Social Context Flashcards
What is the significance of the Moor archetype in Othello? (3 points)
Moors were viewed as menaces intent on destruction - appeared as a threat to moral, social and political order when on stage
Othello’s character starkly contrasts from typical depictions of Moors - he is a noble, honourable protagonist
There are echoes of the typical characterisation when he succumbs to jealous rage
How did women lack rights in Jacobean times? (3 points)
A woman’s place was in the home and she had no role to play in the public arena
Everything that they owned (including themselves) became their husband’s possession when they married
They had no or little education - Othello describes how their job was to be ‘delicate with a needle’ and ‘sing the savageness out of a bear
What is the social context behind male ownership of women in Jacobean times? (3 points)
Male ownership meant being subject to restriction of movement - lack of control over their bodies
Women were possessions and were dependent on their fathers until they were handed over to the rule of their husbands, whom they also had to love, honour and obey
Women were seen as naturally inferior in intellect and morality so all decisions were taken for them including who they married - they were expected to accept them without argument
What were the consequences for women who did not abide by social norms? (2 points)
The consequences of not performing daughterly and wifely duties were serious, involving:
+ Being disowned
+ Being deprived of a home, financial support and a place in society
It was a man’s worst nightmare to have a wife/daughter who caused the loss of his honour and status in the community by attracting gossip and besmirching her reputation
How could women thrive in Jacobean society? (2 points)
Prostitution was often the only way to survive without a dowry or a supportive male relative
Women could only rise through their association with men and their rank - explain Emilia’s assertion that she would commit adultery if it meant making lago a monarch
What is the social context concerning the women of Othello? (4 points)
Though they seem to represent three social levels, the women all accept that they are powerless and subject to male decree and patronage
+ Emilia has no choice but to accompany the party to Cyprus - Othello has ordered it
+ Desdemona could not have stayed in Venice, having been cast off by her father
Desdemona wants a different life from the one her father had in mind for her
She has no more real control over her life than Bianca, who accepts her fate with the line, ‘I must be circumstanced’ (3.4.202).
What were the standards surrounding male promiscuity in Jacobean times? (2 points)
Male promiscuity, adultery, pre/extra-marital sex were not condemned and considered natural
Men wished to marry virgins and to have chaste wives for social reasons but had whores available for their pleasure - dichotomy of two types of women, reputable and not
How can the standards surrounding male promiscuity be applied to Othello? (2 points)
Consorting with a prostitute like how Cassio did, whether married or not, was considered commonplace - not only expected of men generally but even admired, particularly by soldiers
Roderigo’s death being a punishment for his foolishness, not for his ‘unlawful solicitation’ of a married woman, was licensed by medieval romantic literature
What is the context behind the double standards of female promiscuity? (3 points)
Women were thought to be easily seduced, being descended from Eve, the betrayer of mankind
Fornicating women were considered a threat to the Church and the fabric of society
They were blamed for leading men astray, destroying their honour and disgracing their extended family
Women’s social position was determined by their relationship with men and consequent sexual status
What were the 4 categories of women?
There were only four categories (with no equivalent male variations):
+ Maiden
+ Wife
+ Widow
+ Whore
What is the context behind the reputation of women in Jacobean times? (4 points)
Labels given by society distinguish respectable married women like Emilia from ‘strumpets’ like Bianca - not appearance, social background, or sexual behaviour
This made reputation an essential commodity for social survival, yet it was vulnerable to attack by any dissatisfied male
There was no forum where defamation could be contested - a reputation lost could not be regained
Fallen women became the prey of gossip and were ostracised from polite society, necessitating suicide or entrance into a nunnery
What is the social context behind the assault of women in Jacobean times? (4 points)
Virgins, newly-wed women, or demure widows were targets for predatory rakes and lechers
Their conquest of the unattainable was an irresistible challenge to their masculinity
Brides and betrothed women, being in a state of transition, were particularly vulnerable to assault and slander
Though the men were rarely punished, the conquered literary female had to die or be killed
How does Desdemona link to the social context behind women being victims? (4 points)
Desdemona seems to be doomed at birth by her name, meaning ‘unfortunate’.
Desdemona learns not to complain and begins to blame herself and make excuses for her abuser - psychology of a victim of domestic violence
Characters and audiences alike are concerned at the injustice of Desdemona’s death because she was not guilty
However, it would be unacceptable for her to be murdered even if she had slept with Cassio
How does the social context surrounding injustice against women apply to Othello? (3 points)
Together, Emilia, with 245 lines, and Desdemona, with 388, have only half as many as lago in the play
Between them, the women show the subordinate and passive position of women in Venetian society who must wait to be visited, proposed to, and sent for
+ Bianca has temper tantrums
+ Emilia is critical of men in private
However, they have no choice but to conform and comply so they don’t face rejection, violence or death
What is the social context behind males’ fantasies involving women? (2 points)
In medieval and 16th-century literature written by men, women tended to be represented as either Christian martyrs or malevolent devils - one extreme or another
Women, as the unknowable ‘other’, could easily be seen as the enemy - they pretend to be angels but are really in league with Stan to lure men to their doom through seduction and enchantment
