Historical Context

• The beliefs, social customs, social order, and events occurring at the time of Shakespeare writing are very important to understanding Othello well.
• L.P. Hartley asserts that ‘the past is a foreign country; they do things differently there’.
• The beliefs, social customs, social order, and events occurring at the time of Shakespeare writing are very important to understanding Othello well.
• During Shakespeare’s life, there were two monarchs:

  • Queen Elizabeth I (1533-1603).
  • King James I (1603-1625).
• The Elizabethan era is known as a ‘Golden Age’, or ‘Renaissance Era’.
• It saw increased global expansion for the British Empire through naval exploration, and growth in English literature, theatre and music.
• However, this was not an era of complete stability:

  • There was political conflict due to religious divisions and widespread poverty.
  • Most men could not vote, and women had very few rights at all.
• There was fierce religious division between the Catholic and Protestant Christian religions across Europe and in England.
• During the time of (Protestant) Queen Elizabeth’s reign this was somewhat more peaceful, but she was still a target of many Catholic plots against her, as was James I.
• In this period social classes were very structured and divided and gender divisions were deep.
• The nobility and knights were at the top of society, but there was a huge growth in the gentry class as Britain expanded its colonies abroad into the ‘New World’.
• These were often explorers, writers or ministers such as Sir Walter Raleigh, Francis Drake, or indeed Shakespeare himself.
• There was also a rise in modern commerce and the merchant class including cloth and weaving.
• However there was still a huge amount of poverty and inequality for the labouring class, which included shoemakers, carpenters, and those working with their hands.
• Boys attended school, learning reading and writing; if their families could afford it, they would then go to grammar school at around seven years old where they would study Latin and Roman writing.
• Girls were expected to stay at home and learn domestic skills.
• If they were lucky and wealthy, they may also learn to read and write.