Othello Webquest

Introduction to William Shakespeare and Othello

Use the following website links to answer the corresponding questions. Each
question must be answered using details from the source and in complete
sentences.

1. No Sweat Shakespeare
Explore William Shakespeare's on this site and respond to the following questions:

Task

Evidence of completion

What are 5 interesting facts that you

have learned about the life and career
of William Shakespeare?

One of Shakespeares
relatives was arrested for
plotting against Queen Elizabeth
I, imprisoned in the Tower of
London and executed.
Shakespeare had no
descendants
Shakespeare was also an
actor who performed many of his
own plays
Shakespeare lived a double
life.
Shakespeares original grave
marker showed him holding a bag
of grain

What is the Shakespeare Conspiracy?

It is believed by many
scholars that Shakespeare did not
write his own plays.They believe
that he didnt write them because
the knowledge about foreign and
distant places that are on his
works arent usually had by
people so low down in the social
order.

2. Othello Background information

Task

Evidence of completion

Who or what is a Moor? What are the

multiple meanings of this term?

The term moor was used to

refer to North Africans, West
Africans or, even more loosely, for
non-whites or Muslims of any origin.

How were the Moors treated throughout

history, especially during the Elizabethan
Era?

they were treated according to

the government's diplomatic policies
and by exotic stories brought back by

travelers overseas
during Elizabethan Era they
were singled out and at one point
they were deported
What were they doing in Europe in the
sixteenth century?
What religious or cultural practices are
associated with them?

they were living in England and

conquering spain

islam

What stereotypes are associated with Moors?

sexually overactive, prone to

jealousy and generally wicked

Shakespeare based the story of Othello on

another story. What was the name of that
work and who was the author?

a short story in Hecatommithi

by Cinthio Giambattista Giraldi

How did the play Othello challenge the

preconceived ideas of the Elizabethan
audience?

Othello recognizes his tragic

mistake and atones for it which
challenges the preconceived idea that
Moors are evil and black is
associated with sin

Why did Shakespeare choose Venice and

Cyprus as locations for this play?

because it provides an
environment for the figure of the
Moor to be both revered and despised
because he could be admired for
his valor in battle but hated for
marrying into the venetian families

3. The Life and Roles of Women in Elizabethan England

Task

Evidence of completion

What type of education did women receive

during this time period? How was their
education influenced by social status? What
did they study?

women were only given

education if they were nobility
but werent allowed to go to
universities if they werent
nobles they had to stay home and
learn about households
they had to be of nobility
they studied several
languages, including Latin,
Greek, Italian, and French

What were the career expectations for women

during the Elizabethan Era?

they were expected to have

and raise a children as well as
do take care of the household

What is a dowry?

a dowry is any amount of

money, goods, or property that
was to be the womans
contribution to the marriage

What would happen if a woman did not marry?

they would go to a nunnery

or domestic services

4. Is love colorblind?
Task

Evidence of completion

Based on the article, what obstacles are

faced by interracial couples?

they could be thrown out of

their house,they would be
verbally assaulted while walking,
and they would be spat at while
walking through the street

Based on the article, do people in our

society truly accept inter-racial couples?

no not all people in our

society accept inter-racial
couples but as time has passed
more and more people have come to
understand it and have coped with
it

5. Where is the world is Othello?

Using the web sites below, you will find information about three places mentioned in Othello Venice,
the first setting in the story; Cyprus, the setting for the second half of the story; and Mauritania,
Othellos country of origin.
For all places, focus particularly on their history between 1400 and 1600. The play takes place sometime
between these years, since Venice occupied Cyprus in 1489 and the island fell to the Ottoman Empire in
1571. You can include other historical information if you wish, but make sure you pay closer attention to the
years listed above.

Place
Venice
Where is Venice, and what
was it like in the sixteenth
century? What was its
economic status at that
time? What was the
Venetians relationship with
the Turks? Why would
Shakespeare select this
place as one of the settings
in his play? What
impressions would
Shakespeare's audience have
of Venice?

Evidence of Completion
venice is
located in
Northeastern part of
Italy and during the
16th century during
this time it was known
as the queen of the
seas but they were on
the decline with the
fall of the
constantinople
it was the
engaged in rich trade
and were a powerhouse
of the sea
they didn't like
each other and fought
multiple wars
he chose venice
because of the war for

Map

cyprus that Othello

could lead
they would like
it but hate it at the
same time

Cyprus
Where is Cyprus? What was
its importance in the
sixteenth century? How are
the Venetians and Turks of
the Ottoman Empire related
to Cyprus?

Describe Mauritania

It is located
off the coast of
lebanon and turkey
It was
important as a
midway point with
the trade of Europe
and the middle east
the venetians
and turks fought
over it to control
the trade of the
area
Located in
west Africa it is
100% islamic and it
is made up of 40%
black moors

For setting information specific to Othello, visit the following sites:

Othello: Race, Place,and Identity (see section on Venice)
Encyclopedia of Literary Places (see sections on Venice and Cyprus)
Othello | Comments on the Plot (see setting section; also contains information for
Cyprus)
Shakespeare's Venetian Paradigm (see 2nd and 3rd paragraphs on perspectives of
outsiders in Venice and the outsiders' perspectives of Venetian women)

6. The Othello Rap

Task
After watching The Othello Rap provide a

Summary
a tragic where an evil person has a grudge

brief summary of what you think the play,

against his boss and wants to

Othello, will be about.

7. Shakespeare Interview
Task

Evidence of completion
he said that the heart of
this play is a character who
embodies the very essence of the
evil that lies within human
nature

What does William Shakespeare say about

human nature in his interview?

What makes this play relevant with regards

to our society today? Use details from the
text to support your answer.
In the last line of the interview,
Shakespeare says, "Life's but a walking
shadow, a poor player that struts and frets
his hour upon the stage and then is heard
no more." In this quote, life is a metaphor
for what? Explain in your own words what
Shakespeare meant by this quote.

Final Task
Task

Link to your presentation

Your final task is to convey this

information in an interesting and
creative way to the rest of your class.
You will be in groups of two and ONE
group of three. Each group will be in
charge of conveying their assigned
groups number information to the rest
of the class.

https://prezi.com/vdp1_u5gceyn/question-2/