Shakespeare and Othello

Author & Theater Information

William Shakespeare Born in Stratford-on-Avon Father – glovemaker & wool merchant Mother – daughter of a wealthy local landowner Married Anne Hathaway in years older than him Four months pregnant at the wedding

Professional Life He wrote 37 plays and 154 sonnets. Wrote three kinds of plays: Comedies Tragedies Histories Both wrote for and acted with Lord Chamberlain’s Men

Professional Life In 1599, he and the Lord Chamberlain’s Men built the Globe Theater. Theater burned down in 1613 and was rebuilt in Wrote plays both for Queen Elizabeth I and for King James.

Elizabethan England Queen Elizabeth I : Daughter of King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn Became Queen in Never married and was nicknamed “The Virgin Queen”. English Renaissance in music, literature, and military strength happened under her.

Elizabethan Theater Protestant Church and city officials banned theaters because of : fighting crime drinking crude subject matter threat of Bubonic Plague The 1596 plague caused London to ban all public plays and theaters within city limits. Theaters also used for bear-baiting and gambling. All actors were men because theaters were too scandalous for women. Young boys whose voices had not changed played women’s roles.

Elizabethan Theater Little to no scenery was used. Settings were understood because of references in dialogue. Lots of props were used. Plays were fast-paced and colorful. Much more interaction with audience than today.

Attending a Theater Performance Plays were produced for the general public. Theaters were roofless, so all performances were open air. No artificial lighting. Courtyard surrounded by three levels of galleries. Wealthy patrons sat in benches with a roof over their heads. Groundlings: poor people who stood and watched from “the pit” (the courtyard). Groundlings went for the entertainment of alcohol, fights, prostitution, and lewd subject matter. They often threw food at the actors. All but the wealthy were uneducated/illiterate.

Attending a Theater Performance Pricing of admission based on comfort: 1 penny (week’s wages for apprentice)  pit 5 pence  cushioned gallery seat Nobility generally had private performances in their own homes.

Shakespeare and English Over 12,000 words entered English Shakespeare’s plays show the first recorded use of 2,035 new English words Macbeth, Hamlet, and King Lear have one new word every 2.5 lines. Phrases coined by Shakespeare: A laughing stock A sorry sight As dead as a doornail Eaten out of house and home In a pickle In the twinkling of an eye Mum’s the word Neither here nor there There’s method in my madness

Historical Background

Setting Act I : Venice A wealthy city-state that was important in trade Known for luxury and culture Famous for its judicial system Act II-V: Cyprus Island near Turkey and Syria Annexed by Venice in 1489 and conquered by the Turks in 1571

The Moors Equivalent to “African” with expectation that the person would be black. In 711 Moors, who were Muslim, conquered Spain and ruled until 1492, when Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand took over and brought it to Christianity. Moors were forced to leave Spain or become Christian.

Military Terms Ancient (pronounced “en-sin”) Military rank Standard-Bearer Iago is third in command behind Othello and Cassio. Lieutenant Means “place holder” Cassio is second in command to Othello. The Lieutenant holds the General’s place in his absence.

Othello The Play

Themes of Othello Destructive nature of jealousy Importance of honor and reputation Being an outsider Appearance vs. Reality Loyalty vs. Treachery

Motifs of Othello Motif: Major topic related to the theme Animals Jealousy Sight and Darkness The Handkerchief Magic Evil and the Devil

Terminology

Static & Dynamic Characters Dynamic Character The character changes from beginning to end and has many personality traits, like a real person Othello is a good example. Static Character The character remains the same throughout the story. He does not change his mind, opinion, or character. Iago is a good example.

Foil FOIL: Character who highlights or emphasizes certain traits of the main character by contrasting them. Examples: Emilia is the foil to Desdemona Cassio is the foil to Iago

Irony: Three Types 1.Dramatic Irony: A contradiction between what a character thinks and what the reader or audience knows to be true. 2.Situational Irony: An event that directly contradicts the expectations of the characters, readers, or audience. 3.Verbal Irony: Words are used to suggest the opposite of what is meant.

Conflict Types 1.Internal a.man vs. himself (Othello vs. Himself) Doesn’t want to distrust Desdemona Insecure about qualities to enable Desdemona to love him. 2.External a.man vs. society (Othello vs. Venice) b.man vs. nature c.man vs. man (Iago vs. Othello) (Iago vs. Cassio) Iago hates Othello and plots to bring about his downfall. Iago is jealous of Cassio, and works to ruin his reputation, as well as separate him from Othellos’ friendship.

Tragedy Drama in which the main character suffers a disaster after a serious struggle. Faces downfall in a heroic way.

Soliloquy Long speech Character’s inner (truthful) thoughts are spoken aloud No other characters present

Aside Character’s inner thoughts spoken aloud Other characters are present Other characters cannot hear the spoken thoughts

Monologue One person speaking on stage.

The Five-Part Dramatic Structure Act II Rising Action, Or Complications Act I Exposition, or Introduction Act III Crisis, or Turning Point Act IV Falling Action Act V Resolution, or Denouement

Ways to Understand Shakespearean Language Watch out for inverse word order! Read in sentences  don’t break at the end of lines. Read footnotes! Worry about the overall sense of the words, not every word individually. Watch out for Shakespearean contractions. READ OUT LOUD AND PARAPHRASE!

Shakespearean Insult Generator