1. Othello by William Shakespeare

2. Renaissance: Brief Historical Context
Roughly 14th to 17th century
Shakespeare wrote during the 16th and beginning of 17th centuries
Period of violent and sweeping change
Authority of the Roman Catholic Church questioned
National govt. formed around strong monarchs
Merchant and professional classes grew

3. Renaissance: Humanism
Renaissance means “re-birth”
Humanism is from the Italian word,
“umanista”
Focus on humanism:
Intellectual movement
Emphasized human powers to know and change the world
Insisted on scholar’s rights to pursue knowledge without being constrained by Church dogma
Directed attention to classical Greek and Roman learning and developed new approaches to literature, history, and science

4. Renaissance: Religion
Arguably, the most important person in Europe before the Renaissance was the Pope
Catholicism was the dominant religion in Europe (America was in its infancy)
England, under Queen Elizabeth I, became Protestant
Movement away from one school of thought and toward the emphasis on individual choice

5. Renaissance: Women in the Renaissance
Had few rights during this time period
Confined to the domestic sphere, but not necessarily unhappy
No general trend that they were mistreated or unhappy
Role was limited largely due to lack of birth control
Had a baby, on average, every two years
Made it impractical to work full time

6. Renaissance: Women in the Renaissance
Women’s limitations:
Could not be educated by a tutor, but schools were reserved for boys
Not allowed to vote
Could not enter the professions (law, medicine, politics, etc.)
Could not be heirs to their father’s titles
Man had the legal right to chastise his wife as he was seen as the head of the marriage.

7. Queen Elizabeth I
Called the Virgin Queen because refused to get married
At the time, it was unheard of for a woman to rule without a king.
She proclaimed that she is married to her country – England.
Had to be very careful by still presenting herself as a woman to not offend the culture of her time

8. Plot Overview
Othello (a Moor and Captain in the Venetian army) marries Desdemona, a white Venetian, which upsets her father. Additionally, Iago (Othello’s ancient or assistant) is jealous of Othello’s promotion. He wants Othello fired and tormented. Iago concocts an elaborate plan to convince Othello that Desdemona is sleeping with another man.

9. Othello is a Moor
means he is most likely a Muslim of Arab or North African (Berber) descent (this point has been argued, however)
because of this, he is often portrayed as having dark skin

10. What is a Moor?…the Other
Moors were characterized as being alternately or even simultaneously noble/ monstrous, civil/ savage
Being a different race meant being an Other (non-English, non-Christian, etc.)
Queen Elizabeth expelled Jews, Africans, and “Blackamoors” from England in 1596 and 1601.
Many blacks in England were slaves, most were persecuted.
Many felt foreigners were a threat to cultural homogeneity (sameness) - ethnocentrism: belief in the superiority of one's own ethnic group
- xenophobia:Intense or irrational dislike or fear of people from other countries

11. Setting
The play begins in Venice, Italy. However, the Duke sends Othello to Cyprus to protect the island from the Turks (Ottomans) at the end of Act I.