Othello Questions PDF

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Context Questions about Othello...

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a. Who were the Moors? The term “moor” refers to a black person, equivalent to “negro”, and a person typically from northern Africa. Some people used the term “moor” more loosely and included non-whites and Muslims. b. Who were the Venetians? Venetians are the citizens and people who live in Venice, Italy. This included the general public, to the officials of Venice. c. How were the Shakespeare's day?

Moors/Venetians

regarded

in

Moors were often judged lowly due to their culture, dress standards, customs and behaviours. They were often referred to as villains and devils by the white, and were often stereotyped negatively. Venetians in the other hand were regarded as high class and powerful people, which some people look up to. d. What were the military duties of ranked officers? Different ranks of officers in the military had different duties. For example, the general was in charge if commanding large numbers of troops in the battlefield and had power over lower ranked officers. In the other hand, lieutenants were to obey the general and directly give the general’s orders to the troops. e. What was the military hierarchy? f. What was the accepted role of women in Shakespeare's time? The military hierarchy consisted of four main sectors: General, Lieutenants, Marshalls and soldiers. Women were expected to look nice and attractive to men and to ultimately get married with a partner. g. What was expected of a daughter in Shakespeare's time? Daughters were expected to behave well and be a representative of their family head. To maintain a good family name and record, anything the daughter did had to be considered acceptable and had to be married to a respectable man with strong family history.

h. What was expected of a bride? Brides were expected to marry a man, who the family chooses for their benefit, without really having a say or choice. After the bride is married, they were expected to be the husband’s property. i. What relationships between men and women were considered above reproach? When different people with different skin colour (like Othello’s marriage) were considered above reproach in Shakespeare’s time and were treated as lowly and disregarded by the public. j. What rules for getting married existed at the time of the play? One main rule that existed at the time of the play, was that the bride were to respect, obey and be respectful to the husband. Brides were also to do the same to family members with higher authority. k. What were the rules of courtship? Courtship involved in Othello was to keep a relationship/marriage a secret. For example, small gifts would be a gesture of affection, while special gifts could mean something larger, such as a proposal or engagement. l. What was the Great Chain of Being? The Great Chain of Being is a hierarchy that orders objects in the earth (also God and Angels) from the most important to the least important. It starts from God, Angels, then a king, who is believed to be chosen by God and so on. This concept was widely believed during Shakespeare’s time.

m. Explain the notion of the four elements. The four elements included earth, water, air and fire. It was widely believed that the notion of these four elements had to be in balance to operate properly, and an unjust event, such as a murder of a king, can alter these four elements. n. Outline the characteristics of a tragic hero. Characteristics of a tragic hero can include a fatal flaw (also known as harmartia, a flaw that leads to the hero’s death), a fate that the hero cannot change despite his/her efforts and usually dies during a crucial moment in the play. o. Find and read a copy of Cinthio's story on which Othello is based. (Shakespeare-navigators.com has one.) What is your reaction to the way the characters behave in this story? I thought that some characters in the story would have been unusual in Shakespeare’s time, while other may have been more normal. Having a “moor” or black man and a noblewoman be happily in love, may have been unusual and quite different from the norms in Shakespearean era. However, character such as the Captain of the troop being fierce and strong, would have been more generic and acceptable in their time....