Wars Between Venice + Turkey

Question 1

What was the role of the Turks in the play?

Answer 1

-way est Othello as admired military leader + integrated member of Venetian society
-this is despite racist + xenophobic antagonism uses he experiences

Question 2

How does the Turkish motif complicate Othello’s character?

Answer 2

-due to islams synonymy with Otto an identity in English minds
-for Shakespeare’s audience ‘Turk’ widely understood to mean ‘Muslim’
-label ‘the moor’ assigned to O similarly understood to mean ‘Muslim’ or ‘black’
-O identity as ‘moor’ conspicuously connects him to Ottoman Turks
-despite distancing himself from this association by fighting against Turks but as succumbs to Iago’s manipulations he becomes closer to resembling the Ottoman enemy