context Flashcards
when was the play first performaed?
sometime between 1602 and 1604
how is the play ‘transcendental’?
it appeals to many different people across time and place through generic themes and issues
when and where was shakespeare born?
1564 in stratford upon avon
who and at what age did shakespeare marry?
anne hathaway at 18
what theatre troupe did shakespeare become an important member of?
the lord chamberlain’s men
when did shakespeare die?
in 1616
what was the three main types of plays shakespeare wrote?
comedies, tragedies and histories
what may have inspired shakespeare’s transition to tragedies
the loss of one of his children in 1596
what were the nature of the first group of plays shakespeare wrote and what did they involve?
comedies involving romantic love stories that often ended happily
what king did shakespeare’s theatre troupe become popular with?
james i
Macbeth, Julius Caesar, and Othello are all examples of what type of play?
dramatic tragedies
how does the location of the play distance the audience?
it is set in the mediterranean, distancing the contemporary london audience, even though many of the issues in the play are relevant to england
what is a feature of the renaissance, and how is this reflected in the play?
it was a period of great change, when many established (and often medieval) rules were upturned.
desdemona and othello’s union is part of breaking this tradition.
what do characters like emilia demonstrate in terms of the renaissance?
women that were trying to gain more power
what do characters like iago demonstrate in terms of the renaissance?
the rise of individuals trying to break the established order
what is an example of the established order being broken in Othello?
desdemona and othello’s marriage
what do tragedies classicaly present?
the fall of high-status characters
how might the play be seen as a communication of tragedy tradition?
othello is a renowned general, so he could be considered a high status character, the play showing his fall.
why, in classic tragedies, were high-status characters used rather than low-status?
high-status characters have so much further to fall and lose than a lower starus character
what is a tragic flaw?
a trait of a character that is problematical and leads to their downfall. often another character (a tragic villain) will find this weakness and aims to exploit it.
what is the spiral of tragedy in a tragedy?
when the tragic hero’s flaw has been exploited. everything starts going wrong and the character can’t escape their downfall, they tend to blame everyone but themselves.
how does chaos result in a tragedy?
the main character makes a set of poor decisions, these decisions don’t just impact them, but wider society and other characters around them.
when does a tragedy reach its climax, and what is the climax in othello?
when something happens that is impossible to change, in othello, it is the murder of desdemona.
what follows a tragedy’s climax?
the tragic hero will realise what they have done and gain insight. then they are either killed by a heroic figure of by themselves.
what does L.P. Hartley assert to elizabethan society?
‘the past is a foreign country; they do things differently there’
who were the monarchs during shakespeare’s life>
queen elizabeth i and king james i
what is the elizabethan era also known as?
the ‘golden age’ or ‘renaissance era’
what did the elizabethan era see?
increased global expansion for the british empire through naval exploration, and growth in english literature, theatre and music.
how was the elizabethan era unstable?
there was political conflict due to religious divisions and widespread poverty. most men could not vote and women had very few rights.
who was the religious conflict between?
the catholic and protestanr christian religions across europe and in england.
how were religious conflicts reflected in england during this time?
protestant monarchs were targets of catholic plots, the most famous being the gunpowder plot against james i in 1605.
what are the two settings in Othello?
venice and cyprus
what do the two settings represent?
hugely different ‘worlds’ and the shift in setting is also reflected in shifts in plot, action and characterisation
which of the settings was a influential major commercial seaport in the 16th century?
venice
what was venice symbolic of?
the political factionalism, intrigue and moral corruption of the time
why did playwrights often use venice as a setting?
to show cultural sophistication
in contrast to venice, what does the setting of cyprus represent?
an unstable, violent setting.
which king was very interested in turkish history?
king james i
who was cyprus controlled and invaded by?
controlled by venice; invaded by turkey in 1570
how does shakespeare use the turkish threat in the play?
he uses it as a pretext to change the play’s setting to be more isolated, unordered and claustrophoic, which then serves to intensify the ominous, foreboding atmosphere as tragedy unfolds and order is destroyed.
why do some critics believe shakespare set his plays in foreign, exotic or invented places?
so he wouldn’t be prosecuted for writing about controversial issues in Britain.
what are some key social issues rasied in othello?
racism and racial inequality
notion of forgiveness
what it means to be ‘foreign’
gender relations and inequality
how do some people see the play as being racist?
othello is portrayed as being irrational, murderous, violent and gullible
how do some people see the play as making awareness of racial inequality?
othello is given incredible respect in the play as an intelligent military leader, a strategist and as a lover and husband despite the attitudes of others.
what does iago refer to othello as?
the ‘moor’ - in reference to his african moorish heritage
how does roderigo mock othello’s physical appearance?
calls him ‘thick lips’
what is shakespeare’s intent for the use of racial slurs against othello?
shakespeare wishes to show othello’s humanity and grace to those in the audience who are uninformed.
what (potentially) racist conventions does shakespeare follow?
links the notion of ‘blackness’ to the devil, evil and hell
what three characters often refer to blackness and the devil and hell?
brabantio, iago and roderigo
what stereotype does othello never subvert in the play?
his ‘outsider’ status as a non-european foreigner
how is othello’s outsider status reflected throughout the play?
through the use of pejorative, discriminatory language
how does othello contradict his status as ‘other’?
he shows he can be orator, showcasing some of the most poetic language in the play such as “keep up your bright swords, for the dew will rust them” (act one, scene two)
what’s an example of Othello’s poetic language in the play?
“keep up your bright swords, for the dew will rust them” (act one, scene two)
what is Othello’s rank in the Venetian army?
general
what are both marriages in the play characterised by?
jealousy, violence and suffering
what are the two marriages in the play?
othello and desdemona
iago and emilia
what is female sexuality often seen as in the play?
threatening or emasculating
othello easily believes desdemona is being unfaithful and feels ‘cuckolded’, leading to his cruel and vicious treatment of her
how are the roles between men and women presented as inherently unequal?
men perceive women to be their property
how is gender inequality shown to be too strong a force in their society?
the two main female characters suffer a cruel death by their respective husbands
how does shakespeare position the discrimination and seperation as central to Othello’s ultimate tragic downfall?
he is more susceptible to the jealousy and manipulation inspired by iago’s manipulation
who’s relationship initially seems more equal compared to what was normal for the time?
othello and desdemona
