What is the history of Othello?

Othello was typically played with nobility and tragic dignity by the leading actor of the company. All recorded Othellos before the nineteenth century were white actors, though their makeup suggested a range of ethnic origins for Othello, from the Arab world to Sub-Saharan Africa.

What was Othello based on?

Intro. Othello, the Moor of Venice is a tragedy by William Shakespeare believed to have been written in approximately 1603, and based on the Italian short story 'Un Capitano Moro' ('A Moorish Captain') by Cinthio, a disciple of Boccaccio, first published in 1565.

Was Othello based on a historical figure?

Some time ago there was a report that aa ancient manuscript had been found in Venice containing the true history of Othello. This report has lately been conflrmed. The lucky discoverer is the historian Caesar Augustus Levi.

Where is Othello originally from?

Although Othello is a Moor, and although we often assume he is from Africa, he never names his birthplace in the play. In Shakespeare's time, Moors could be from Africa, but they could also be from the Middle East, or even Spain. American actor John Edward McCullough as Othello in 1878.

Why did William Shakespeare wrote Othello?

So what actually inspired Shakespeare into writing Othello? Shakespeare was a chronicle at that time and Venice was an important trading post and link between Europe and the East. That's why Shakespeare may have chosen to set the play in Venice.

Shakespeare's Othello (Part 1 of 2): Historical Background

Why is Othello called Othello?

The name was selected by Hasegawa as a reference to the Shakespearean play Othello, the Moor of Venice, referring to the conflict between the Moor Othello and Iago, and more controversially, to the unfolding drama between Othello, who is black, and Desdemona, who is white.

Why is Othello so famous?

Othello is possibly the most famous literary exploration of the warping powers of jealousy and suspicion. At the same time, it's among the earliest literary works dealing with race and racism. Othello—undeniably heroic even if ultimately flawed—is the most prominent black protagonist in early Western literature.

Was Othello played by a black man?

Mekhi Phifer. Distinguished black thespians have portrayed one of Shakespeare's most famed and widely depicted characters for years. But paving the way for those acting legends nearly 200 years ago was Ira Aldridge, the first black actor to breathe life into the Othello role.

Is Othello white?

It's all but certain that Shakespeare's first Othello was Richard Burbage, a white Londoner. It's even more likely that Burbage would have worn dark makeup, as actors in Britain did until the late 1980s (Michael Gambon was one of the last, at Scarborough in 1990).

What is the meaning of Othello?

Definition of Othello

: a Moor in the military service of Venice, husband of Desdemona, and protagonist of Shakespeare's tragedy Othello.

What type of tragedy is Othello?

Othello is also a domestic tragedy: the tragedy of marriage. Othello and Desdemona have a passionate love which could be seen as a threat to the rules established by patriarchal order: their intense, emotionally charged and equal marriage challenges ideas about class, race and the conformity of women.

Why is Othello a tragedy?

Othello is a tragedy because it tells the story of a noble, principled hero who makes a tragic error of judgment, leading to a devastating climax in which most of the characters end up either dead or seriously wounded.

Is Othello a love story?

The story begins in Venece, where love story turns into tragedy when beautiful, young lady Desdemona fell in love with a general in the Venetian army named Othello.

Is Othello about race?

While the play is not simply about race, one cannot avoid Othello's color, or the racist remarks and attitudes of certain characters, or the plot itself.

Can a white man play Othello?

Racial prejudice has allowed white actors to play Othello well into the 20th century.

Who kills Othello?

Specifically, we learned that by the end of Othello, there are four dead bodies: Desdemona, Emilia, Roderigo, and Othello himself. Iago murdered two of these people with his own hand, but his influence is at the bottom of them all.

Is Othello Arab?

The parallels in context, and content, are striking. Othello, a Moorish Arab—and clearly Muslim in this version of the play—immigrant of a Western state, rose up to the ranks of general and led his ostensibly Christian army against the Muslim “heathens” of the Ottoman Turks.

What is Othello's tragic flaw?

Some say that Othello's tragic flaw was jealousy which flared at suspicion and rushed into action unchecked by calm common sense. A more modern interpretation would say that Othello's tragic flaw was that he had internalized, that is taken into himself, the prejudices of those who surrounded him.

What does black symbolize in Othello?

Additionally, the color black is often seen as evil or bad, whereas white is seen as good and pure. Since the black ram is “tupping,” or mounting, the white ewe, Iago is making a reference to the sexual act of Othello, black, taking Desdemona's virginity, white and pure.

Is Othello black or white?

“In studying the play of Othello, I have always imagined its hero a white man,” she wrote, concluding that Shakespeare “was too correct a delineator of human nature to have colored Othello black, if he had personally acquainted himself with the idiosyncrasies of the African race.” For these critics, Shakespeare ...

Is Othello a tragic hero?

Othello is a tragic hero for several reasons. A tragic hero is the protagonist of a story who has a fall from grace. A tragic hero is a character who has everything going for him or her, however, they have flaw that sparks their downfall.

What does Moor mean in Shakespeare?

“Moor” came to mean anyone who was Muslim or had dark skin; occasionally, Europeans would distinguish between “blackamoors” and “white Moors.” One of the most famous mentions of Moors is in Shakespeare's play The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice.

What is the main message of Othello?

Shakespeare's classic play Othello is about a man who falsely accuses his wife of cheating on him, and believes this lie so strongly that he eventually takes her life. Some of the major themes in this play include racial prejudice, manipulation, and jealousy.

What is the moral message of Othello?

“Othello” is a cautionary tale. It prompts us to check our reflexive feelings and to be fairer and more generous toward those whom we might dismiss or pigeonhole. It also encourages us to be more forgiving of others' trespasses.

Why is Othello a Moor?

Why is Othello referred to as the Moor? Othello is referred to as the Moor because of his dark skin color. The term was initially used to describe people from the ancient Roman province, which is now North Africa, but over time the word "Moor" became an ambiguous term used to describe anyone who had dark skin.