AO4 – how typical is the play for Shakespeare? Othello AO4 – how typical is the play for Shakespeare?

In order for you to improve your A04 you need to know about other Shakespeare plays in relation to Othello I will talk you briefly through The Winter’s Tale ( a tragicomedy by Shakespeare) on slides 3-6 and you will research Much Ado About Nothing ( a comedy by Shakespeare) – both plays link very well to Othello. You will complete a table- slide 7 to summarise the links. And then write some statements comparing Othello to these plays – slide 8

The Winter’s Tale https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REs7kJxyqtI King Leontes (protagonist) confronts his wife Hermione and accuses her of adultery (Unlike Othello, there is no villain – Leontes’ jealousy is a product of his paranoia. He thinks she has slept with his best friend). How is this similar to Othello ? Does Hermione react in the same way as Desdemona? Watch the clip.

The Winter’s Tale https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vm7beWEkpa8 Here, in Act 3, we see Hermione reacts to her husband’s accusation and punishment ( he will imprison her and he has also instructed for their baby daughter to be murdered – he thinks he is not the father, but he is of course) Does she accept the accusation and action? Similarities/differences to Desdemona in Act 3?

The Winter’s Tale At the end of Act 5 in Othello, Othello kills Desdemona for her supposed crime. In The Winter’s Tale, in Act 5, 16 years after her imprisonment and subsequent death, it turns out that Hermione has been kept alive by her maid and has been hidden safely all this time. Leontes by this point realises his error and is remorseful. He is presented with a statue of his wife – only for it to ‘come alive’ as Hermione reveals herself. How is this ending different? .

PAULINA Music, awake her; strike PAULINA  Music, awake her; strike! Music 'Tis time; descend; be stone no more; approach; Strike all that look upon with marvel. Come, I'll fill your grave up: stir, nay, come away, Bequeath to death your numbness, for from him Dear life redeems you. You perceive she stirs: HERMIONE comes down Start not; her actions shall be holy as You hear my spell is lawful: do not shun her Until you see her die again; for then You kill her double. Nay, present your hand: When she was young you woo'd her; now in age Is she become the suitor? LEONTES  O, she's warm! If this be magic, let it be an art Lawful as eating. POLIXENES  She embraces him. CAMILLO  She hangs about his neck: If she pertain to life let her speak too Here is the moment when Hermione’s statue comes alive!

Three Shakespeare plays about sexual jealousy Much Ado ( 1598) Comedy Othello (1603) Tragedy The Winter’s Tale Tragicomedy Who is sexually jealous? Who is victim? Victim’s supporter Why? Evidence? Woman is punished? How does it end? Claudio Othello Desdemona Emilia- maid Iago / handkerchief Murder He commits suicide. King Leontes Hermione - his wife Paulina - maid No evidence. Paranoia Prison. Baby murdered. Resurrection / she has been hiding. Reunites.

Independent research on Much Ado About Nothing You need to complete the table on the previous slide with info about Much Ado. You can use sparknotes for a plot summary/ watch the film (it’s a brilliant one featuring Kenneth Branagh ) / read the play. Complete the slide and print out / copy out for next lesson please.

Evaluating what is typical in Shakespeare’s presentation of love in these three plays Look at your table and draw some conclusions about Shakespeare’s themes/ideas/characterisation in the three plays . You are answering the question ‘what is typical in his presentation of love in these three plays? Write these down as bullet points. Consider: Subject matter and attitude e.g Their treatment of sexual jealousy The chronology of the plays – how does Shakespeare’s presentation mature or change? How does his choice of genre shape this? How does Othello depart from the other two?

Extension: How typical was it for a Renaissance play to feature a black character? Most black characters were villains Black people in England were mysterious, strange, exotic. Believed to be descendants of Ham from Genesis punished for sexual excess by their blackness. Queen Elizabeth I feared interbreeding and tried to expel all black people in 1601 but they failed to self-deport and slave owners wouldn’t give up their servants, Ben Johnson’s Masque of Blackness – longing of black daughters of Niger to gain whiteness and beauty. Prejudice at the time was unconscious and everywhere In 1590 Titus Andronicus, Shakespeare fulfilled the black stereotype in his characterisation of Aaron as a villain In 1603 Othello’s character subverts most stereotypes of blackness – a departure from his earlier play.