Othello: theatrical conventions of the period

Othello: theatrical conventions of the period

Elizabethan Theatre

• Othello was written during the Elizabethan era, marked by specific theatrical conventions that influenced the play’s content and performance.
• Theatre during this period was in open-air amphitheatres during daylight hours as there were no stage lights.
• Stage would be bare, enabling a fluid narrative with a swift transition between scenes.
• Props and costumes were essential for setting the scene and improving audience’s understanding.

All-Male Cast

• The law prohibited women from acting on stage, so female characters like Desdemona and Emilia were portrayed by young boys.
• This convention brings a layer of complexity to cross-gender relationships and gender-based power dynamics in Othello.

Audience Engagement

• Elizabethan plays were participatory; characters often addressed the audience through direct address, asides and soliloquies.
• Audience would respond vocally, which created an interactive performance environment.
• In Othello, Iago’s soliloquies engage the audience and highlight his manipulative intentions.

Verse and Prose

• The distinction between verse (used by nobility and in serious scenes) and prose (used by commoners and in comic scenes) helped create character distinction and mood.
• Othello’s character mainly speaks in verse, highlighting his noble status.
• Iago, on the other hand, shifts between verse and prose, underlining his manipulative nature.

Dramatic Irony

• Elizabethan drama often used dramatic irony to increase suspense and audience’s emotional engagement.
• In Othello, dramatic irony is extensively applied as the audience knows about Iago’s plan before Othello and others, enhancing the tragic impact of the narrative.