Question

In Act 1, What were the main themes introduced? Describe how these themes related to the different characters.

Racism

In the 16th century:

black people had been known in London, and by the time Shakespeare was writing.

Ships carrying black slaves passed through London, and many stayed.

foreigners were seen with curiosity and suspicion.

To be black was to be strange.

the colour black was discirminated against: blacks were associated with ugliness, savagery, sin, and lasciviousness. Indians, Africans and Inuit, at various times were a curiosity.

Moors

definition:
MOOR –noun
1.
a Muslim of the mixed Berber and Arab people inhabiting NW Africa.

this image looks as the man playing othello has been had his skin painted to appear darker.

this image is a drawing of othello, that appears to be a white man. Possibly because in the plays blacks were not allowed to act and therefore whites had to play othello.

othello is a modern day play

these two paintings are a portrayal of the othello play, othello is dark skined.

Cyprus in the 16th Century

Cyprus is situated in the eastern Mediterranean, south of Turkey. During the 16th century Cyprus was controlled by Venice.

Venice in the 16th Century

Venice is located in Italy.

What was is like:

• Italy was in warfare between the local contenders, Venice and France and Spain.


• The 16th century was the beginning of the Decline for the Republic of Venice. Eager to take some of Venice's lands, all neighbouring powers joined in the League of Cambrai in 1508, under the leadership of Pope Julius II.
• The Turkish invaded and by 1563, the population of Venice had dropped to about 168,000 people.