However, the version in the Folio is rather different in length, and in wording: Some of these cluster together in quite extensive passages. The Folio also lacks a scattering of about a dozen lines or part-lines that are to be found in the Quarto. These two versions also differ from each other in their readings of numerous words. Although its title suggests that the tragedy belongs primarily to Othello, Iago plays an important role in the plot. He reflects the archetypal villain, and has the biggest share of the dialogue.
In Othello , it is Iago who manipulates all other characters at will, controlling their movements and trapping them in an intricate net of lies. He achieves this by getting close to all characters and playing on their weaknesses while they refer to him as "honest" Iago, thus furthering his control over the characters. Bradley , and more recently Harold Bloom , have been major advocates of this interpretation. Leavis , have focused on Othello. Although characters described as "moors" appear in two other Shakespeare plays Titus Andronicus and The Merchant of Venice , such characters were a rarity in contemporary theatre, and it was unknown for them to take centre stage.
There is no consensus over Othello 's ethnic origin. Honigmann , the editor of the Arden Shakespeare edition, concluded that Othello's race is ambiguous. As critics have established, the term 'Moor' referred to dark-skinned people in general, used interchangeably with terms such as 'African', 'Somali', 'Ethiopian', 'Negro', 'Arab', 'Berber', and even 'Indian' to designate a figure from Africa or beyond. Iago twice uses the word Barbary or Barbarian to refer to Othello, seemingly referring to the Barbary coast inhabited by Berbers. Roderigo calls Othello "the thicklips", which seems to refer to Sub-Saharan African physiognomy, but Honigmann counters that, as these comments are all intended as insults by the characters, they need not be taken literally.
However, Jyotsna Singh wrote that opposition of Brabantio to Desdemona marrying Othello-a respected and honoured general-cannot make sense except in racial terms, citing the scene where Brabantio accuses Othello of using witchcraft to make his daughter fall in love with him, saying it is "unnatural" for Desdemona to desire Othello's "sooty bosom". Michael Neill, editor of The Oxford Shakespeare , notes that the earliest critical references to Othello's colour Thomas Rymer 's critique of the play, and the engraving in Nicholas Rowe 's edition of Shakespeare assume him to be Sub-Saharan, while the earliest known North African interpretation was not until Edmund Kean 's production of He stayed with his retinue in London for several months and occasioned much discussion.
While Shakespeare's play was written only a few years afterwards, Honigmann questions the view that ben Messaoud himself was a significant influence on it. Othello is referred to as a "Barbary horse" 1. Desdemona's physical whiteness is otherwise presented in opposition to Othello's dark skin: In Elizabethan discourse, the word "black" could suggest various concepts that extended beyond the physical colour of skin, including a wide range of negative connotations.
Othello was frequently performed as an Arab Moor during the 19th century. He was first played by a black man on the London stage in by the most important of the nineteenth-century Othellos, the African American Ira Aldridge who had been forced to leave his home country to make his career. The first major screen production casting a black actor as Othello did not come until , with Laurence Fishburne opposite Kenneth Branagh 's Iago.
The casting of the role comes with a political subtext. Patrick Stewart played the role alongside an otherwise all-black cast in the Shakespeare Theatre Company 's staging of the play [35] [36] and Thomas Thieme, also white, played Othello in a Munich Kammerspiele staging at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre , Stratford.
Michael Gambon also took the role in and ; their performances were critically acclaimed. The race of the title role is often seen as Shakespeare's way of isolating the character, culturally as well as visually, from the Venetian nobles and officers, and the isolation may seem more genuine when a black actor takes the role. But questions of race may not boil down to a simple decision of casting a single role. Bal, a Hawaiian actor of mixed ethnicity, playing Iago. As the Protestant Reformation of England proclaimed the importance of pious, controlled behaviour in society, it was the tendency of the contemporary Englishman to displace society's "undesirable" qualities of barbarism, treachery, jealousy and libidinousness onto those who are considered "other".
Audiences of the time would expect Othello to be insecure about his race and the implied age gap between himself and Desdemona. Though the actual racial definition of the term is murky, the implications are religious as well as racial.
Vozar, in a article in Philosophy and Literature , suggests that the epileptic fit relates to the mind—body problem and the existence of the soul. There have been many differing views on the character of Othello over the years. Bradley calls Othello the "most romantic of all of Shakespeare's heroes" by "hero" Bradley means protagonist and "the greatest poet of them all". On the other hand, F. Leavis describes Othello as "egotistical". There are those who also take a less critical approach to the character of Othello such as William Hazlitt , who said: Othello possesses an unusually detailed performance record.
The play is there attributed to "Shaxberd".
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Othello was also one of the twenty plays performed by the King's Men during the winter of , in celebration of the wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Frederick V, Elector Palatine. Soon after, on 8 December , Thomas Killigrew 's new King's Company acted the play at their Vere Street theatre, with Margaret Hughes as Desdemona — probably the first time a professional actress appeared on a public stage in England. It may be one index of the play's power that Othello was one of the very few Shakespearean plays that was never adapted and changed during the Restoration and the eighteenth century.
This production was the first ever in America to feature a black actor playing Othello with an otherwise all-white cast there had been all-black productions of the play before. It ran for performances, almost twice as long as any other Shakespearean play ever produced on Broadway. Although it was never filmed, it was the first lengthy performance of a Shakespeare play released on records, first on a multi-record 78 RPM set and then on a 3-LP one. The critics had mixed reactions to the "flashy" production which included mid-western accents and rock-and roll drumbeats but gave Robeson primarily good reviews.
Darlington of The Daily Telegraph ranked Robeson's Othello as the best he had ever seen [51] while the Daily Express , which had for years before published consistently scathing articles about Robeson for his leftist views, praised his "strong and stately" performance though in turn suggested it was a "triumph of presence not acting". Actors have alternated the roles of Iago and Othello in productions to stir audience interest since the nineteenth century. The stunt renewed interest in Booth's tour. The American actor William Marshall performed the title role in at least six productions.
From his first entry, slender and magnificently tall, framed in a high Byzantine arch, clad in white samite, mystic, wonderful, a figure of Arabian romance and grace, to his last plunging of the knife into his stomach, Mr Marshall rode without faltering the play's enormous rhetoric, and at the end the house rose to him.
The Broadway staging starred James Earl Jones as Othello and Christopher Plummer as Iago, who became the only actor to receive a Tony Award nomination for a performance in the play. When Laurence Olivier gave his acclaimed performance of Othello at the Royal National Theatre in , he had developed a case of stage fright that was so profound that when he was alone onstage, Frank Finlay who was playing Iago would have to stand offstage where Olivier could see him to settle his nerves.
The film version still holds the record for the most Oscar nominations for acting ever given to a Shakespeare film — Olivier, Finlay, Maggie Smith as Desdemona and Joyce Redman as Emilia, Iago's wife were all nominated for Academy Awards. Olivier was among the last white actors to be greatly acclaimed as Othello, although the role continued to be played by such performers as Donald Sinden at the Royal Shakespeare Company in —, Paul Scofield at the Royal National Theatre in , Anthony Hopkins in the BBC Television Shakespeare production , and Michael Gambon in a stage production at Scarborough directed by Alan Ayckbourn in Gambon had been in Olivier's earlier production.
In an interview Gambon commented "I wasn't even the second gentleman in that. I didn't have any lines at all. I was at the back like that, standing for an hour. All the line used to listen to The Archers. Olivier sent me a telegram on the first night. He said, "Copy me.
He used to paint the big negro lips on.
You couldn't do it today, you'd get shot. He had the complete negro face. Learn more about Amazon Prime. Get fast, free shipping with Amazon Prime.
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Iago explains to Otello that he will lure Cassio here and talk with him while Otello watches, hidden. He leaves to go get Cassio. Desdemona enters and reminds Otello of Cassio's request. Otello says that his headache has returned, and asks Desdemona to wrap her handkerchief around his head. When Desdemona produces a different handkerchief, Otello demands the one with strawberries. When she says she does not have it, Otello says that it was a talisman, and troubles will befall her if she loses it.
Desdemona says that he is trying to ignore Cassio's plea, and as she asks him about Cassio, he demands the handkerchief ever more insistently. Desdemona protests that she is faithful; Otello sends her away Desdemona, Otello: Otello laments his fate Dio! When Iago calls out "Cassio is here! Cassio says he had hoped to see Desdemona here, for he wanted to know whether she had been successful with Otello Iago, Cassio, Otello: Iago asks him to tell of his adventures with that woman.
Cassio asks which woman, and, softly, so that Otello cannot hear, Iago says "Bianca" the name of Cassio's actual lover. As Cassio laughs about his romantic adventures, Otello assumes he is speaking of Desdemona. In a conversation only partially heard, Cassio seems to be telling Iago that another woman, a secret admirer, left him a handkerchief as a token. At Iago's urging, Cassio produces it, whereupon Iago seizes it—for it is Desdemona's—and holds it out where he knows Otello can see it.
He then returns it to Cassio and teases him, while in his hiding place Otello fumes Iago, Cassio, Otello: Bugles sound, announcing the arrival of the Venetian ambassador, Lodovico. Iago warns Cassio that he should leave unless he wants to see Otello. Cassio exits, and Otello asks Iago how he should kill his wife. Iago advises Otello to kill Desdemona by suffocating her in her bed, while he will take care of Cassio. Otello promotes Iago to Captain.
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Lodovico, Desdemona, Emilia, Roderigo, and other dignitaries enter. When Lodovico notes Cassio's absence, Iago tells him that Cassio is out of favor.
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Desdemona interrupts, telling Lodovico that she hopes he will soon be restored. Otello calls her a demon and almost strikes her violently but is held back by Lodovico. Otello then calls for Cassio.
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Lodovico, Otello, Desdemona, Emilia, Iago, chorus: Cassio enters and Otello reads mixing in insults to Desdemona a letter from the Doge , announcing that he Otello has been called back to Venice and Cassio is to succeed him as governor of Cyprus. Enraged, Otello throws Desdemona to the ground. Otello, Roderigo, Iago, Cassio, Lodovico: The Doge recalls me to Venice". Desdemona, on the ground, laments A terra! The various characters express their feelings: Emilia and Lodovico express their sympathy for Desdemona, Cassio marvels at his sudden change of fortune, and Roderigo laments that Desdemona will soon depart.
In separate asides , Iago urges Otello to take his revenge as soon as possible, while he will take care of Cassio. He advises Roderigo that the only way to prevent Desdemona from leaving is for Cassio, the new Duke, to die, and suggests that Roderigo murder Cassio that night. In a fury, Otello orders everyone to leave. Desdemona goes to comfort him, but Lodovico pulls her away as Otello curses her.
As the others leave, Otello raves about the handkerchief, then collapses. Iago presses Otello's forehead with his heel, then walks away. Outside the crowd of Cypriots calls out victory and glory for Otello. A bed, a prie-dieu , a table, a mirror, some chairs. A light burns in front of an image of the Madonna which hangs above the prie-dieu. To the right is a door. On the table a light.
Desdemona is preparing for bed with the assistance of Emilia. She asks Emilia to put out the bridal gown she used on her wedding day, and says that if she dies, she wants to be buried in it. Emilia tells her not to talk about such things.
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Desdemona recalls how her mother's servant Barbara was abandoned by her lover, and how she used to sing the Willow Song Desdemona: After Emilia leaves, Desdemona prays Ave Maria and then falls asleep. Silently, Otello enters, with a sword. He kisses his wife three times; she awakens. Otello asks her if she has prayed tonight; she must die, and he does not wish to condemn her soul. She asks God for mercy, both for her and for Otello. Otello accuses her of sin, saying that he must kill her because she loves Cassio.
Desdemona denies it and asks that he summon Cassio to testify to her innocence. Otello says that Cassio is already dead. Desdemona, horrified, pleads for mercy, but Otello tells her it's too late and strangles her Otello, Desdemona: Emilia knocks at the door, Emilia: Desdemona softly calls out that she has been unjustly accused, but refuses to blame Otello.
Emilia calls Otello a murderer; he retorts that Iago gave him proof of Desdemona's infidelity. Otello begins to threaten Emilia, who calls for help. Iago, Cassio, and Lodovico enter. Emilia demands that Iago deny Otello's accusation; he refuses. Otello says that the handkerchief Desdemona gave to Cassio is proof enough. Emilia, horrified, explains that Iago stole the handkerchief from her—Cassio confirms that the handkerchief appeared mysteriously in his lodgings. Montano enters and says that Roderigo, with his dying breath, has revealed Iago's plot.
Iago, brandishing his sword, runs away. After he realizes what has happened, Otello grieves over Desdemona's death. Initially he draws his scimitar Otello: He then stealthily draws a dagger from his robe Otello: Others try to stop him, but it is too late. Before he dies, he drags himself next to his wife and kisses her Otello: He lies dead next to Desdemona. In , Verdi composed a short ballet for a French production of Otello , which takes place during the third act that precedes the entrance of Lodovico.
It is rarely performed as part of the opera. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. This article is about the opera by Verdi. For the opera by Rossini, see Otello Rossini. For other uses, see Othello disambiguation. This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources.