Drama Study Unit Introduction:

1. Drama Study Unit Introduction: The Renaissance and William Shakespeare’s, Othello

2. The RenaissanceKey Facts • What? “rebirth” of classic era (Greek and Roman ideas) • When? 14th-17th century • Where? Spread from Italy to rest of Europe • Why is it Important? Canadian values and laws are derived from the ideas reborn during this time.

3. Human beings are inherently good, not sinful. They are reasonable. They are capable of learning and they use reason and experience to do so. They are social, collaborative, and compassionate, not competitive and self-centred. They try to do their best and choose what is good for themselves and others. The RenaissanceA New Philosophy: Humanism

4. The RenaissanceHumanism’s Effects on Society • Art celebrated the Divine within the human mind and body. • Schools that allowed students to learn through discussing and experiencing, instead of memorizing, developed. Student opinions were valued. • Books other than the Bible were written and read, leading to freedom of thought and access to ideas. • The Church was weakened, so a new type of government was needed.

5. The Renaissance…Humanism’s Effects on Society…continued • New studies, like Science, Math, Architecture, Geography, Astronomy, Agriculture, and Art emerged as a result of access to knowledge and ideas. • People were free to travel; they were no longer “owned” as serfs; Feudalism thus broke down and gave way to Democracy. • People moved to towns and worked as merchants, doctors, and lawyers. • These people formed a new middle class: the Bourgeoisie. • Exploration and trade boomed—knowledge of other cultures increased. Views of the world changed.

6. The Renaissance • Views of the world went from this:

7. The RenaissanceViews of the World …to this:

8. The RenaissanceViews of the World Renaissance views of the world were governed by 2 principles: ORDER and BALANCE. Two systems of organizing and understanding the world helped people to feel secure (orderly): • 4 HUMOURS/ELEMENTS • THE GREAT CHAIN OF BEING

9. The RenaissanceViews of the World: Order and Balance 1) The 4 Humours, Elements, and Seasons: Science was developing, but didn’t exist as we know it. • People believed the world was made of 4 elements: earth, fire, water, and air. • They believed the body was made of 4 humours: blood, yellow bile, black bile, and phlegm. • They thought people each had one of 4 personality types: sanguine, melancholic, choleric, or phlegmatic. • And they thought these had to be in balance, or the world would descend into CHAOS and EVIL, people into illness.

10. The RenaissanceViews of the World Find your personality type:

11. The RenaissanceViews of the World: Order and Balance

12. The RenaissanceViews of the World: Order and Balance Medicine aimed to restore balance in the following ways:

13. The RenaissanceViews of the World: Order and Balance 2) The Great Chain of Being: Although greater equality among people of different classes, and among men and women, had been achieved, the idea of organizing the world into a hierarchy was still strong: God Angels Humans Animals Plants Rocks/Minerals

14. The RenaissanceViews of the World: Order and Balance The Great Chain of Being: The Chain was believed to have been created by God. Everyone had a place in the Chain that was considered destined, natural, and divinely created. King/ Queen Nobility Bourgeoisie Peasants and Servants It was considered wrong, rude, greedy, and impious to try to improve one’s position in the Chain. In fact…

15. The RenaissanceViews of the World: Order and Balance If people did not mind their places in the Chain—if they aspired to move up--they would upset the balance of the universe, which was created by God. To have ambition, therefore, was to go against God’s will and was thus EVIL.

16. But what about Humanism? Humanism celebrates human potential, and thus peoples’ ambition, which enables them to actualize such potential. So how can ambition be the root of evil? BLAME DEMONS/DEVILS! To account for contradictions in their beliefs, like simultaneously celebrating and condemning ambition, Renaissance citizens blamed demons and the supernatural. They also blamed them for other things they couldn’t understand, like natural disasters, humans’ wrongdoings or crimes, and sickness (The Plague).

17. This is all information you’ll need to really understand the complexities of: Othello

18. OthelloImportant Facts • Author: glorious, fabulous W.S. • Genre:Tragedy (a play whose hero dies at the end as a result of irrationally following poor or evil advisors, and their own, subsequently flawed behaviour or character. • Written in: between 1599 and 1601, England • Setting: Venice, Italy, in Act I; Cyprus, Turkey, after that • Written in BLANK VERSE (iambic pentameter, no rhyme)

19. Othello's SETTING:Venice in Italy andCyprus in Turkey

20. Othello: Key Characters • Othello: heroic, noble, Moorish (black) General of the Italian Armies. • Desdemona: Othello’s wife; continuously distrusted by those who should love and trust her most. • Iago: Othello’s ambitious “ancient,” a position below lieutenant; trusted advisor and “friend” to Othello; angered by being passed over for promotion to lieutenant; one of Shakespeare’s most evil characters. • Emila: Iago’s wife; Desdemona’s loyal attendant • Brabantio: Desdemona’s father • Cassio: friend of Othello’s; promoted to lieutenant, the position Iago coveted; a pawn in Iago’s evil plan. • Bianca: prostitute who’s favourite customer is Cassio, who teases her about marriage

21. Othello: the Plot Othello is a highly esteemed general in the service of Venice. Iago is Othello's ambitious friend. Othello promotes the Michael Cassio to the position of personal lieutenant and Iago is deadly jealous. Iago begins an evil and malicious campaign against the hero. Othello elopes with Desdemona but Iago starts to plot against them. He paints Desdemona as disloyal and Othello becomes jealous and suspicious of her. The order of Italy and the bonds and loyalties of friendship and marriage begin to fall apart. The Chain of Being is in chaos and disorder. To set the order right, those responsible must die so, consequently, the ultimate downfall of a once good and noble man (Othello) inevitably occurs.

22. …Now, back to the ideas of ORDER and BALANCE in Othello… People living during the Renaissance thought that imbalance and chaos were signs of evil. In the TRAGEDY, Iago aspires to be lieutenant—a position higher in the Chain of Being than his own. He aspires to rise himself and for another to fall. This AMBITION (TRAGIC FLAW) leads him to do evil things and upsets the universe’s ORDER AND BALANCE. Iago’s and, consequently, Othello’s actions cause chaos to ensue.

23. Othello: the Big Ideas • Conflicts: good vs. evil, order vs. chaos, ambition vs. morality, romantic vs brotherly love • Themes: people choose their ultimate ends, unchecked ambition corrupts, Military and love cannot exist together, humans prey on one another. • Motifs: sight and blindness, plants (often poisonous), animals (inhumanity of humans), hell/demons/monsters • Symbols: handkerchief, the song, “Willow” * Watch for tenets of Existentialism!

24. Performing Othello: Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre The Globe seated people of all classes, but demonstrated Renaissance beliefs in the Chain of Being by having the “Penny Pinchers” at the bottom, and the higher classes at the top. The Globe also showed the Chain at work with its trap doors down to Hell and balconies above for characters playing angels, Nobles, and Royals, etc., to descend from.

25. Thanks for watching! You are now ready to study Othello. You should be able to understand not only the plot, but also the more complex ideas woven together from the fabrics of the culture the play was written in.