Othello: cultural context

Cultural Context of Othello

Elizabethan and Jacobean Views of Race

Othello is one of the first Western plays to feature a black protagonist, reflecting the emerging engagement with racial matters during the Elizabethan/Jacobean period.
The ‘otherness’ of Othello was underscored in performance. During Shakespeare’s time, the role would have been played by a white actor in blackface, highlighting societal perceptions of difference.
Racial prejudice is a significant theme in the play, with Othello often being referred to with derogatory racial terms or animalistic comparisons.

Venice and Cyprus

The play contrasts two distinct settings: the sophisticated city-state of Venice and the frontier territory of Cyprus.
Venice, represented as a bastion of civilisation, order, and rationality, was considered as the commercial and cultural hub of Europe in the 16th century.
Cyprus represents the periphery, a military outpost that is distant and fraught with dangers, known for its vulnerability to Turkish aggression.

Gender Roles and Masculinity

Cultural assumptions about gender underline the characterisation and motivations in Othello. Shakespeare reflects and critiques the patriarchal nature of Elizabethan England.
Women are portrayed as possessions of their fathers or husbands. Desdemona’s elopement and assertiveness in defending her marriage were in contradiction to the expectations of women’s passivity.
Concepts of masculinity are explored through the characters of Othello, Iago, and Cassio. Othello’s valour, Iago’s cunning, and Cassio’s courtly manners present contrasting images of manhood.

Early Modern Military Culture

Othello is centred around a military campaign, showcasing aspects of the discipline, hierarchy, and camaraderie in the early modern military.
Othello’s military prowess is both the source of his high status and at the heart of his downfall. This juxtaposition reveals insights into the societal views of the military in Shakespeare’s time.

Religion and Morality

The tension between Christian morality and Machiavellian realpolitik is a key theme in Othello. Characters’ actions are influenced by the cultural interplay between religious and secular values.
Desdemona embodies the Christian virtue of forgiveness, while Iago represents Machiavellian manipulation and deceit. Their contrasting behaviours reflect the contemporary struggle between moral and immoral forces.

The Moorish Influence

The period saw the continuing impact of Moorish influence on Europe after the fall of Granada in 1492, contributing to the tension between Christianity and Islam.
Othello’s identity as a ‘Moor’ may refer both to his African descent and Islamic faith, underlining his cultural otherness and marginalisation in a European-Christian dominated society.