What does the word "Moor" mean in a Shakespeare play?

Question:In several of Shaespeare's plays he refers to some individuals as "the moor". Usually the people that are called that are black men. I don't know if that has anything to do with it. The plays that have this word is, "Titus", the character is called Aaron the moor, and in "Othello", the character is call Othello the moor of venice. I'm taking a shakespeare class and I was just reading and was wondering what it meant. Hope yall can help thanks!

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: In several of Shaespeare's plays he refers to some individuals as "the moor". Usually the people that are called that are black men. I don't know if that has anything to do with it. The plays that have this word is, "Titus", the character is called Aaron the moor, and in "Othello", the character is call Othello the moor of venice. I'm taking a shakespeare class and I was just reading and was wondering what it meant. Hope yall can help thanks!

Moor is a dark complected man with the complication that the person was likely to have a Muslim background. During the years from 1000AD onward the Moorish empire included north Africa and Spain. The last of the empire in Spain was driven out in 1492, about 100 years before Shakespeare was writing.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moors

Moor, or Black-a-moor, referred to a dark-complected person from Morocco.

You're right -- in Shakepeare's day, "Moor" meant "a black man."