Othello context Flashcards
What did Aristotle state made a tragedy ?
the protagonist must be admirable but flawed, the audience must be able to sympathise with the character
What is the fatal error/ flaw that is often an aspect of shakespeare’s tragedies that leads to Othello killing Desdemona ?
- Othello’s trust of Iago
- Othello’s sexual jealousy
How are shakespeare’s tragedies characterised ?
- 5 act structure
- heroes that we can feel sorry for
- begins in an ordered society but moves towards chaos as the hero allows his flaws to rule him
- pathetic fallacy
- character accepts the consequences of their errors at the end of play
- protagonists aren’t villians or saints but goof people destroyed by their own ego or ill fate
What is a hero always in a shakespearean tragedy ?
a noble man with some status and prosperity
What themes do we see play out:
- good vs evil
- loyalty vs betrayal
- jealousy vs trust and honour
What is the setting in S1 ?
Venice
What is the setting for the rest of the play ?
Cyprus
What is the history between Cyprus and Venice :
- Cyprus belonged to Venice for more than 100 years before the battle of Lepanto in 1571
What moves the play to Cyprus ?
the Turkish threat
Where does Shakespeare get his information on the Venetian-Turkey conflict ?
probably from ‘The History of the Turks’ by Richard Knolles (1603) published in England
What is Othello partly dervived from?
an Italian prose tale written in 1565 by Cinthio
What was the story of Cinthio’s Italian prose ?
a Moorish general is deceived by his ensign into believing his wife is unfaithful
How did Shakespeare change Cinthio’s prose ?
- added supporting characters (Roderigo and Brabantio)
- he compressed action into a few days
- he turned ensign, minor villain, into the arch-villain Iago
When was Othello performed ?
during James I reign
trend of plays in Jacobean times ?
dealt with trickery, cuckoldry of older husbands and transitory absense of authority
What Shakespearean era was Othello written in ?
his ‘tragic era’
What did appearance indicate in shakespearean times ?
what lies within because Iago looks honest they believe he is honest
According to Elizabeth how was life balanced ?
carefully always threatening chaos
What are the 4 humours ?
- blood
- black bile
- yellow bile
- phlegm
What happened if humours were imbalanced ?
physical or mental characteristics may change
What were symptoms of to much blood ?
happiness and generosity
What were the symptoms of to much yellow bile ?
violence and venegefulness
What were the symptoms of to much phlegm ?
dull, pale and cowardly
What were the symptoms of to much black bile ?
gluttony, laziness
