Setting And Social Issues

Question 1

What are the 2 settings in Othello? What do they represent?

Answer 1

Venice and Cyprus

Different “worlds”

Question 2

What 3 factors determine shifts in Othello’s setting?

Answer 2

Plot, action and characterisation

Question 3

What was Venice? What did it take a big role in?

Answer 3

Seaport in Italy

Renaissance culture

Question 4

What 3 things were Venice symbolic of?

Answer 4

Factionalism, intrigue and moral corruption

Question 5

How could Venetian society be described?

Answer 5

Orderly and civilised

Question 6

What setting does Cyprus represent?

Answer 6

Unstable/Violent setting

Question 7

Who was Cyprus controlled by? Who invaded it? When?

Answer 7

Venice

Invaded by Turkey in 1570

Question 8

What kind of History was James I interested in?

Answer 8

Turkish history

Question 9

How is the Turkish threat used by Shakespeare? What does it intensify?

Answer 9

A pretext to change the play’s setting

The ominous atmosphere of tragedy

Question 10

What did critics often believe about locations Shakespeare wrote about? What do his plays distinctly contain?

Answer 10

To avoid prosecution for writing about controversial issues in Britain
British values

Question 11

What did Elizabeth I be told to complain about?

Answer 11

Black people living in England

Question 12

What was critic Ogude quoted saying?

Answer 12

Shakespeare may have “shared deep-stated fears of the blacks”

Question 13

From what year could black people be deported in England?

Answer 13

1601

Question 14

What does the pre-16th Century Oxford Dictionary associate “black” with? What does Jordan believe it symbolises?

Answer 14

“Stained with dirt… horrible, wicked”

“Symbols baseness and evil”

Question 15

Why do some people see the Othello play as racist? What have some critics highlighted?

Answer 15

Othello is presented as irrational and violent

Othello’s sexual and violent nature adheres to stereotypes of black men

Question 16

How does Iago refer to Othello? What does it mean?

Answer 16

As “the Moor”

Relates to Othello’s African heritage

Question 17

How does Roderigo describe Othello? What does this mean

Answer 17

“Thick lips”

Roderigo mocks his physical appearance

Question 18

What do some people thinks about the representation of Othello?

Answer 18

Its positive representation subverts negative stereotypes

Question 19

What do most critics agree about Othello?

What is significant about it?

Answer 19

He is classed as an “other”

People refer to his as the Moor, showing Othello is ethnically an “other”

Question 20

What was society like in England in the Elizabethan Era?

Answer 20

Patriarchal

Question 21

How were women expected to be in the 16th century? What promoted these values?

Answer 21

Obedient and passive in male authority

Sermons

Question 22

What did marriage reinforce? How were fathers involved in marriage?

Answer 22

Patriarchy

They married their daughters to who they want

Question 23

What were husbands to their wives? What were their powers?

Answer 23

“Legal masters”

They could punish their wives

Question 24

When did Elizabeth take the throne? What did she believe?

Answer 24

1558

A woman could not lead as well as a man

Question 25

What did some people believe about Elizabeth not being married? What type of women rose in literature?

Answer 25

Women could gain greater freedoms

The “shrew” woman

Question 26

What was the “shrew” woman? What did they beckon?

Answer 26

Dominant

The need of reinforcement in patriarchy

Question 27

How is female sexuality seen in Othello?

Answer 27

Emasculating

Question 28

What does Othello believe about Desdemona? How does he feel? What does this lead to?

Answer 28

She is being unfaithful
Cuckolded
His cruel treatment of Desdemona

Question 29

What character appears to have a misogynistic attitude? What does he imply?

Answer 29

Iago

He thinks women are deceitful: “Players in your housewifery, and housewifery in your bed”

Question 30

How does Othello describe Desdemona and Emilia later in the play? What causes this?

Answer 30

“Whores”

Iago’s language rubs off him

Question 31

What could you argue about some of Emilia’s comments? What does Emilia tell Desdemona?

Answer 31

They rebel against the patriarchy

Men exploit women: “They eat us hungerly, and when they are full, they belch us”