Themes:
Identity
Ao3: The Moor + Race
(Historical context) An individual who was a member of north-western African Muslim descent,
includes Arabs.
Othello could have been based on the real historical figure of Abd el-Ouahed, a ‘Moorish
Ambassador’ of Queen Elizabeth.
Previous works of Shakespeare such as the Tempest (Caliban),Titus Andronicus (Aaron- sexual and
villain), The Merchant of Venice (Prince of Morocco, dominantly in unashamed of his complexion)
Mostly feed into the dramatic portrayal of Moors as villains or sexual animals. (Othello falls prey to
these stereotypes from the start, and becomes a stereotype after, idea of superstition as well).
Progression in History who played Othello:
White actors in black face continued to play Othello until the 1980s, Thompson introductory Notes
Hewlett was the first black man to play Othello, but this was followed by racism and the troupe was
shut down.
Feeds into racist attitudes of the ‘simpleness’ of Black/Moor individuals and suggests that they
cannot perform nor understand Shakespeare.
Ao5:
OKRI: “The white man’s myth of the black man” “It is possible that Othello actually is a blackened
white man”
LOOMBA: “Othello is a victim of racial beliefs precisely because he becomes an agent of misogynist
ones.”
Ao3: military importance
(Historical Context)
Othello is a general, and is acting as the central representation of justice and power in the play,
specifically once characters are in Cyprus.
Venetian Justice protocol: Follows idea of a trial, pleading innocent or guilty, having a judge, and
dealing punishment.
Justice was often represented by the weighing scale and the sword, it is significant how Othello only
mentions the sword.
War of Cyprus: Cyprus was one of the largest and most prosperous lands Venice had acquired, it was
invaded by the Turks (Ottoman empire) successfully in 1570, this is the invasion Othello apparently
stops by the sea in the play. Shakespeare works against history here.
LOOMBA: “colour blindness” in regards to his race as he is an apt soldier, yet this is not allowed in the
family.
ACT 1: ACT 2: ACT 3: ACT 4: ACT 5:
“Mere prattle without “It is “To hear music the Nature would not invest “O brave Iago, honest and
practice Is all his Othello’s general does not care herself(...) Pish! Noses, just”
soldiership.” pleasure, greatly” ears, and lips.” “Thy bed, lust-stained,
“Keep up your bright our noble “I think my wife is “My medicine, work! (...) shall with lust’s blood be
swords, for the dew and valiant honest, and I think she Thus credulous fools/ spotted” “It is the cause, it
will rust them.” general” is not (...) As Dian’s savage madness” is the cause, my soul!”
“Broil and battle” visage, is now begrimed “A horned man’s a “Justice to break her
“From year to year- and black As mine own monster, and a beast.” sword!”
the battles, sieges, face!” “Nothing of a man” “Behold, I have a weapon”
fortunes That I have “Justice of it pleases me” “And smote him- thus!”
passed.”
, Ao3: Societal rankings
Venetian society in the Jacobean Era was heavily classist and extremely strict on who could acquire
and withhold power, with noblemen and by extension royalty assuming places of power. (Noblemen
included: Duke, Earls ect)
In the play the social structure would follow the follow the following structure: Duke, Montano
(governor of Cyprus), Brabantio (Venetian Senator) + DESDEMONA, lodovico and Gatiano Othello
(general - acting governor of Cyprus), Cassio (Lieutenant), Iago (Ancient or ensign)
ADAMS: ‘Who can sympathise with Desdemona? She falls in love and makes a runaway match with a
blackamoor… She not only violates her duties to her father, her family, her sex, and her country, but
she makes the first advances!’
ACT 1: ACT 2: ACT 3: ACT 4: ACT 5:
“I know my price, I am worth “His Pilot of expertise “Yet how nature, “Nature would “The Moor’s abused by
no worse a place.”(1:1- Iago) and approved erring from itself-” not invest some most villainous knave,”
“I am not what I am.” (1:1) allowance”(2:1) “For I am black” herself(...) Pish! “Where should Othello go?”
“an old black ram”, “Barbary “Honest Iago” “As Dian’s visage, is Noses, ears, and “Honourable murderer”
horse” “What’s the matter that now begrimed and lips.” “Speak of me as I am.”
(1:1) you unlace your black As mine own “Nothing of a “Like the base Indian, threw
“My demerits May speak reputation thus(...)” face!” man” a pearl ricer than all his
unbonneted to as proud a “Reputation, reputation, “Who is thy tribe:”
fortune” (1:2) reputation! (...) I have lord?” “Malignant and turbaned
“My parts, my title and my lost the immortal part of “The Moor’s Turk (...) by the throat and
perfect soul Shall manifest me myself and what remains abused by some smote him-thus!”
rightly.” (1:2) is bestial.” (2:3) most villainous
“Valiant Othello” (1:3) knave,”
“I saw Othello’s visage in his
mind” (1:3)
“These Moors are changeable
in their wills- fill thy purse
with money.” (1:3)
Jealousy
Ao3: sexual imagery
Sex was performed as a purely reproductive act, ideas of chastity were great and lewd commentary
was uncommon in plays- sometimes even censored. Sex had to be confined to marriages.
BELL: “Othello’s tendency towards sexual jealousy (...) the realisation that she is actively interested in
sex and is therefore not the virtuous girl he wooed”
ACT 1: ACT 2: ACT 3: ACT 4: ACT 5:
“Mere prattle without “Sense of beauty/ “Trifles light as air Are “The Moor’s abused by “Of gold and jewels that
practice Is all his divine Desdemona” to the jealous some most villainous I bobbed from him (...)
soldiership.” “I will ensnare as great a confirmations strong” knave,” He hath a daily beauty
“She’d come again, and fly as Cassio” “Little art upon the “Peevish jealousies” in his life that makes
with a greedy ear “Her paddle with the blood Burn like the him ugly; and besides
Devour up my palm of your hand?” mines of sulphur” the Moor may unfold
discourse” “Jealousy so strong” “I’ll tear her all to me to him”
pieces!// Arise black “Of one not easily
vengeance” jealous”
“My lord is not my lord/
but jealous for they’re
jealous/ monster”
Gender (manhood and woman’s role)
Identity
Ao3: The Moor + Race
(Historical context) An individual who was a member of north-western African Muslim descent,
includes Arabs.
Othello could have been based on the real historical figure of Abd el-Ouahed, a ‘Moorish
Ambassador’ of Queen Elizabeth.
Previous works of Shakespeare such as the Tempest (Caliban),Titus Andronicus (Aaron- sexual and
villain), The Merchant of Venice (Prince of Morocco, dominantly in unashamed of his complexion)
Mostly feed into the dramatic portrayal of Moors as villains or sexual animals. (Othello falls prey to
these stereotypes from the start, and becomes a stereotype after, idea of superstition as well).
Progression in History who played Othello:
White actors in black face continued to play Othello until the 1980s, Thompson introductory Notes
Hewlett was the first black man to play Othello, but this was followed by racism and the troupe was
shut down.
Feeds into racist attitudes of the ‘simpleness’ of Black/Moor individuals and suggests that they
cannot perform nor understand Shakespeare.
Ao5:
OKRI: “The white man’s myth of the black man” “It is possible that Othello actually is a blackened
white man”
LOOMBA: “Othello is a victim of racial beliefs precisely because he becomes an agent of misogynist
ones.”
Ao3: military importance
(Historical Context)
Othello is a general, and is acting as the central representation of justice and power in the play,
specifically once characters are in Cyprus.
Venetian Justice protocol: Follows idea of a trial, pleading innocent or guilty, having a judge, and
dealing punishment.
Justice was often represented by the weighing scale and the sword, it is significant how Othello only
mentions the sword.
War of Cyprus: Cyprus was one of the largest and most prosperous lands Venice had acquired, it was
invaded by the Turks (Ottoman empire) successfully in 1570, this is the invasion Othello apparently
stops by the sea in the play. Shakespeare works against history here.
LOOMBA: “colour blindness” in regards to his race as he is an apt soldier, yet this is not allowed in the
family.
ACT 1: ACT 2: ACT 3: ACT 4: ACT 5:
“Mere prattle without “It is “To hear music the Nature would not invest “O brave Iago, honest and
practice Is all his Othello’s general does not care herself(...) Pish! Noses, just”
soldiership.” pleasure, greatly” ears, and lips.” “Thy bed, lust-stained,
“Keep up your bright our noble “I think my wife is “My medicine, work! (...) shall with lust’s blood be
swords, for the dew and valiant honest, and I think she Thus credulous fools/ spotted” “It is the cause, it
will rust them.” general” is not (...) As Dian’s savage madness” is the cause, my soul!”
“Broil and battle” visage, is now begrimed “A horned man’s a “Justice to break her
“From year to year- and black As mine own monster, and a beast.” sword!”
the battles, sieges, face!” “Nothing of a man” “Behold, I have a weapon”
fortunes That I have “Justice of it pleases me” “And smote him- thus!”
passed.”
, Ao3: Societal rankings
Venetian society in the Jacobean Era was heavily classist and extremely strict on who could acquire
and withhold power, with noblemen and by extension royalty assuming places of power. (Noblemen
included: Duke, Earls ect)
In the play the social structure would follow the follow the following structure: Duke, Montano
(governor of Cyprus), Brabantio (Venetian Senator) + DESDEMONA, lodovico and Gatiano Othello
(general - acting governor of Cyprus), Cassio (Lieutenant), Iago (Ancient or ensign)
ADAMS: ‘Who can sympathise with Desdemona? She falls in love and makes a runaway match with a
blackamoor… She not only violates her duties to her father, her family, her sex, and her country, but
she makes the first advances!’
ACT 1: ACT 2: ACT 3: ACT 4: ACT 5:
“I know my price, I am worth “His Pilot of expertise “Yet how nature, “Nature would “The Moor’s abused by
no worse a place.”(1:1- Iago) and approved erring from itself-” not invest some most villainous knave,”
“I am not what I am.” (1:1) allowance”(2:1) “For I am black” herself(...) Pish! “Where should Othello go?”
“an old black ram”, “Barbary “Honest Iago” “As Dian’s visage, is Noses, ears, and “Honourable murderer”
horse” “What’s the matter that now begrimed and lips.” “Speak of me as I am.”
(1:1) you unlace your black As mine own “Nothing of a “Like the base Indian, threw
“My demerits May speak reputation thus(...)” face!” man” a pearl ricer than all his
unbonneted to as proud a “Reputation, reputation, “Who is thy tribe:”
fortune” (1:2) reputation! (...) I have lord?” “Malignant and turbaned
“My parts, my title and my lost the immortal part of “The Moor’s Turk (...) by the throat and
perfect soul Shall manifest me myself and what remains abused by some smote him-thus!”
rightly.” (1:2) is bestial.” (2:3) most villainous
“Valiant Othello” (1:3) knave,”
“I saw Othello’s visage in his
mind” (1:3)
“These Moors are changeable
in their wills- fill thy purse
with money.” (1:3)
Jealousy
Ao3: sexual imagery
Sex was performed as a purely reproductive act, ideas of chastity were great and lewd commentary
was uncommon in plays- sometimes even censored. Sex had to be confined to marriages.
BELL: “Othello’s tendency towards sexual jealousy (...) the realisation that she is actively interested in
sex and is therefore not the virtuous girl he wooed”
ACT 1: ACT 2: ACT 3: ACT 4: ACT 5:
“Mere prattle without “Sense of beauty/ “Trifles light as air Are “The Moor’s abused by “Of gold and jewels that
practice Is all his divine Desdemona” to the jealous some most villainous I bobbed from him (...)
soldiership.” “I will ensnare as great a confirmations strong” knave,” He hath a daily beauty
“She’d come again, and fly as Cassio” “Little art upon the “Peevish jealousies” in his life that makes
with a greedy ear “Her paddle with the blood Burn like the him ugly; and besides
Devour up my palm of your hand?” mines of sulphur” the Moor may unfold
discourse” “Jealousy so strong” “I’ll tear her all to me to him”
pieces!// Arise black “Of one not easily
vengeance” jealous”
“My lord is not my lord/
but jealous for they’re
jealous/ monster”
Gender (manhood and woman’s role)
