Lesson Three.

Othello

First known performance, 1st November 1604 at Whitehall Palace in London. 

Couldn't be performed at the globe because it had burnt down and was in November so it couldn't be performed at the globe because it's an outside theatre.

Second performance was at The Globe.

English Renaissance theatre, also known as early modern English theatre (Elizabethan theatre), this refers to theatre of England between 1562 and 1642.

Although it is one of Shakespeare's Jacobean plays it is classified is Elizabethan Theatre.

The Jacobean era had only just begun and therefore wouldn't have had time to develop.

As the play was written in the Elizabethan era and therefore would have been influenced by styles of this time.

Themes

One of the main themes in Othello is jealousy.

Jealousy was a state greatly feared by Shakespeare's audiences, being jealous could let in evil and chaos.

It was viewed as a sudden infection against which there was no preventable cure.

Another theme is race.

There is no consensus over Othello's race.

The term 'moor' referred to dark-skinned people in general.

No race was ever specified for any of the characters.

The name of the play is the name of a character, therefore the audience of the time would've known that the named character would be singled out.

Facts

Although Shakespeare's plays are commonly used today, ownership of the plays provide for Lord Chamberlain's/King's men rested with the company. 

At the time that Othello was written, Queen Elizabeth had just died and James I had taken the throne. One of the first things he did was change the name of the Lord Chamberlain's men to the Kingsmen.

If any changes were made to the play this was generally done by Shakespeare and he would write how and when it would be performed.

However, not all decisions were his alone and there are often in discrepancies.

The plays that exist nowadays are constructions of the original manuscript.

Tragedies

In King James I's early reign Shakespeare concentrated on writing tragedies.

This time of writing was regarded as the final piece of his career.

His focus on tragedies was perhaps in response to his fathers death in 1601 or  Elizabeth's in 1603.

Another reason Shakespeare began focusing more on tragedies towards the end of his career was due to the acting abilities and artistic direction on The Kings Men.

These plays developed from a creative and collaborative process similar to the way in which Frantic Assembly work.

Whitehall Palace

It was the main London residence of the Monarch, during the reigns of Elizabeth I and James I.

Performances at Whitehall were held in the old Banqueting house. 

Temporary stages and degrees or tiers of seating were set up for the occasion, the court venue resembled hall playhouses rather than the amphitheatre.

Direct Comparisons

It's important when comparing frantic with OPC, where possible I should try and make direct comparisons to avoid generalisations.

For example, Cassio's drunken scene was very physical/manipulative not only by the actors and the set itself with the use of walls. OPC audiences would have loved the drunken spectacle and it would have been declamatory in style with exaggerated drunkenness/movement. The dialogue however would have still been the central way of communicating this as opposed to Frantic where the movement dictated the scene.

Othello (DVD)

Blackout, intense synthetic music.

Scene opens, lads are playing pool.

Pub setting, modern.

Girls come in, movement scene unfolds.

Flirting between men and women through movement.

Lighting darkens and music changes, foreshadowing danger. 

Fight breaks out during the movement scene involving Othello.

Modern day 'Chavy' clothing.
'Mosquito noise' used in the performance.