Speaking of the Moor : From "Alcazar" to "Othello"

Mohammedanism: in Africa, 57 , 143 , 144 ,
147–51; and Africanus, John Leo, 6 , 19 ,
139–41; and Moors, 4 , 6 ,13–14, 16 , 31 , 57 ,
118 , 151 ; and Othello, 14
Montaigne, 22 , 28 , 179
The Moor’s Revenge(Aphra Behn), 20
Moors: as African, 3–4,10–13,15–16, 143 ,
149–50, 153 ; as Barbarian, 5 , 22 ,30–31,
34 ,43–44, 119 , 157 , 168 ; as blacks, 6–13,
19 , 20 , 30 , 56 , 103 , 194 ; and Christianity,
138 ; critical approaches to, 3–4,9–14, 17 ,
20 ; emergence as dramatic character, 3 ,
5–6,16–20,22–24, 29 , 45 , 194 ; in En-
gland, 17 , 24 ; Europe and, 5–6,14–16,
18 , 29 , 44 , 138 , 142 , 159 ; as infidel, in his-
torical record, 24 , 53 , 58 , 118 , 121 ; as infi-
del, on stage, 30 , 31 , 42 , 79 , 93 ,96–98;
Jews versus, 5 ,15–16, 66 , 82 , 87 , 91 , 101 ,
135 , 160 ,162–63, 190 ; as Mediterranean
subject,13–14, 18 , 30 , 43 , 158 , 185 ; misce-
genation and, 79 , 81 ,88–90,93–94, 129 ;
multiple identities of, 1–7, 16 , 20 , 31 , 151 ,
154 ; as Muslim, 4 , 6 ,13–14, 16 , 31 , 57 ,
118 , 151 ; Negroes and, 10–11, 103 ,149–50,
159 ; non-European others and, 14–15, 29 ,
160 ; postcolonialism and, 12 , 81 , 140 ;
racism and, 6–9,10–13, 20 , 44 , 101 , 192 ;
relevance (current), 4–9,18–19; skin
color, 4 ,149–50, 154 ; in Spain, 4 , 16 ,
118–20, 147 ; Turks and, 5 ,13–14, 15 ,
32–33, 53 , 66 , 96 , 194 ; as villain, 19 , 22 ,
66–68, 82 , 86 , 91 , 96 , 119 , 136 , 142 , 160.
See alsoAaron; Abdelmelec; blackness;
Eleazar; Muly Mahamet; Muly Ma-
hamet Seth; Othello (in Othello, Shake-
speare)
Morocco. See Barbary
Morocco (city of ), 54
Muley Abdala Melek, The Tragicall Life and
Death of(John Harrison), 22
multiculturalism: Africa and, 14 ,143–51,
153–54; Africanus, John Leo, and, 14 ,
138–41, 153 ; Jews and, 13 ,15–16, 158 ; the
Mediterranean and, 13–14, 18 , 30 , 43 , 158 ;
Moors and, 1–7, 16 , 18 , 30 , 43 , 92 , 136 ,
151–54, 158 ; in Venice, 158 , 161 , 168. See
alsoThe Battle of Alcazar; Othello(Shake-
speare)
Muly Molocco, 22
Muly Mahamet (in The Battle of Alcazar):
versus Aaron, 45 ,66–67, 68 ; alienation,

29 ,32–34, 37 ,40–44; Edward Alleyn as,

159 ; versus Eleazar, 66–67; versus Oth-

ello, 176 ; as negro, 5 , 22 ,30–32; as stereo-

type, 19 , 31 ,33–34,66–68, 142 , 160

Muly Mahamet Seth (in The Battle of Al-

cazar), 29 , 30 , 33 , 36 ,41–42

Muscovites, 189

Muslim. SeeMohammedanism

Naples, 147 , 162 , 191

Negroes: in Africa, 143 , 144 ,146–47,149–50,

151 , 159 ; and Atlantic slavery, 11–13,

58–60,104–8; in The Battle of Alcazar, 5 ,

22 ,30–32; in Elizabeth I’s letters,

100–103,113–15; and Indians, 107 ; in

Lust’s Dominion,125–27, 132 ; versus

Moors, 10–11, 103 ,149–50, 159 ; in West

Africa, 55 ,58–59, 61 , 63 , 103 .See also

blackamoors; blackness

Neill, Michael, 4 , 13 , 67 ,161–62, 199 n. 51 ,

214 n. 9 , 220 n. 1 , 222 n. 37 , 224 n. 61

New World: Atlantic slavery, 11–13, 20 ,

50–51,58–60,192–93; colonialism,

11–13,17–18, 26 , 46 ,191–94; Hakluyt

and, 46 , 50 ,52–53,58–63; Negroes in,

104–8

Nombre de Dios, 105 , 106 , 108

North Africa. See Barbary

“oil of hell,” 135 , 160

O’Neill, Shane, 38

Otello(Giuseppe Verdi), 163

Othello(dir. Orson Welles), 160

Othello (in Othello, Shakespeare): versus

Aaron, 22 ,119–20, 176 ; and Africanus,

John Leo, 139 ,142–43; as Arabian, 1–2, 5 ,

9 , 187 ; and Christianity, 178 ; as colonial

subject,175–78; discrimination against,

82 , 90 , 159 ,161–68, 169 , 171 ,180–84, 187 ,

190 ; versus Eleazar, 22 ; elopement, 155 ,

162–67, 170 , 174 , 176 ; ethnic identity,

1–4, 5 , 187 ; exoticism, 1–5, 7 , 58 ,153–54,

170 ,176–80,184–90; as hero, 142 ,

159–61, 175 ; interracial marriage, 143 , 169 ,

171–74,181–89; as “Moor of Venice,” 90 ,

99 ,142–43,153–54,156–59, 161 ,168–80,

187–90; versus Muly Mahamet, 176 ; as

negro, 10 ; and shaping of Venice, 175–80,

184–89; status (in Venice), 106 ,167–70,

171 ,175–76; as stranger, 155–56,169–71,

175 , 181 , 184

index 247