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Mind Map by zekal shorish, updated more than 1 year ago
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OTHELLO
- RACE
- The English distinguished between the "tawny moors" of the
Mediterranean coast and the southern "black moors".
- The play never once states that Othello is black. Shakespeare's use of
language makes it difficult to tell whether he intended for Othello to be
a tawny moor or a black moor.
- Some critics argue that the instances in which black is mentioned
towards Othello, it may be a hyperbole and that Othello is a man
who is just slightly darker than the Venetians themselves.
- Iago: "You'll have your daughter covered with a barbary
horse (...) I am one, sir, that comes to tell you your daughter
and the Moor are now making the beast with two backs."
- Emilia: "O, the more angel she, and
you the blacker devil"
- Emilia: "O, the more angel she, and
you the blacker devil"
- Two characters in the play are willing to look past
Othello's skin colour. Desdemona does not subscribe to
the ideology of racism in Jacobean England and later
on, her own father succumbs to the idea of having a
son-in-law of colour. The Duke participates in the
discourse of race but is willing to also look past it.
- "Your son-in-law is far more
fair than black"
- "Your son-in-law is far more
fair than black"
- Desdemona's love for Othello is seen as unnatural: "For nature so
prepost'rously to err, Being not deficient, blind, or lame of sense,
Sans witchcraft could not." The Venetians would rather believe
in witchcraft than an interracial relationship.
- White is seen as pure and innocent in contrast to
black which is seen as dirty, evil and devilish. It is
unclear as to whether Shakespeare is succumbing
to this discourse or challenging it.
- The English distinguished between the "tawny moors" of the
Mediterranean coast and the southern "black moors".
- CUSTOMS IN THEATRE
- "Blackface" Othello: it was fairly common for white
performers to paint themselves dark for black
roles. However this was often done in mockery as
in the "Black Minstrel Shows".
- In 1981, Anthony Hopkins' performance for the BBS was the last
major production with a white actor playing Othello as a black man.
(Patrick Stewart played Othello as a white man in an inverted
production).
- In 1981, Anthony Hopkins' performance for the BBS was the last
major production with a white actor playing Othello as a black man.
(Patrick Stewart played Othello as a white man in an inverted
production).
- Although Othello was first played by a Black
man in 1833, it was not until the 20th century
that it became the dominant idea that Othello
should be played by a black man.
- Ira Aldridge was the first black actor to
play Othello. His work had terrible
criticism. One article said "owing to the
shape of his lips it is utterly impossible
for him to pronounce English".
Responses outside of London were a lot
better.
- Ira Aldridge was the first black actor to
play Othello. His work had terrible
criticism. One article said "owing to the
shape of his lips it is utterly impossible
for him to pronounce English".
Responses outside of London were a lot
better.
- Paul Robeson was another black actor who played
the part of Othello and although his criticism was
mainly good, he still received racist undertones.
- "That his triumph is mainly because the
simple nature of Othello is that of his
own race, the race which boasts "the
shadow'd livery of the burnished sun."
Essentially, because he was black, he
was able to capture a primitive
simplicity.
- "That his triumph is mainly because the
simple nature of Othello is that of his
own race, the race which boasts "the
shadow'd livery of the burnished sun."
Essentially, because he was black, he
was able to capture a primitive
simplicity.
- Olivier played Othello in blackface. He also
adopted an accent of his own invention,
developed a special walk, and learned how
to speak in a voice considerably deeper
than his normal one.
- "Blackface" Othello: it was fairly common for white
performers to paint themselves dark for black
roles. However this was often done in mockery as
in the "Black Minstrel Shows".
- RELIGIOUS DIVISIONS
- There was a difference between how
Jacobean audiences regarded Arabic culture
(civilised) and Sub-saharan Africa
(barbaric).
- There was a suspicion around islam and what it meant to be a religious
convert. There were voluntary converts and converts which were
captured by prates and forced.
- The term 'moor' was used as a mobile term to
refer to location, religion and sometimes
race. Moors were seen as outsiders in the
closely packed group of Venetians.
- Othello himself is an oxymoron because he is a
"noble Moor," and historically Moors were
associated with a religious "Other" which was
dangerous.
- Othello can be said to represent the imperfect view of
people who converted to Christianity from Islam. Jacobean
England could accept black heroes but never a muslim
hero.
- Othello can be said to represent the imperfect view of
people who converted to Christianity from Islam. Jacobean
England could accept black heroes but never a muslim
hero.
- Desdemona is "turned Turk" in Othello's
mind, or has become sexually
promiscuous.
- Religion was far more significant to Jacobean audiences than race i.e.
'turned turk' was to become a muslim. Conversion was a very important
aspect of Jacobean England in that Othello was a converted moor.
- Religion was far more significant to Jacobean audiences than race i.e.
'turned turk' was to become a muslim. Conversion was a very important
aspect of Jacobean England in that Othello was a converted moor.
- English people valued religion and saw Turks as barbaric purely because they
were not Christian. They were seen as infidel (a person who does not believe in
religion or who adheres to a religion other than one's own).
- There was a difference between how
Jacobean audiences regarded Arabic culture
(civilised) and Sub-saharan Africa
(barbaric).
- WOMEN'S LIMITED RIGHTS
- Unmarried women are seen as their
fathers' property and the play's two
marriages are marked by male
jealousy and cruelty (both wives are
murdered by their own husbands).
- Most male characters in Othello assume that
women are inherently promiscuous. This is maybe
why female sexuality is a huge threat to men in
the play. For example, Othello is easily convinced
his wife is cheating on him and feels emasculated
and humiliated as a result.
- The setting is a male dominated society
where women are inferior and seen as
possessions.
- This is seen when Brabantio
refers to "thieves" when he
finds out that Desdemona
has eloped.
- This is seen when Brabantio
refers to "thieves" when he
finds out that Desdemona
has eloped.
- When Othello orders Desdemona to go to her
bed, she still replies with the submissive ‘I
will, my lord’. She appears to have completely
accepted her role as subordinate and obedient
wife. Just as many other women.
- Emilia also indicates that she is aware of her role in society. When revealing
Iago’s plotting at the end of the play, she says ‘Tis proper I obey him, but not
now’. Although she betrays him, she still feels the need to explain why why
she has chosen to do this. This shows how inferior women were.
- When Desdemona marries Othello, going
against her father's wishes, he describes
her as going ‘Against all rules of nature’.
This suggests that it is ‘natural’ for women
to do as their husbands and fathers tell
them and ‘unnatural’ for them to do
anything else.
- Unmarried women are seen as their
fathers' property and the play's two
marriages are marked by male
jealousy and cruelty (both wives are
murdered by their own husbands).
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