Race

Question 1

How does Shakespeare use Venice in terms of race?

Answer 1

-Venice is a space where he can explore concerns +preoccupations of his own society
-can assume white Venetians treatment of Othello would’ve mirrored English people’s behaviour
-records of some black people living in contemporary Br but were a very small minority e.g. a trumpeter at court of Henry VII

Question 2

How does the treatment of Othello purge into his race?

Answer 2

-is treated with mixture respect, fear + fascination
-despite he is a respected military leader he is ultimately purged from white European society to which he only partially belonged to
-as an ethnic minority O is a source of fascination for European characters — strongly seen in his stories Act 2 scene 3, where everyone listens eagerly