2015+AP+P2+Moor

Aim: Thomas  The moorish people worked in europe often as mercenaries and were utilized by the romans throughout the ages. Despite being viewed as lesser they were utilized and provided significant aid to Europe. Their growth in areas like mathematics allowed Europe to advance out of the dark ages. This term has since evolved to denote and impact most muslim culture. The moors brought with them the goal of spreading culture that stemmed from a heavy islamic belief and they brought the idea of universal education. The moors also brought with them the idea of fashion and the progression of seasonal colors and different outfits for the time of day. The spread of the moorish culture was viewed very negatively by the prominent white christian europeans and was mostly rejected excluding the advancements of thought and technology that came with them. The Europeans believed these people to be the exemplification of what was not the correct values and saw their culture as heavily sexualized and corrupt. The growth of the Moor culture in Europe derived heavily from the need for more technology and the vacuum of knowledge left by the Church inside of medieval europe.

"Moor | People." //Encyclopedia Britannica Online //. Encyclopedia Britannica, 10 Nov. 2014. Web. 23 Mar. 2015. "When Black Men Ruled the World." //Atlanta Black Star // 7 Oct. 2013. Atlanta Black Star. Web. 23 Mar. 2014.

Audience: Sydney The word “moor” was used as a stereotypical description used to categorize a group of people. The Shakespeare Theatre Company says “Moors were commonly stereotyped as sexually overactive, prone to jealousy and generally wicked” (Johnsen). These people exemplified the human traits of jealousy and other negative traits, which gave the native people an excuse to discriminate against them. Labeling these people as such gave the native people the belief that by not associating with these “evil people” they were cleansing themselves of those wicked traits, setting themselves upon a pedestal. These foreign people were easy to pick out from a crowd and they stood out, not just in their appearance. Their alien nature set them up to be the scapegoat that the native people used to make themselves feel like better people. The derogatory term “moors” was from the native people’s perspective, being the scum that exemplified the bad traits of humanity. To the moors themselves this term was just slang that set them apart.

//Johnsen-Neshati, Kristin. "A Cultural Context of Othello." Shakespeare Theatre Company. // Shakespeare Theatre Company, 18 Aug. 2005. Web. 23 Mar. 2015.

"Moor | People." //Encyclopedia Britannica Online//. Encyclopedia Britannica, 10 Nov. 2014. Web. 23 Mar. 2015.

Cultural:Riley The moors were a culturally diverse people, however they shared religious ties. The moorish people were intellectually savvy, and kept up the work that was being done before the fall of the Roman Empire. They brought this academic pursuits back to Europe, mainly Spain where they had a large population. They brought such institutions as libraries and universities when there weren’t any in the rest of Europe. They brought agricultural techniques that were far above the current ones in Europe. The moorish people spread throughout Europe, working for hire on behalf of the Roman Empire. Due to their complex migration it’s hard to identify one group of people as moors as it was a flexible term often used, at the time to describe non muslim African people, which contradicts most modern uses of the word.

"Moor | People." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, 10 Nov. 2014. Web. 23 Mar. 2015. "When Black Men Ruled the World." Atlanta Black Star 7 Oct. 2013. Atlanta Black Star. Web. 23 Mar. 2014.

Historical: Elizabeth



<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">In the Shakespearean time period, the Moors were severely looked down upon. To an outsider, the Moors, “From the Middle Ages to the 17th century, however, Europeans depicted Moors as being black, “swarthy,” or “tawny” in skin colour” (Moor). Moors came over from various African/Middle Eastern countries, bringing with them various goods that were previously unknown to Europe. However, because of their differing color they were treated as second class citizens. They, “...were frequently singled out for their unusual dress, behavior and customs and were commonly referred to as ‘devils’ or ‘villains’ Moors were commonly stereotyped as sexually overactive, prone to jealousy and generally wicked”(Johnsen-Neshati 1). Shakespeare used the people’s prejudice against the Moors to his advantage, giving people characters they can relate to, yet a new perspective on their lives. By having different races in his plays, Shakespeare can connect to people from different backgrounds and across multiple time periods. By writing //Othello//, Shakespeare opened up a world of cultural emotions that are relayed through the ages.e

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">Johnsen-Neshati, Kristin. "A Cultural Context of Othello." //Shakespeare Theatre Company.// Shakespeare Theatre Company, 18 Aug. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;"> 2005. Web. 23 Mar. 2015.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">"Moor | People." //Encyclopedia Britannica Online//. Encyclopedia Britannica, 10 Nov. 2014.Web. 23 Mar. 2015.