Moor

Outside of Othello and Titus Andronicus  'moor' occurs only in The Merchant of Venice and in Hamlet,  and in its three occurrences is strongly associated with illicit sexuality.

 

In The Merchant of Venice an unnamed female Moor is the subject of sexual banter: 

 

 

Lor.
37 I shall answer that better to the commonwealth 
38 than you can the getting up of the Negro's 
39 belly; the Moor is with child by you, Launcelot. 

Laun. 
40 It is much that the Moor should be 
41 more than reason; but if she be less than an honest 
42 woman, she is indeed more than I took her for. 

 

Hamlet upbraids his mother in a passage that systematically conflates food and sex to support an ugly pun on the different meanings of 'moor': 

 

Here is your husband, like a mildewed ear
65 Blasting his wholesome brother. Have you eyes? 
66 Could you on this fair mountain leave to feed
67 And batten on this moor? (Ham.3.4.64-67)


17 September 1999

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