Othello context Flashcards
Interpretation of Iago as gay
Several actors, such as David Suchet and Sir Ian McKellen, have played the role of Iago as gay
Freudian lens of Iago’s relationship with Othello
From a Freudian lens, it could be interpreted that Iago’s cruel meddling in Othello’s life is due to repressed and unrequited homosexual desire for Othello
Geo-humoralism
A concept that linked a person’s subconscious to their geographical origin and was used to justify white-supremist ideals. For example, warmer countries were believed to produce more hot-headed and aggressive people.
The Renaissance Man
Knowledgeable, educated and rational
Religious conflict
The backdrop of the Ottoman-Venetian war of the 1570s and the conflict between the Christian Venetians and the Muslim Ottoman Empire mirrored the conflict between the Catholics and Protestants in the Tudor era
Fall of Venice
In the 16th century, Venice had a large population of roughly 175,000 people but due to a plague killing 50,000 people and losses in war, it began to lose power. This could reflect Othello’s fall from grace
Venetian government
Venice was a republic so contemporary English audiences were fascinated by the alternative form of government, particularly as Elizabeth I had no heir so the future of the monarchy was uncertain
‘Disdemona and the Moor’
Othello is based off of this short story written in 1565 by Cinthio. There was no character of Roderigo, meaning that Shakespeare created him to show the web of Iago’s influence. In the original, the ensign (Iago) was in love with Disdemona, however Shakespeare presents him to be motivated by hatred and jealousy, making him more dangerous
Shakespeare’s great tragic period
Othello was written in 1603, in the same period that Shakespeare wrote Hamlet, Macbeth and King Lear
Cyprus
It was an Venetian outpost, on the edge of the white European world. This suggests that the further East, the less civilised people become. The isolation of the location increases the vulnerability of characters such as Desdemona. The military and geo-political setting reflects the conflict in the plot.
Class system
Venice had a more rigid class system than England, the nobility and the common people were distinctly separated and evidence of class envy is seen through Iago
Venice culture
Venice was an important trade link with North Africa with East, meaning that it was a melting pot of culture
Greek mythology
Aphrodite (the Goddess of Love) was believed to have risen from the sea on the west coast of Cyprus near Paphos. Therefore, Cyprus is a fitting romantic setting
Machiavellian villain
Someone who schemes, manipulates others and acts like a puppet master - e.g. Iago
Renaissance era
It began in Italy in the 14th century and saw a revival of artistic and intellectual endeavour. Classic texts and culture of Greece and Rome were rediscovered and the golden age of literature began
Shakespeare in the Renaissance
Shakespeare’s work is fitting in the Renaissance era as it is innovative as it challenges the beliefs and assumptions upon which Elizabethan society was built upon
Foreign setting
Because of censorship and criticism, Shakespeare couldn’t directly criticise the monarch or the English court, so he used a foreign setting for his stories
Italy’s double image
It was a land of romance, however it was also associated with decadence, villainy and vice
Sexual double standards
Male promiscuity was considered natural. For example, Cassio’s consorting with a prostitute would be commonplace. By contrast, promiscuous women were considered a threat to the church and to the fabric of society. They were blamed for leading men astray and bringing shame on the family.
Disturbances in the great chain of being in the play
Iago playing God, authoritative women and Othello (a black man in power)
