The Shakespeare Conference: SHK 12.0611  Wednesday, 14 March 2001

From:           W. L. Godshalk <
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Date:           Tuesday, 13 Mar 2001 20:26:21 -0500
Subject:        Othello in Aleppo

Isaac Asimov in his Guide to Shakespeare remarks: "If Othello killed a
Turk in Aleppo, he was killing him in the midst of a city of Turks and
it is not likely he would have got away alive."  Asimov suggests that
Othello was originally a Moslem (when he did the Aleppo murder) who
converted to Christianity later in life.

Shakespeare mentions Aleppo twice, once in Othello (1603-4) and once in
Macbeth (1606).  But I guess many people know that.  Still the fact that
Shakespeare has Othello kill a Turk in Aleppo seems significant.

Yours, Bill Godshalk