Social Context of Othello - 667 Words

On November 1, 1604, King James I and his court were the first to watch a production of William Shakespeare’s â€Å"Othello.† The famous playwright was in the midst of his tragedy period, penning such classics as â€Å"Hamlet,† â€Å"King Lear,† and â€Å"Macbeth.† The story of â€Å"Othello† has its roots in the historical events and cultural atmosphere of the late 16th and early 17th centuries. It was a common practice of playwrights at the time to borrow or lift plot ideas from other preexisting stories, and Shakespeare was no exception to the rule. The plot of â€Å"Othello† most closely resembles a 1565 story by the Italian writer Giovanni Battista Giraldi Cinzio: a Moorish general is tricked by one of his officers into thinking his wife has been unfaithful.†¦show more content†¦Othello describes Desdemona’s supposed sullied reputation as â€Å"begrimed and black/ as mine own face† (3.3.390-1) and seeks â€Å"black vengeance† (3.3.450). While it is actually Iago, a white character, who stains and corrupts the pure love between Othello and Desdemona, the concepts of impurity and pollution are described in â€Å"black† terms. To this day, â€Å"Othello† remains a challenging, provocative play for its treatment ofShow MoreRelatedPractice HSC essay1060 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿Shakespeare’s play ‘Othello†™ and the contemporary appropriation of a film ‘O’ by Tim Blake Nelson are based on the societal values and morals of their time. Issues such as racism, the use of language and deception are timeless making them evident throughout both contexts, hence the engagements in both textual forms. Differing contexts convey concerns in different ways through the use of diverse techniques. For example ‘Othello’ is a play which uses props, stage positioning and lighting comparedRead MoreOthello Reflects the Context and Values of its Time Essay1342 Words   |  6 PagesTexts and their appropriations reflect the context and values of their times. Within Shakespeare’s Othello and Geoffrey Sax’s appropriation of Othello, the evolution of the attitudes held by Elizabethan audiences and those held by contemporary audiences can be seen through the context of the female coupled with the context of racism. The role of the female has developed from being submissive and â€Å"obedient† in the Elizabethan era to being independent and liberated within the contemporary setting.Read MorePower, Race and Women in Othello by Shakespear and Sax1443 Words   |  6 Pagesstereotypical view of Othello, as a â€Å"Barbary horse,† depicting him as an animalisti c outsider. Through the image of conflict in black and white, Iago emphasises on the racial demarcation between Othello and Desdemona, that â€Å"an old black ram is tupping your white ewe,† associating Othello with uncontrolled animalistic sexuality. Iago’s overt and vicious racism becomes representative of the reigning stereotype of the African on the Elizabethan stage †¢ Insecure because of his race, Othello echoes Iago’sRead MoreComparison between Othello and Skin1414 Words   |  6 Pagestexts Othello and Skin. To what extent are the differences between the two texts treatment of this theme due to their different historical and cultural contexts? Othello and Skin are both excellent examples of how the outsider is topic in which society is intrigued by. Both Sandra and Othello are both victims of their time and geographical setting, as well as being considered different due to their race and achievements. Although there are a great number of common themes through both Othello andRead MoreOthello - shakespeare and saxs film adaptation923 Words   |  4 Pagesï » ¿Texts reflect their contexts. Is this true of Shakespeare’s Othello and Sax’s film Othello? (700-800 words). Texts reflect their contexts and this is evident in both William Shakespeare’s Othello and Geoffrey Sax’s film Othello. This reflection is established through the two ideas of racism and the inequality between genders. The context of a text plays an essential role as it is the way in which the composers convey their message and this is done effectively as both composers are conveying anRead MoreOthello Essay1172 Words   |  5 PagesOthello Essay William Shakespeare’s Othello tells a story of the tragic downfall of a man through jealousy and mistrust, influenced by the manipulative actions of another. Due to innumerable changes within society over time, it is inevitable that a wide range of critical interpretations and readings of the text will emerge. My personal interpretation of the play draws from the concepts of the traditional Aristotelian views of a tragedy. An Aristotelian interpretation concerns itself with whetherRead MoreAnalysis Of William Shakespeare s Othello889 Words   |  4 Pagessaw as issues in their respective cultures and societies. William Shakespeare in one of his most famous plays Othello lies out a problem which he thought was pertinent enough for him to deal with directly, that is the problem of race. Othello was a Moor, a man of African descent who was put in a hostile situation by being put in Venice a primarily white society. The role of race in Othello and the kind of language used by Shakespeare throughout the play point towards Othello’s race and how othersRead MoreConflict Essay- English1596 Words   |  7 Pagesis the true test of an individual’s internal strength and understanding, encountering conflict can evoke an individual to reassess their values, morals and beliefs’, staying true is the best way to deal with the animosity. It is through this that social order can deteriorate into conflict and anarchy with disturbing ease; it is a fear of difference and is not always easy to distinguish the innocent from the guilty in contesting situations. Conflict can be the struggle between the protagonists orRead MoreOthello - A Play That Transcends Time Essay941 Words   |  4 Pagesworld of Shakespeare’s Othello. It is through my exploration of these perspectives and their relationship with changing morals and values that has enriched my understanding of the play. One such reading of the play challenges the marginalisation and objectification of woman in a patriarchal Venetian society, while taking into account the changing role of women in modern society. Another interpretation of Othello examines its post colonial elements through the protagonist Othello, and his insecuritiesRead MoreThe True Nature Of Shakespeares Characters In Othello1546 Wor ds   |  7 PagesShakespeare’s Characters in â€Å"Othello† Ever since it’s creation over four centuries ago, William Shakespeare’s classic tragedy â€Å"Othello†, has reigned as one of the greatest play’s of all time. Being widely studied and analyzed, there should be no question as to why this piece has remained so relevant, even within the twisting and turbulent times of the 20th century and beyond. With copious amounts of today’s youth becoming caught and obsessed with the virtual life of social media, it is no wonder Shakespeare’s