Othello A Contextual History [Paperback]

Study of Othello which examines cultural influences and interplay of text and performances.Shakespeare's Othello has exercised a powerful fascination over audiences with its portrayal of destructive jealousy. This study is a major exercise in the historicisation of Othello in which the author examines contemporary writings and demonstrates how they were embedded in the text. Subsequent chapters analyse representations and interpretations from the Restoration to the present, using illustrations of performances and performers. Othello is revealed as a significant shaper of cultural meaning.Shakespeare's Othello has exercised a powerful fascination over audiences with its portrayal of destructive jealousy. This study is a major exercise in the historicisation of Othello in which the author examines contemporary writings and demonstrates how they were embedded in the text. Subsequent chapters analyse representations and interpretations from the Restoration to the present, using illustrations of performances and performers. Othello is revealed as a significant shaper of cultural meaning.Shakespeare's Othello has exercised a powerful fascination over audiences with its portrayal of destructive jealousy. This study is a major exercise in the historicization of Othello in which the author examines contemporary writings and demonstrates how they were embedded in the text. Subsequent chapters analyze representations and interpretations from the Restoration to the present, using illustrations of performances and performers. Othello is revealed as a significant shaper of cultural meaning.Introduction; Part I. Jacobean Contexts: 1. Global discourse: Venetians and Turks; 2. Military discourse: knights and mercenaries; 3. Racial discourse: black and white; 4. Marital discourse: husbands and wives; Part II. Representations: 5. Othello in Restoration England; 6. Amateur versus professional: the Delaval Othello; 7. William Charles Macready and the domestic Othello; 8. Salvini, Irvingl3^