1604 commentary
1604 Document
After reading the document from the Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, please consider the following question:
How is the setting of Othello significant, and how would a Jacobean audience feel about this play?
Make references to Act 1 as well, if you feel you can incorporate some lines from the play to substantiate your claim. If you quote do cite correctly (I.i.24-73).
Consider how Shakespeare begins the play – time, setting, who gets the first words, how Othello is developed …things like that.
You will be writing in well-developed paragraphs. Think about your introduction and how it should indicate (subtly) what will be discussed in the body of your paper.
In 1604, Shakespeare’s Othello took its place as one of the most highly praised plays of the time. It’s popularity can be somewhat attributed to the setting, of Othello. During the time that the play was written and performed, England was in a time of transition, as Elizabethan England came to an end and became Jacobean England with the ascension of King James I. During this time, the English people were also still in the wake of the Turkish attack on Cyprus. Shakespeare illustrates both of these matters within his work of Othello.
As the Jacobean audience was in transition, a play such as Othello would have resonated within them, as it can be seen as a microcosm of 17th century England. As the Chicago Shakespeare Theatre said, “Othello reflects the shifting values of a world once steeped in chivalry and honor, now fast learning the language of rationalism, commerce and imperialism.” (P4. L16) The character of Othello goes through a profound transition in the play. At the beginning of the play, Othello is portrayed as an honest, valiant and great general of the Venetian army. By the last act of the play, Othello appears to be an enraged man full of jealousy capable of the most despicable acts. The Jacobeans would have appreciated the dual nature of Othello, as it
After reading the document from the Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, please consider the following question:
How is the setting of Othello significant, and how would a Jacobean audience feel about this play?
Make references to Act 1 as well, if you feel you can incorporate some lines from the play to substantiate your claim. If you quote do cite correctly (I.i.24-73).
Consider how Shakespeare begins the play – time, setting, who gets the first words, how Othello is developed …things like that.
You will be writing in well-developed paragraphs. Think about your introduction and how it should indicate (subtly) what will be discussed in the body of your paper.
In 1604, Shakespeare’s Othello took its place as one of the most highly praised plays of the time. It’s popularity can be somewhat attributed to the setting, of Othello. During the time that the play was written and performed, England was in a time of transition, as Elizabethan England came to an end and became Jacobean England with the ascension of King James I. During this time, the English people were also still in the wake of the Turkish attack on Cyprus. Shakespeare illustrates both of these matters within his work of Othello.
As the Jacobean audience was in transition, a play such as Othello would have resonated within them, as it can be seen as a microcosm of 17th century England. As the Chicago Shakespeare Theatre said, “Othello reflects the shifting values of a world once steeped in chivalry and honor, now fast learning the language of rationalism, commerce and imperialism.” (P4. L16) The character of Othello goes through a profound transition in the play. At the beginning of the play, Othello is portrayed as an honest, valiant and great general of the Venetian army. By the last act of the play, Othello appears to be an enraged man full of jealousy capable of the most despicable acts. The Jacobeans would have appreciated the dual nature of Othello, as it