Jacobean Era_1

Jacobean Era

1. Race

   • Leo Africanus' description in the 1600's.
     • This holds Arab African's higher up the social hierarchy than sub-Saharan African's.
       • Sub-Saharan African: were thought to lead a beastly and ugly king of life.
       • Arab African: thought to be the most honest people and destitute of all fraud and guile.
       • Records suggest that approximately 900 people were of Arabic or African Descent.
   • Roderigo, Brabantio and Iago have similar derogatory views on black people, Othello, although Shakespeare doesn't make it clear what kind of Moor Othello was.
   • Desdemona doesn't subscribe to the ideology of racism. Her character takes no notice of the stereotypes her husband faces with everyone's reactions towards Othello.

2. Religious Divisions between Christians and Turks

   • Christians in Venice wanted to protect Christianity from the influence of the Islamic Turks.
   • In Europe there was an uprising issue of the mix of religion and culture with the west.

3. Women's limited rights

   • Women were subjected to obeying the law of "man" and were to do whatsoever they were told.
   • They were expected to take care of the household and to raise the children.
   • Women had no choice but to solely rely on the male figures in their lives.
   • Wasn't until the late 17th century that a woman first played Desdemona. In theatre, women were played by young men or boys.

4. Customs in theatre

   • Other races were seen to be blood thirsty and violent. They are also describes as "treacherous".
   • People perceived moors as the villains of theatre.
   • In 1596 Queen Elizabeth attempts to have black people expelled from London.
     • She did this despite having black men working for her.