Surely it ought to be considered a very exalted compliment to women, that all the sarcasms on them in Shakespeare are put in the mouths of villains. COLERIDGE: Notes and Lectures upon Shakespeare. VII. Spiritual Import of the Play. Were Othello but the spirited portrait of a half-tamed barbarian, we should view him as a bold and happy poetical conception, and, as such, the Poet's work might satisfy our critical judgement; but it is because it depicts a noble mind, wrought by deep passion and dark devices to agonies such as every one might feel, that it awakens our strongest sympathies. We see in this drama a grand and true moral picture; we read in it a profound ethical lesson; for (to borrow the just image of the classical Lowth) while the matchless work is built up to the noblest height of poetry, it rests upon the deepest foundations of true philosophy. " VERPLANCK: The Illustrated Shakespeare. The central point of its spiritual import lies in the contrast between Iago and his victim. Iago, with keen intellectual faculties and manifold culture in Italian vice, lives and thrives after his fashion in a world from which all virtue and all beauty are absent. Othello, with his barbaric innocence and regal magnificence of soul, must cease to live the moment he ceases to retain faith in the purity and goodness which were to him the highest and most real things upon earth. Or if he live, life must become to him a cruel agony. Shakspere compels us to acknowledge that self-slaughter is a rapturous energy—that such prolonged agony is joy in comparison with the earthy life-in-death of such a soul as that of Iago. The noble nature is taken in the toils because it is noble. Iago suspects his wife of every baseness, but the suspicion has no other effect than to intensify his malignity. Iago could not be captured and constrained to heroic suffering and rage. The shame of every being who bears the name of woman is credible to Iago, and yet he can grate from his throat the jarring music:"And let me the canakin clink, clink! And let me the canakin clink!" There is, therefore, Shakspere would have us understand, something more inimical to humanity than suffering namely, an incapacity for noble pain. To die as Othello dies is indeed grievous. But to live as Iago lives, devouring the dust and stinging-this is more appalling. Such is the spiritual motive that controls the tragedy. And the validity of this truth is demonstrable to every sound conscience. No supernatural authority needs to be summoned to bear witness to this reality of human life. No pallid flame of hell, no splendour of dawning heaven, needs show itself beyond the verge of earth to illumine this truth. It is a portion of the ascertained fact of human nature, and of this our moral existence. DOWDEN: Shakspere. DRAMATIS PERSONAE. DUKE OF VENICE. BRABANTIO, a senator. Other Senators. GRATIANO, brother to Brabantio. LODOVICO, kinsman to Brabantio. OTHELLO, a noble Moor in the service of the Venetian state. IAGO, his ancient. RODERIGO, a Venetian gentleman. MONTANO, Othello's predecessor in the government of Cyprus. Clown, servant to Othello. DESDEMONA, daughter to Brabantio and wife to Othello. BIANCA, mistress to Cassio. Sailor, Messenger, Herald, Officers, Gentlemen, Musicians, and Attendants. SCENE: Venice: a seaport in Cyprus. The Tragedy of Othello, The Moor of Venice. ACT FIRST. Scene I. Venice. A street. Enter Roderigo and Iago. Rod. Tush, never tell me; I take it much unkindly As if the strings were thine, shouldst know of this. Iago. 'Sblood, but you will not hear me: If ever I did dream of such a matter, Abhor me. ΙΟ Rod. Thou told'st me thou didst hold him in thy hate. Nonsuits my mediators; for,' Certes,' says he, And what was he? Forsooth, a great arithmetician, 20 |