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The first definitive performance of Shakespeare’s Othello, the Moor of Venice occurred on November 1, 1604. The source material is predominantly Cinthio’s Un Capitano Moro (The Moorish Captain), although Elizabethan England did have contact with Muslim delegates from Africa. Often, the Moroccan ambassador to Queen Elizabeth, Abd el-Ouahed ben Mohommed Anoun, is thought to be the specific inspiration for the character of Othello. He was significant in negotiating an alliance between England and Morocco against Spain, which provides further context for Shakespeare’s titular character. While