Othello, written in 1604, is one of the masterpieces of Shakespeare's
"tragic period". In splendor of language, and in the sheer power of
the story, it belongs with the greatest. But some of its admirers find
it too savage, or they complain that do not understand the motivation,
especially Iago's. The tragedy is, in fact, presented more simply,
with less comment or explanation, than the tragedies of Lear or
Hamlet. It has a desolate, laconic objectivity which makes it unique
among Shakespeare's play. Shakespeare took the plot from a
contemporary story (1565) by the Italian writer, Giraldi Cintio.
Cintio tells of a valiant Moor who marries a beautiful and virtuous
Desdemona in vain, deludes the Moor into thinking his wife has taken a
certain Captain for her lover, and at last persuades him to murder
her. Cintio relies on these sensational events, and fascination of the
Ensign's intrigues, to interest his readers; but he softens the impact
at the end by drawing a prosy and self-righteous moral:
well-brought-up young ladies should beware of marrying foreigners.
Shakespeare follows most of Cintio's ingenious plot, but concentrates
it all into a few days, and ends it more swiftly and simply. He omits
non of Cintio's sordidness and cuelty, and, moreover, he does not try
excuse it with moralizing at end. Yet the effect of Othello is not
like that of a newspaper scandal or a case history: the play has the
scope and power of poetry. Larger-than-life characters -Othello,
Desdemona, Iago-are caught in the painful tangle, and express their
sufferings in the music and imagery of some of some of Shakespeare's
most wonderful verse. Because Othello has the high intensity of
poetry, it makes very great demands upon its actors.
Casalino Pierluigi, Dover (G.B.), 6.12.2015
"tragic period". In splendor of language, and in the sheer power of
the story, it belongs with the greatest. But some of its admirers find
it too savage, or they complain that do not understand the motivation,
especially Iago's. The tragedy is, in fact, presented more simply,
with less comment or explanation, than the tragedies of Lear or
Hamlet. It has a desolate, laconic objectivity which makes it unique
among Shakespeare's play. Shakespeare took the plot from a
contemporary story (1565) by the Italian writer, Giraldi Cintio.
Cintio tells of a valiant Moor who marries a beautiful and virtuous
Desdemona in vain, deludes the Moor into thinking his wife has taken a
certain Captain for her lover, and at last persuades him to murder
her. Cintio relies on these sensational events, and fascination of the
Ensign's intrigues, to interest his readers; but he softens the impact
at the end by drawing a prosy and self-righteous moral:
well-brought-up young ladies should beware of marrying foreigners.
Shakespeare follows most of Cintio's ingenious plot, but concentrates
it all into a few days, and ends it more swiftly and simply. He omits
non of Cintio's sordidness and cuelty, and, moreover, he does not try
excuse it with moralizing at end. Yet the effect of Othello is not
like that of a newspaper scandal or a case history: the play has the
scope and power of poetry. Larger-than-life characters -Othello,
Desdemona, Iago-are caught in the painful tangle, and express their
sufferings in the music and imagery of some of some of Shakespeare's
most wonderful verse. Because Othello has the high intensity of
poetry, it makes very great demands upon its actors.
Casalino Pierluigi, Dover (G.B.), 6.12.2015