What does Cinthio's collection of short stories explore?
explores the pros and cons of different kinds of love, especially within marriage.
How does Shakespeare adapt Cinthio's tale in Othello?
Shakespeare’s Iago is not driven by lust for Desdemona his motives are more ambiguous.Shakespeare introduces new characters, Roderigo and Desdemona’s father Brabantio. He also refers directly to the Turks and Venetians.
Post colonialism
What is post colonialism?
It addresses the problems and consequences of the decolonization of a country.
What do post colonial readings focus on in the play?
It focuses on the plays representation of the Turks.
What real life event was the inspiration for the plays rising action?
Venice’s struggle during the 1570s with the Ottoman Empire for control of Cyprus.
Venice owned Cyprus from 1470 to 1569, but in 1571 Turkish forces seized the island. Later that year an alliance of Christian powers defeated the Turk in the battle of Lepanto.
How does the play undercut the Christian/Turkish binary?
By making the play’s most villainous character a Venetian and its hero an outsider.
What are Brabantio and Desdemona fascinated by and why?
Brabantio and Desdemona are fascinated by his strange stories. The Moor’s stories allow Desdemona to experience the delight found by many early modern readers in travel narratives that described the unexplored territories in Africa, the East and the New World.
New historicist reading: ‘far more fair than black’
What debate are new historicist critics currently having?
New historicist critics often debate whether or not race was a factor in early modern representations of non-English people.
What evidence is there that Othello was held in high esteem by other characters?
Iago’s and Brabantio’s remarks in Act 1 exude what is today accepted as racism but the Duke’s pronouncement that Othello is ‘far more fair than black’ and Montano’s claim that ‘the man commands / Like a full soldier’ indicate the high esteem others have for him.
What references establish his liminal position in society?
References to Othello as black and a Moor, as well as his lack of understanding of Venetian customs, establish his liminal position in Venetian society.
Feminist reading: ‘a maiden never bold’
What is endogamous marriage?
Arranged marriage
What has changed in the audiences reading of the character of Desdemona since the plays original performances and the 20th century?
From the play’s earliest performances, audiences responded sympathetically to Desdemona’s struggle. After a 1610 production at Oxford, Henry Jackson recalled that Desdemona ‘entreated the pity of the spectators by her very countenance’ That changed in the late 20th century, however, when feminist critics underscored Desdemona’s initial independence and Emilia’s eventual strength, and outlined the ways both women – as well as the courtesan Bianca – were constrained by the male characters’ patriarchal suppositions.
What is the current feminist perspective on the play?
That early modern England’s preoccupation with cuckoldry demonstrates a basic male insecurity about women’s sexuality.
Can you find evidence in the text to support this (include quotations)
What is endogamous marriage?
Arranged marriage
What has changed in the audiences reading of the character of Desdemona since the plays original performances and the 20th century?
From the play’s earliest performances, audiences responded sympathetically to Desdemona’s struggle. After a 1610 production at Oxford, Henry Jackson recalled that Desdemona ‘entreated the pity of the spectators by her very countenance’ That changed in the late 20th century, however, when feminist critics underscored Desdemona’s initial independence and Emilia’s eventual strength, and outlined the ways both women – as well as the courtesan Bianca – were constrained by the male characters’ patriarchal suppositions.
What is the current feminist perspective on the play?
That early modern England’s preoccupation with cuckoldry demonstrates a basic male insecurity about women’s sexuality.
Can you find evidence in the text to support this (include quotations)
Marxist reading: ‘’Tis the curse of service’
What are marxists critics concerned with?
concerned with the economic and psychological impact of early modern England’s hierarchical social system
What is the hierarchy (pecking order) in the play?
The Duke and aristocratic members of the Venetian Senate give orders to Othello, who in turn commands his Lieutenant Cassio. Ensign Iago is subordinate to both. All three ostensibly serve out of loyalty to the state and for the status their military position brings, but they can be dismissed at the pleasure of their superiors
What have fuedal obligations of service been replaced with?
Capitalism
What are marxists critics concerned with?
concerned with the economic and psychological impact of early modern England’s hierarchical social system
What is the hierarchy (pecking order) in the play?
The Duke and aristocratic members of the Venetian Senate give orders to Othello, who in turn commands his Lieutenant Cassio. Ensign Iago is subordinate to both. All three ostensibly serve out of loyalty to the state and for the status their military position brings, but they can be dismissed at the pleasure of their superiors
What have fuedal obligations of service been replaced with?
Capitalism
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