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Shakespeare and Othello

Shakespeare and Othello. Author & Theater Information. William Shakespeare. 1563-1616 Born in Stratford-on-Avon Father – glovemaker & wool merchant Mother – daughter of a wealthy local landowner Married Anne Hathaway in 1582 12 years older than him Four months pregnant at the wedding.

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Shakespeare and Othello

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  1. Shakespeare and Othello

  2. Author & Theater Information

  3. William Shakespeare • 1563-1616 • Born in Stratford-on-Avon • Father – glovemaker& wool merchant • Mother – daughter of a wealthy local landowner • Married Anne Hathaway in 1582 • 12 years older than him • Four months pregnant at the wedding

  4. 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

  5. Professional Life • In 1599, he and the Lord Chamberlain’s Men built the Globe Theater. • Theater burned down in 1613 and was rebuilt in 1614. • Wrote plays both for Queen Elizabeth I and for King James.

  6. Elizabethan England • Queen Elizabeth I : 1533-1603 • Daughter of King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn • Became Queen in 1559. • Never married and was nicknamed “The Virgin Queen”. • English Renaissance in music, literature, and military strength happened under her.

  7. 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.

  8. 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.

  9. 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.

  10. 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.

  11. Shakespeare and English • Over 12,000 words entered English 1560-1650 • 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

  12. Historical Background

  13. 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

  14. 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.

  15. 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.

  16. Othello The Play

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

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

  19. Terminology

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

  21. 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

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

  23. Conflict Types • Internal • man vs. himself (Othello vs. Himself) • Doesn’t want to distrust Desdemona • Insecure about qualities to enable Desdemona to love him. • External • man vs. society (Othello vs. Venice) • man vs. nature • 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.

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

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

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

  27. Monologue • One person speaking on stage.

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

  29. 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!

  30. Shakespearean Insult Generator http://www.pangloss.com/seidel/Shaker/

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