Introduction
Welcome to the Othello WebQuest!
After completing this assignment, you will become an expert on a topic that will help guide your reading of Shakespeare's Othello.
Due: Monday 4/4/22. Presentations will begin on Monday.
Class: ELA 12
Teacher: Mr. Hiller
Task
During this assignment, I want you to focus on the culture and way of life of those who lived in this time period. Try to put yourself in the position of a person living during this time period in order to relate better with the characters as you read. Dig up all the information you can on the particular topics assigned.
Answer the questions listed in detailed notes using the linked sites and others as needed. Just like gathering research for a paper, you should take summary, paraphrase, and quotation notes. Double check your paraphrases and summaries for unintentional plagiarism. You should include a works cited page (your last slide).
Process
Groups: Form groups of 4 at the most. Each person will be responsible for one topic. You will be assigned your topic by picking a number 1-4 out of a jar and the topic that goes along with that number below will be your responsibility. Resources: You will need the following programs/items:
- Google Slides
- Notebook paper/index cards
- Pen/pencil
Process: You are going to create a presentation using Google Slides that demonstrates what you've learned during your Webquest.
- Your Powerpoint or Prezi should be at least 6 slides long. You should have an introduction slide titled "William Shakespeare's Othello" and each group member's name.
- Next, you should have at least one slide for each topic. You may have more, but I would like you to keep the slides short and only use key phrases. This means you should be able to elaborate on your key phrases without having a cluttered slide. You may use notebook paper or index cards in order to do so. Each member should research their topic and write down what they learn on a sheet of paper or type it out before you all collaborate to put the information you've learned into your presentation. Do not expect to sit back and let your group members do all the work! You are responsible for your topic and it will affectyour grade only!
- Finally, you should have a conclusion slide. Here you should each write one thing you've learned about the timeperiod, Shakespeare, or Othello through your Webquest.
- Each slide should include one picture that is related to one of your questions or topic.
Topics:
TOPIC ONE: William Shakespeare & Elizabethan Theater
Answer the following questions about Shakespeare's life.
- William Shakespeare was born in ______.
- Shakespeare had _____ child/ren.
- At eighteen, he married _______ _________.
- What kind of writer was Shakespeare?
- Name 5 of Shakespeare's most famous works.
Visit this website for information on Elizabethan Theater: https://sites.google.com/site/shakespearefunfact/elizabethan-theater
- Women were always allowed to perform in the theater. T/F
- Young boys often played the parts of females. T/F
- Disguise was a large part of Elizabethan Theater. T/F
- Acting was not a highly regarded profession. T/F
Summarize your findings about Shakespeare and Elizabethan Theater in your slides!
TOPIC TWO: Race Issues
Using the web sites below, find information about the Moors (Othello’s people), the Turks (or Ottoman Empire, the invading party), and other “outsiders” to the Elizabethans. Also examine race issues today. As you read, consider the relevance of this play in 21st century America and the world.
1. Who were the Moors? From where did they come? What were they doing in Europe in the sixteenth century? What religious or cultural practices are associated with them?
InfoPlease: Moors
//Othello//: Race, Place, and Identity (see section on Othello's name and Moors)
2. Who were the Turks? What was the Ottoman Empire? How does this relate to the era of the play?
InfoPlease: TurksInfoPlease: Ottoman Empire
3. What was the Elizabethan attitude toward foreigners in general and non-Christians—such as Turks—in particular?
//Othello//: Comments on Plot (see Background and The Turks in Shakespeare's Othello sections)
Outsiders: Blacks
4. How have race issues changed over time? What is the current state of race relations in the United States and the world?
Racism--Global Issues
TOPIC THREE: Venice, Cyprus, & Mauritania
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, Othello’s 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.
Also, find a map showing all of these places, and print it out so you can show students next week.
1. Describe Mauritania.
InfoPlease-Mauritania
2. Where is Venice, and what was it like in the sixteenth century? What was its economic status at that time? What was the Venetian’s 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?
For a general overview, visit the following site: InfoPlease--Venice
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)
3. Where is Cyprus? What was its importance in the sixteenth century? How are the Venetians and Turks of the Ottoman Empire related to Cyprus?
TOPIC FOUR: Women & Marriage
: 
1. What were practices and ideas relating to marriage and family? How were women viewed (both in Elizabethan times in general and in Othello)?
Life in Elizabethan England - Marriage and Family
ISE - Order in the Sexes
ISE - The Wife's Status
ISE - Attitudes to Women
The Role of Women in //Othello//: A Feminist Reading (SPOILER ALERT: This article is fantastic, yet it contains information on the ending of the play. If you are extremely averse to finding out how it ends, please do not read this article [have your partner read instead].)
2. How have attitudes towards women and women's rights in general changed since Elizabethan times? In what ways (and in what specific locations) are women still treated differently from men?
Women's Rights--from Global Issues in Context
Gender Stats (for information on women's rights by country)
Women's Rights--Global Issues (for links to articles detailing progress--or lack thereof--in women's rights)
Evaluation
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Evaluation of your presentation will be based on creativity, accuracy, group work, and presentation. Only one rubric will be provided to each group, BUT if a group comes to me and tells me that one of the members is not doing their part, their grade will suffer, not the whole groups.
Please give me the rubric as you're going up to present and I will grade your presentation accordingly. If you have any concerns, please see me and I'll be happy to explain my reasoning. |
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Conclusion
You have completed your Webquest and I'm sure you've done a wonderful job! Now, reflect back on your project and be prepared to present your findings to the class. Remember the information you've learned as you begin reading Othello and have fun with the book. I know it can be a difficult read at times, but try to imagine yourself in Othello's position using the information about the time period that you've discovered.
Be sure to talk amongst yourselves about who will be presenting what and remember every member must speak. Good luck!