These were the context notes I used in my essays! It ranges from socio-economic context to political to literary context. There should be a wide variety of contexts to pick and choose from, allowing you to better access top bands in essay writing :)
Examiner's Advice on integrating context into ...
Othello Context:
Machiavellian Villain:
Iago epitomises the Machiavellian Villain
A Machiavel is a type of villainous character that was common in Elizabethan and
Jacobean plays
Machiavels follow the principle that they can and should do anything to protect their
goals and ambitions
Senecan Tragedy:
Characterised by long reflective soliloquies, exploration of revenge and being full of
violence
Seneca’s Revenge Tragedies dramatized murder, betrayal and blood revenge on the
villain or villains
The machinery of the Senecan Tragedy is mainly of three fold, revenge, blood and
supernatural terror - there is no bloodshed on Desdemona’s body providing a more
horrific, secretive and psychological twist
Greek Tragedy:
In tragic Greek drama, a tragic hero is created as a superior character that is initially
favoured by fortune. It is the tragic flaw of this hero that leads to actions that result in
a downfall or reversal of fortune.
Role of Women, phallocentric society:
Women could only control domestic issues whilst men could dominate political
issues in the outer world (women in the private sphere and men in the public sphere)
Literary criticism, “fickle female”: Derived from Genesis. Women are seen as
dangerous because of their ability to manipulate (Eve in Genesis persuades Adam to
eat the apple). This is trope is associated with Othello’s new perception of
Desdemona and with Bianca as a “strumpet”
Witchcraft and the supernatural: Shakespeare plays on the audience's fear by giving
Bianca witchlike qualities, emphasising immorality because she strays away from
conventional female roles
“the Act against Conjururacions Inchantments and Witchcraftes” (1563), supported
imprisonment and other punishments for witches.
The Act was enforced until 1603, one year before Othello was performed, and then a
harsher law was replaced by King James which supported death penalties for
witches.
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