Men and Women
What was expected of women in marriage?
A wife should be obedient to her husband.
What was the dominant religion?
Protestant.
What ethnic identity is given to Othello?
The Moor.
How was society structured?
In a hierarchy.
What determined a person's social standing?
Reputation.
What qualities made a woman "virtuous" in Jacobean society?
Silence, modesty and chastity.
What maintained order and stability in society?
The Great Chain of Being and the Divine Right of Kings.
What attitudes existed towards people from different cultural backgrounds?
Negative stereotypes, couldn't be trusted.
What was the Divine Right of Kings?
The king ruled with God's authority.
What was considered essential for a respectable woman?
Her purity.
Who held the power over an unmarried woman and why?
Her father because he was the head of the house and had the authority.
What happened to sinners after death according to dominant beliefs?
They went to Hell.
Why might a Jacobean audience initially distrust Othello?
Because he has dark skin.
What belief explained the social hierarchy?
The Great Chain of Being
Why is the accusation against Desdemona so serious?
It destroyed her honour and reputation.
Why would Desdemona's marriage to Othello shock a Jacobean audience? What does this reveal about her?
She got married in secret without her father's permission. It reveals that she is rebellious and dishonourable/dishonest.
How might a Jacobean audience perceive the tragic events of Othello?
As divine punishment for disorder/breaking the Great Chain of Being.
What makes Othello's social status so unusual?
He holds an important position despite his outsider status.
Why was obedience highly valued?
Challenging authority threatened the social order
Why does Othello become obsessed with Desdemona's fidelity?
To protect his own honour.
How does Shakespeare question traditional Jacobean gender expectations through Emilia?
Emilia challenges the belief that women should be submissive.
How does religion influence Othello's thinking?
He ties Desdemona's infidelity to moral corruption and sin.
How does Shakespeare challenge Jacobean racial assumptions?
He is respected despite being the Moor.
How does Iago create disorder in Othello?
He disrupts military, social and marital hierarchies.
Cassio stating, "my reputation, my reputation, o, my reputation!"