Kristin F. answered • 08/02/20
Effective English Tutor Specializing in ELA and ESL, Master's Holder
One thing to consider about the time in which Shakespeare was writing this play was the importance of Venice. It was a major sovereign state at the time, with a lot of maritime traffic coming in and out. They were extremely wealthy and shipped and received goods from all around the world. They had incredible diversity and acceptance of differences. For this reason, Shakespeare made Othello's race ambiguous. There were also a lot of courtesans (aka prostitutes) in the courts. This factors into the plot through the character of Bianca. He easily could have visited Venice and/or read about it while composing the play.
The play was seen as controversial at the time, and in England, a white man played Othello. A dark skinned man marrying a white woman would have been cause for people to get upset. Shakespeare himself had a somewhat controversial marriage, to a woman who was 8 years his elder.
