- In Shakespeare's time Moor was the equivalent to an African. It was not meant to be a negative statement because it simply meant "Native of Mauritania", a country in North Africa. Over time, being black was known as a sin and the "moors" were not treated fairly.
- A Venetian is someone who is from or was born in Venice. Othello became the military commander of the Venetian military even though he was seen as an insider and outsider.
- A Florentine is someone who was born or lives in Florence. The character Michael Cassio in the play Othello was a Florentine.
- The Turks were the people of the Ottoman Empire. There was a war between the Turks and the Venetians.
- Cyprus is an island near Turkey and Syria. It was annexed by the Venetians and conquered by the Turks.
- As I said before, the Turks and Venetians had a horrible relationship based on various confrontations. Shakespeare brings together all these groups in his play to demonstrate everything that was going on at the time the play was written.
Johnsen-Neshati, Kristin. "A Cultural Context for Othello." The Plays. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Apr. 2014.
Jackson, Gabriele B. "Background for Shakespeare's Othello (Professor Jackson)." Background for Shakespeare's Othello (Professor Jackson). N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Apr. 2014.
"Othello Navigator: Characters: Cassio, Othello's Lieutenant." Othello Navigator: Characters: Cassio, Othello's Lieutenant. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Apr. 2014.
Shmoop Editorial Team. "Othello in Othello." Shmoop.com. Shmoop University, Inc., 11 Nov. 2008. Web. 30 Apr. 2014.
Chisden, Jonathan. "The Significance of the Turkish-Venetian War in Shakespeare's Othello." N.p., 7 Dec. 1992. Web. 30 Apr. 2014.