Setting

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The Setting of Othello

Setting and place take a central and symbolic role in Othello like in many of Shakespeare’s other plays.

Setting in Othello

Shakespeare’s plays often took place in foreign countries such as France and Italy, inspired by Britain’s naval expansion and exploration at the time.
There are two very different settings:
- Venice in Italy.
- Cyprus.
Both represent hugely different ‘worlds’ and the shift in the setting in the play is reflected in shifts in plot, action and characterisation.

Venice

Venice was a hugely influential commercial seaport in Italy in the sixteenth century.
It took an active role in much of the Italian Renaissance literature, music, and architecture of the time.

Venice cont.

Venice was also symbolic of political factionalism, intrigue and moral corruption, even though Venetian society was generally orderly, civilised and formal as suggested in the first Act of Othello.
Often, playwrights used Venice as a setting to represent cultural sophistication.

Cyprus

In contrast, Cyprus represents a much more unstable, violent setting.
It was controlled by Venice but had been invaded by Turkey in 1570.
King James I was very interested in Turkish history.

Cyprus cont.

Shakespeare uses this Turkish threat as a pretext to change the play’s setting to be much more isolated, unordered and claustrophobic, which then serves to intensify the ominous, foreboding atmosphere as tragedy unfolds and order is destroyed.

Prosecution

Some critics believe that Shakespeare set many of his plays in exotic or invented locations so as not to be prosecuted for, in fact, writing about controversial issues in Britain.
Certainly, many of the plays contain ideas that are distinctly British and these values are just transferred to other locations (real or imagined).

1Context

1.1Introduction

1.1.1Specifications

1.2Background

1.2.1Shakespeare

1.2.2Love

1.2.3Tragedy

1.2.4Historical Context

1.3Othello

1.3.1Setting

1.3.2Social Issues

2Act One: Summaries & Themes

2.1Act and Scene Summaries

2.1.1Structure

2.1.2The Exam

2.2Scene One

2.2.1Key Events

2.2.2Key Themes

2.2.3Key Ideas

2.3Scene Two

2.3.1Key Events

2.3.2Key Themes

2.3.3Key Ideas

2.4Scene Three

2.4.1Key Events

2.4.2Key Events 2

2.4.3Key Themes

2.4.4Key Ideas

3Act Two: Summaries & Themes

3.1Scene One & Two

3.1.1Scene One: Events

3.1.2Key Events 2

3.1.3Key Ideas: Love & Tragedy

3.1.4Scene Two: Events

3.2Scene Three

3.2.1Key Events

3.2.2Key Ideas

4Act Three: Summaries & Themes

4.1Key Events

4.1.1Scene One & Two

4.1.2Scene Three

4.1.3Scene Three: Key Ideas

4.1.4Scene Four

5Act Four

5.1Scene One

5.1.1Key Events

5.1.2Key Ideas

5.2Scene Two

5.2.1Key Events

5.2.2Key Ideas

5.3Scene Three

5.3.1Key Events

5.3.2Key Ideas

6Act Five

6.1Scene One

6.1.1Key Events

6.1.2Key Ideas

6.2Scene Two

6.2.1Key Events

6.2.2Key Ideas

7Character Profiles

7.1Major Characters

7.1.1Othello

7.1.2Iago

7.1.3Desdemona

7.1.4Emilia

7.1.5Cassio

7.2Minor Characters

7.2.1Roderigo & Brabantio

7.2.2Other Characters

8Key Themes

8.1Love & Tragedy

8.1.1Love

8.1.2Love 2

8.1.3Tragedy

8.1.4Tragedy 2

8.2Other Key Themes

8.2.1Public versus Private

8.2.2Appearance & Reality

9Writing Techniques

9.1Writing Techniques

9.1.1Structure

9.1.2Genre

9.1.3Form & Language

9.1.4Language & Imagery

10Critical Debates

10.1Criticism & Performance

10.1.1Shakespeare's Legacy

10.1.2Traditional

10.1.3Modern & Contemporary

10.2Approaches

10.2.1Feminist Approach

10.2.2Psychoanalytic Approach

10.2.3Marxist Approach

11Approaching AQA English Literature

11.1Specification A

11.1.1Specification A

11.1.2Love Through the Ages

11.2Specification B

11.2.1Specification B

11.2.2Aspects of Tragedy

12Issues of Assessment

12.1The Exams

12.1.1AOs

12.1.2Mark Scheme

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