Background and setting of the play - SS2 Literature Lesson Note

Othello is set in Venice and Cyprus during the 16th century, a time when the two countries were at war with the Ottoman Empire. The play's protagonist, Othello, is a Moorish general in the Venetian army. He is married to Desdemona, a beautiful and virtuous Venetian woman. Othello's antagonist, Iago, is his ensign, who is secretly jealous of him.