17 th Century concepts

1. 17th Century concepts Applicable to Othello

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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’…

5. 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).

6. 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.

7. 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!

8. 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.