17th Century
concepts
Applicable to
Othello
Marriage and Love
• Marriage was a matter of business rather than of the
heart. Parents arranged unions for their children far in
advance with a view to increasing the family's standing
and property
• Since marriage was an economic and political
agreement, extra-marital affairs were common. In many
countries, it was common for men to entertain more than
one mistress at a time and these women were often
married themselves. The show was occasionally on the
other foot with wealthy women from the aristocracy
amusing themselves while their husbands were busy in
politics or the military.
• Marriage was for life. In order for the marriage annulled it
took a special permission from the government or the
church and even with this the divorcees were disgraced
in their community. Separations were rare because a
wife's labour and out-of-home wages were essential for
the common man's survival.
Italian Women in Shakespeare’s
Time
• Especially Venetian women were
notorious by repute as a pack of
prostitutes.
• Late 16th century estimates: 2,889 upper
class ladies, 2508 nuns, 1936 burgher
women, and 11,654 courtesans.
• These extremes are shown via the
characters of Desdemona, Emilia and
Bianca within the play.
Reputation
• Reputation nowadays is a term that is associated either
with sexual exploits (good, bad or lost reputation) or
used as an affirmation of credibility or quality that
deserves respect.
• In Shakespeare’s time, reputation had a deeply serious
meaning in terms of ‘good name’. Associated with the
masculine code of conduct, ‘reputation’ went beyond the
regulations of on’’ personal behaviour to avoid public
scandal. It indicated self-esteem tied up with the esteem
of others, and ongoing public evaluation of one’s worth.
• In men indicative of: leadership, honour. In women
indicative of: sexual honour, virtue.
• Today we still value and recognise the noble act but the
contemporary society provides us with daily examples of
self-interested behaviour than genuine honour.
• The reaction of Cassio therefore is further explained as
is Othello’s claims for being an ‘honourable murderer’…
Racism or Xenophobia – Fearing
the Outsider
• It takes notice of outward signs, by which
to judge the worth of a person.
• Othello may be black but he is also foreign
to Venice and therefore an outsider in
another way. He is not familiar with the
culture of Venice (pointed out by Iago –
who insists on helping him).
Moor (Gk mauros – means ‘black
or very dark’)
• – an Other by his non-European and non-Venetian background.
• Today considered a racist or derogative term.
• The Other is usually characterised as a character that is somehow
separated, stigmatised, or noted as being different from the
mainstream ideal.
• The Other (can be shown by class Iago – characterised as evil) like
Othello being shown as somehow different or separated from
society (or can be shown by class Iago – characterised as evil).
• Sources of the Elizabethan image of the Moor most likely came from
sources such as classical descriptions, actual encounters, travel
narratives, and literary conventions.
• Moors were characterised in Elizabethan England as being
alternately or even simultaneously noble or monstrous, civil or
savage. Being a different race meant, primarily, being an Other,
non-English, as well as non-Christian (Braxton 8).
• The convention of Christian art to represent Satan or other devils as
being black or dark-skinned also lent another connotation to the
reader, viewer, or performer of Shakespeare’s plays.
• War, Trade and Slavery gave exposure and understanding of ‘Moor’
to the English mind.
• Two books that may have influenced people’s views of Africa were
Hakluyt’s Principal Navigations, written in 1589, and John Leo Africanus’
A Geographical Historie of Africa “men whose heads / Do grow beneath
their shoulders”, which was widely read in Europe in the latter half of the
1500s and translated into English by John Pory in 1600.
• These dual images of the noble versus evil in terms of Moors goes on to
reveal a series of further bipolar opposites: lighter versus darker, affluent
versus ignorant, powerful versus weak, and outsider versus insider.
• Similarities between all four of Shakespeare’s Moors: their sexuality
and/or sexual relations with white European women. (Othello, Caliban,
Aaron, and the Prince of Morocco.)
• Moorish sexuality as in being portrayed as sexually aggressive in one
form or another: Othello, the “old black ram” is characterised as
preoccupied with “making the beast with two backs” with the “white ewe”
Desdemona. In addition, Iago also mentions that he has heard a rumour
that Othello is having an affair his own wife Emilia. All Moors portrayed
by Shakespeare’s plays, are involved with cross-racial desire.
• The characterisation of the Moor shows the Elizabethan society’s
ethnocentric view of other cultures. All these Moors depicted: Othello,
Caliban, the Prince of Morocco, and Aaron all lose in the end.
• Points of interest: ‘The coast is clear’ stems from ‘no hay moros en la
costa’ meaning literally – ‘There are no Moors on the coast.” Also, Iago’s
name is short for Santiago – which means St. James – the Moor-killer!
In the old age black was not counted fair,
Or if it were it bore not beauty’s name;
But now is black beauty’s successive heir,
And beauty slandered with a bastard shame,
For since each hand hath put on nature’s power,
Fairing the foul with art’s false borrowed face,
Sweet beauty hath no name, no holy bower,
But is profaned, if not lives in disgrace.
Therefore my mistress’ eyes are raven black,
Her eyes so suited, and they mourners seem
At such who, not born fair, no beauty lack,
Slandering creation with a false esteem:
Yet so they mourn, becoming of their woe,
That every tongue says beauty should look so.
Sonnet 127 by William Shakespeare
“Sonnet 127” is the
first in a series of 23
poems devoted to
the subject of the
“Dark Lady”,
Provoke the reader
to reconsider beliefs
and ideals that are/
were often
perpetuated
unconsciously. In
this case – what is
beautiful.