Sunday, September 23, 2007

Paper 1

Of the readings we've done, it's apparent that the Moors have differing representations. In Othello, he's described as some sort of "tramp," marrying Barbantio's daughter in secrecy. Othello is looked down upon by the higher class, and singled out/disrespected because of race.

The Vitkus article reveals another description of the Moors. In one part, we hear about the Barbary Pirates, viewing some Moors as much more violent as they enslave Europeans and demolish coastal villages.

My paper is going to be on these varying depictions of the Moors. The change in description between stories is somewhat dramatic, and also being viewed from different angles. I found a site with information on Present Day Moors as well, which I think could tie in with what we've learned in the previous readings and research.

1 comment:

Allen Webb said...

I think comparing representations of the Moors will be very interesting. As you write you might discover an area you are focusing in on -- that would be good to develop a specific focus. I think that what we mean by "Moor" in the present day is probably pretty different from what it was in Shakespeare or Chaucer or Boccaccio's day...