such as Shakespeare, Fletcher, Jonson and Webster, explored selfishness and it's effects and the nature of evil in human behaviour for inspiration for plays. Some of Shakespeare's tragic Jacobean plays are 'Othello', 'Macbeth' and 'Tempest'.
   • There were private playhouses for royalty and cheaper public playhouses for commoners. The limited seats were positioned around an open space, with rows facing the stage.

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