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Othello Historical Scavenger Hunt. Intro to Othello. This play was first performed in November of 1604. It is considered to be a tragedy and it was written during a time when Shakespeare was writing tragedies.
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Intro to Othello • This play was first performed in November of 1604. It is considered to be a tragedy and it was written during a time when Shakespeare was writing tragedies. • Many people believe that Shakespeare started to write tragedies after the death of his son Hamnet (much like Hamlet) in 1596.
Origin of the Story Othello • As we talked about yesterday, Shakespeare built many of his plays off of previous stories. Othello is no different. Many people believe that Shakespeare built the plot of Othello from a tale written by Giovanni Battista Giraldi Cinzio.
History Behind Othello • The history behind the play centers around the conflict between the Venetians and the Turks which took place during the late 1500’s. • The battles between these two sides occurred for a number of reasons. The main two are religion and land.
History Behind Othello (con) • The reason that the Venetians and the Turks took issue over land is due to the fact that they were neighbors. • While the Venetians were Catholic the Turks were Muslims and religious battles ensued. • This story is even more interesting because Othello was a Moor (a Turk), yet he was a high ranking general for the Venetians.
History Behind Othello (con) • The Turks have had many battles with European nations dating back to The Crusades which we discussed a little bit yesterday. The Crusades occurred during the 1095–1291. While this play is far removed from The Crusades the same problems between the Turks and Europe remained.
History Behind Othello (con) • The Turks were a part of The Ottoman Empire which stretched over a number of present day countries. The next slide shows a map of territories that The Ottoman Empire had at one time or another.
Characters of the Play • The next few slides give descriptions of the plays key characters. • Othello- “The play’s protagonist and hero. A Christian Moor and general of the armies of Venice, Othello is an eloquent and physically powerful figure, respected by all those around him. In spite of his elevated status, he is nevertheless easy prey to insecurities because of his age, his life as a soldier, and his race. He possesses a “free and open nature,” which his ensign Iago uses to twist his love for his wife, Desdemona, into a powerful and destructive jealousy”
Characters of the Play • Desdemona - ”The daughter of the Venetian senator Brabanzio. Desdemona and Othello are secretly married before the play begins. While in many ways stereotypically pure and meek, Desdemona is also determined and self-possessed. She is equally capable of defending her marriage, jesting bawdily with Iago, and responding with dignity to Othello’s incomprehensible jealousy.”
Characters of the Play • Iago - ”Othello’s ensign (a job also known as an ancient or standard-bearer), and the villain of the play. Iago is twenty-eight years old. While his ostensible reason for desiring Othello’s demise is that he has been passed over for promotion to lieutenant, Iago’s motivations are never very clearly expressed and seem to originate in an obsessive, almost aesthetic delight in manipulation and destruction.”
