Geographical Setting of Othello

Even though it is not directly related to the geographical setting of Othello, this map of North America, published around the turn of the 17th century, helps a reader of Othello gain some understanding of the geographical mindset of the British population (who were, for centuries, the only audience of the play) with regard to foreign areas. In this map, we see England on the far right of the map, minute compared to Greenland and North America (and much closer to them than we know it to be today). This lack of geographical knowledge can be linked to the cultural context surrounding the play, and Shakespeare's likely knowledge of the world's geography. When one considers the two settings of Othello, Venice and Cyprus, which by today standards, are hardly 'exotic' or unknown lands for many Brits, it is important to understand that these were two lands whose cultures and sceneries could only be truly experienced through scholarly articles, and literature. Also, when one considers the temporal discrepancies/impossibilities in the play (specifically the journey time between Venice and Cyprus), this map can help us understand that the exact distance between two places (such as Venice and Cyprus) was not common knowledge as it is today, since the concept of travel was not yet widespread. So, to conclude, while the value of this map may not be tremendous to a reader of Othello, it provides some understanding of accepted geographical knowledge (or lack thereof) at the time the play was written and performed, and thus gives us limited insight into the way that the play's audience at the time would have thought of foreign settings in a play such as Othello.