"Othello" as a tragedy of betrayed trust
Othello Shakespeare tragedy
Undoubtedly, Othello is considered one of the most popular works of William Shakespeare, and for good reason. The names of the main characters Othello, Iago and Desdemona have long become household names. But only those who are not familiar with the content of the work itself can consider Othello a blind jealous person, and Desdemona an unforgivable traitor. Before I read this tragedy, I thought exactly so, guided only by passages I had once heard (like “Did you pray for the night, Desdemona?”) and the meaning of these names “among the people.” Imagine my surprise when everything turned out to be completely different: the play is much deeper, more interesting and complex than a primitive story about jealousy and infidelity. In order to be able to more fully judge this work, it is necessary to turn to the work of the author himself. Since I do not have sufficient knowledge on this issue, a previously published work on this topic came to my aid.
Creation
The style and genres of Shakespeare's plays, their themes and character, changed depending on the time in which they were written. Experts distinguish three periods of William Shakespeare's work.
The first period is characterized by optimism, mainly light and cheerful tones. The following comedies belong to this period: “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” (1595), “The Merchant of Venice” (1596), “Much Ado About Nothing” (1598), “Twelfth Night” (1600), etc. At the same time, Shakespeare writes a series of plays on the plot of English history: “Richard III” (1592), “Richard II” (1595), two parts of “Henry IV” (1597), etc. And although in these plays the author often depicts dark and cruel pictures, all In them, faith in a bright beginning, in life, in victory prevails. “Julius Caesar” (1599) is considered to be the beginning of the next period.
In the second period (1601-1608), Shakespeare writes about the great tragic problems of life, and here the addition of a pessimistic approach is noticeable. During this period he wrote the following tragedies: “Hamlet” (1601), “Othello” (1604), “King Lear” (1605), “Macbeth” (1605), “Antony and Cleopatra” (1606), (Timon of Athens) (1608). And although Shakespeare does not stop writing comedies, they have already lost their lightness and carefreeness, and even on the contrary have acquired a strong tragic element (with the exception of The Merry Wives of Windsor) (1061-1602).
In the last, third period (1608-1612), Shakespeare wrote mainly “tragicomedies” (plays with acutely dramatic content, but with a happy ending), in which a dreamy, lyrical attitude towards life is clearly manifested. The most important works of this time are Cymbeline (1609), The Winter's Tale, and The Tempest (1612).
The greatest interest for us, who are interested in the tragedy of Othello, is of the second period, in which it was written. Shakespeare writes in his tragedies about the greatest and most pressing questions of human life and resolves them. This especially applies to the second period of the writer’s work, when his thoughts become especially acute and Shakespeare becomes a harsh judge of his era.
The essence of Shakespeare's tragedy lies in the collision of two principles: humanistic feelings (pure and noble humanity) and vulgarity, meanness, self-interest and selfishness. According to the writer himself, everyone’s fate is the result of his character and circumstances. And he clearly and undeniably demonstrates this in his plays: the best, noble, intelligent people perish under the influence of evil, fall into tenacious networks of lies and become entangled in them, evil takes possession of their souls, which leads to dire consequences. Even these smartest and noblest people are not able to resist the deception, cunning and dexterity of others!
This feeling of life is determined by the collapse of the ideals of humanists at the end of the Renaissance under the onslaught of radical forces.
Now let's talk in more detail about the work itself.
"Othello as a tragedy of betrayed trust"
The source of the plot of “Othello” was the short story “The Moor of Venice” by D. Cintio from the collection “One Hundred Stories” (1566), where the story is presented as “the story of the ensign’s wife.” While maintaining the general plot line, Shakespeare nevertheless significantly reworked the original material, especially in key moments. The writer modified the motive of revenge of the scoundrel Ensign (Iago), according to the novella, in love with Desdemona and rejected by her, and Shakespeare also gives an exalted character to the love of Desdemona and Othello, whom she fell in love with “an anxious life,” and she fell in love with him “with the ardor of her soul.” The writer changed the very essence of this story, changing the motive of Othello’s jealousy: in Shakespeare it is not dictated by a wounded sense of honor or the insulting feeling of a husband, but is the fulfillment of the real duty of a hero seeking to destroy evil in the world. This is evidenced to some extent by these lines (Othello’s answer to the question of what to call him now, after the murder of his wife):
"….As you please.
A wife-killer out of blind love.
I made a sacrifice of honor, as I thought.”
Thus, the drama here loses its personal, love meaning and rises to the highest tragic motive - the collision of the individual with the environment.
For Othello, Desdemona is the focus of honor, truth, nobility in his life, in his, of course, special world, and if she can lie to him so dishonestly, betray him so treacherously, then she is even worse, even more terrible than all primordial evil, which means shouldn't live!
“It’s another thing to be a living target
And everyone pointed a finger. But this too
I could bear it. And this. Easily.
But to lose the treasury of the heart,
Where did I take everything that I was rich in?
But to see that the source has been allocated
Everything I was alive while I was alive.
But to find out that this spring feeds
Ponds for breeding vile toads..."
“This is my duty. This is my duty. I'm ashamed
Name before you, virgin stars,
Her fault. Erase it from the ground."
Of course, these lines can be interpreted in different ways, but, in my opinion, they are here, by the way, emphasizing the above opinion.
In Othello, the development of the play's action is most concentrated around personal events. However, even a slight exaggeration of the intimate and love side of the tragedy leads to limiting the idea of the work only to the narrow framework of jealousy. But the theme of jealousy appears here, if not as a secondary element, then, in any case, as a derivative of more complex problems that determine the depth of the play.
We see a reflection of the problem “man and environment”, which was mentioned earlier, through the contrast of the worldviews of the main characters: Othello and Iago. Comparison of the life positions of these particular heroes has the most vivid connotation, as characteristic characters. However, in addition to Iago, this very “environment” is represented by Brabantio, Rodrigo, Cassio, Emilia, and many other less significant participants in the play.
Each of them is a bright representative of the time and environment that was so disgusting to Othello’s being. That environment was the end of the Renaissance, when the very idea of this great period had by this point been perverted, as we can see in the example of Iago. He transforms the idea of “everything for a person” into “everything for oneself,” making it soulless and selfish. Iago’s actions are determined by his social position:
"There are others
They work as if for the masters,
And for testing - for your own profit.
These are far from fools,
And I’m proud to be one of their kind.”
Iago: young, who has already (!) achieved certain merits in military affairs, which occupied his entire life. The author points this out to us with the hero’s sincere indignation, due to the fact that Othello appointed Cassio, not Iago, as his deputy. In this injustice, Iago sees Othello’s challenge to the army order (the first visible reason for Iago’s hatred).
"That's it. He moves his favorites
But they need to be promoted according to seniority.
This one will wait for production!
Oh no, I have nothing to love the Moor for.”
Iago was a sailor. Critics draw attention to the presence of a large number of naval metaphors that the hero uses in his speech. The image of a sailor in the eyes of that time was “smelly, independent, drunk, loud-mouthed and pugnacious.” This type was not chosen by chance; the author wanted to emphasize Iago’s outward rudeness and lack of education. His ignorance is glaring. Desdemona, not without reason, calls his fun “flat tavern jokes for the amusement of old fools,” and Cassio “He cuts straight. This is a military man, not a scientist.” But Iago is not ashamed of his behavior, but, on the contrary, receives every possible benefit from it: he seems to others to be a simple, straightforward person, open and honest.
Iago's most important trump card is his sober, practical mind. He has amazing powers of observation, with the help of which he gives succinct and objective assessments of people (apparently, Shakespeare expresses his attitude towards the heroes through Iago).
Thanks to this quality, he can also make predictions about the future behavior of this or that hero, build strategies for the implementation of his main plan - to remove Othello.
Cassio, whom Iago cannot talk about without irritation, is handsome, educated, has little experience in military affairs, is prone to frivolous relationships (connection with Bianca), drinks little, and therefore quickly gets drunk (at the same time he behaves extremely defiantly). All of these characteristics are easily confirmed in the actions and actions of the hero.
Rodrigo Iago considers him a fool, which is true and ultimately determines his fate. In fact, he is a rich heir, squandering the estates of his ancestors, and he is also part of decent society (he was even going to marry the daughter - Desdemona - of the respected senator Brabantio!). At the same time, he appears as a coward, a petty man with no moral principles. In general, Iago does not have a high opinion of Rodrigo, in fact, neither does Shakespeare (at the end of the play, Rodrigo decides to break up with Iago, but just because Iago robbed him, he intended to turn to Desdemona so that she would return the gifts that Iago “transferred” to her).
Women for Iago are nothing more than a means to get what he wants. Desdemona is to eliminate Othello; Emilia, his wife, is an intermediary and minor executor of some orders. In my opinion, there can be no talk of any love in such a heart. Such a person is only filled with love for himself and his interests and goals. He speaks extremely disrespectfully of women (I don’t think the author shares his opinion here!).
“...All of you are guests - pictures,
Ratchets are at home, cats are at the stove.
Grumpy innocences with claws,
Devils wearing a martyr's crown."
Emilia is used by Iago and is not at all respected by him, although she is his legal wife. But as for herself... Emilia is not as simple as it seems. She combines two extremes: she is a deceiver (she practically stole Desdemona’s handkerchief), she is virtue itself (she opened Othello’s eyes about Iago’s actions). In her defense, it can be said that she stole the scarf on behalf of her husband, not knowing about his plans and the terrible consequences this could lead to. But still, Emilia took the handkerchief and, in response to a direct question from Desdemona, her kind and honest mistress, she lied. We should not forget that during a frank conversation, when she and Desdemona were talking about treason, Emilia said:
“For such a fee?
For the whole world? Serious thing!
A huge world for a tiny prank.”
So it is impossible to unequivocally say about her nature as negative or, on the contrary, positive.
Let us turn to the fate of Desdemona to talk about those qualities of hers that Iago will not reveal to us. She is the daughter of a Venetian senator who enjoys universal honor and respect. Othello, as a valiant fighter, was also respected and loved by her father and often visited him, talking about what he experienced, saw, learned. And these stories interested the senator’s daughter; she ardently empathized with Othello. So she was immensely in love with Othello, who responded to her feelings.
She left home for him in defiance of her father, was his support and support in everything, did not even entertain the thought of cheating or betraying her husband and was devoted to him to the end. Even when he kills her, in her last words she tries to justify him, answering the question of who her killer is:
"Nobody. Herself. Let my husband
Doesn't remember him badly. Be healthy".
As you can see, Desdemona is the only resident of Venice who is a positive character. It cannot be attributed to the very environment that has been mentioned more than once.
Othello: the generally recognized savior of Venice, a revered general with royal ancestors. But he is lonely and alien to this republic, and she, in turn, despises him. For what? Apparently, because he is a Moor. During the Venetian council about the true reasons for Desdemona's love, no one except the Venetian Doge could believe in the sincerity of her feelings, and everyone was absolutely seriously interested in whether he had resorted to magic or other means of influencing the young girl. Othello understands his role, he cannot explain to the senators how this happened: how could the first beauty of the aristocratic world of Venice fall in love with a Moor-soldier? Othello accepts her love as an undeserved gift, as a miracle, as great happiness.
When Othello first realizes that he may lose Desdemona, he remembers that he is a Moor, that he is black. Why does Shakespeare make Othello black? Probably to emphasize the discrepancy between the appearance and inner essence of the hero.
The only thing that connects Othello and Venice is military affairs. And even here we see a striking difference between Othello and other warriors; he can occupy any position, but he is not able to join society.
These elements indicate the contrast between Othello and Venetian society (man and environment).
Likewise, his internal qualities differ from those familiar to that aristocratic world. Othello is trusting and simple-minded. Before his death, he says that jealousy was not the passion that initially determined his behavior, but it took possession of him when he was unable to resist the influence of Iago. Othello believed him not only because Iago, in his eyes, was honest and perfectly understanding of the true nature of the relationship between the Venetians, but, perhaps, also because he was a man, and they fought together, and for a man who spent most of his life dedicated to wars and battles - this is a powerful argument.
Othello trusted Iago’s logic, as he believed that it was inherent in all members of Venetian society. But Othello cannot come to terms with Iago’s moral standards, cannot give up his ideals, and therefore decides to kill Desdemona.
And again we see a confrontation between two incompatible worldviews. If for Iago the best answer to betrayal is to cheat on the offender in return, then Othello sees nothing better than to kill Desdemona, thereby “cleansing” the world of vice.
The Moor has everything that Iago lacks: a pure soul, courage, and the talent of a commander, which ensured him honor and respect. And the Venetian Iago, who considers himself by birth to belong to a higher, white breed of people, is forced to eternal subordination to the Moor, and his wife is forced to be a servant to the Moor’s wife. Another reason for Iago's hatred. Here we can also add the rumor that Emilia cheated on Iago with Othello - an unproven, empty rumor, which, however, could be the last straw in the relationship between Othello and Iago.
Iago does everything to make Othello believe in Desdemona’s insincerity, which was the Moor’s only weak point. He lies, manipulates facts, presents all events in a light favorable to himself.
Desdemona is at a loss, she is frightened and does not understand what evil has taken possession of the soul of her beloved, why he is gloomy, taciturn, looks at her sideways, accuses and insults her. Othello, in turn, is crushed. His whole life, everything good and bright that exists, is concentrated in his passionate love for Desdemona. If she, his beloved, is vicious, like everyone else, then the world is hopeless, meaningless. Who will remain in the world that Desdemona leaves? The answer is given by Othello himself when, enraged and out of control, he throws in the face of the Venetians: “Goats and monkeys!” It is impossible for such a bright soul to exist in such a dirty world - Othello cannot live there, he kills himself. And this is Iago's greatest success. The main theme lies precisely in this: the forces of evil managed to destroy Othello.
Iago's success shows how terrible and powerful the evil lurking in the depths of Venetian civilization turned out to be. And the death of the heroes makes the play one of Shakespeare's most difficult tragedies.
And yet, this work does not leave us convinced that good is initially and inevitably doomed to defeat evil. Before his death, Othello regains his sight, faith in high ideals, devotion, honesty, selflessness, and love returns to him. The true triumphant in this play is Desdemona, who initially, contrary to all life views and foundations that reigned in Iago’s world, was honest and devoted, who refuted them only with her being. Shakespeare shows that the ideals of truth and nobility are a reality, however, it is difficult for it to survive in the conditions of Venetian civilization. Thus, the problem of optimism develops into the problem of utopia, in which the representative of the highest values is a black warrior, both by soul and origin alien to such a society, where the main principle is expressed in the words of Iago: “Pour money into your wallet.” And the Moor’s only true ally is a woman who has broken with Venetian society. Their happiness, the harmony of their truthful, honest relationships are possible. But the sphere of such happiness and their high ideals is not civilized Venice, but the utopian environment of “natural man.” Shakespeare's tragedy makes readers (viewers) hate the society where Iago reigns, but also instills pride in humanity, which is capable of giving birth to people like Othello and Desdemona. This is the great power of Shakespeare’s tragedy, which opened before it a centuries-long triumphant path across the stages of the whole world.
Unknown Shakespeare. Who, if not he [= Shakespeare. Life and Works] Brandes Georg
Chapter 49. “Othello.” - The meaning and character of Iago
Chapter 49 "Othello". - The meaning and character of Iago
If we pay attention to the fact that Macbeth explains the tragedy of life as the result of moral rudeness in alliance with malice, or more precisely, rudeness poisoned by malice, then it turns out that from here there is only one step to Othello. But in studying the tragedy of life as a whole, anger as a world factor, in Macbeth there is still no confidence, no major style.
Othello presents us with an incomparably larger, more confident style in this area.
Othello, from the point of view of the profane, is simply a tragedy on the theme of jealousy, just as Macbeth is a tragedy on the theme of ambition. Very naive readers and critics in their innocence imagine that at a certain moment in his life Shakespeare decided to study several interesting and dangerous passions and warn his audience against them. For this purpose, he wrote a work on the theme of ambition and the resulting dangers, then a similar work on the theme of jealousy and all the misadventures that it causes. But this is not how this thing is accomplished in the inner life of the creative spirit. The poet does not write essays on this topic. He begins to create not because of any preconceived decision or choice. Some nerve in it is touched, and that nerve vibrates and reacts.
What Shakespeare is trying to figure out for himself here is not jealousy or gullibility, but only the tragedy of life: how does it arise, what are its causes, what are its laws?
He was amazed by the power of anger and its significance in life. Othello is much less a study of jealousy than a new and more compelling study of malice in all its power. The thread running from the master to the work leads to the personality of Iago, not Othello.
Some naive researchers believed that Shakespeare created Iago on the model of the historical Richard III - therefore, he found him in some literature, in a chronicle.
No, Shakespeare undoubtedly met Iago in his life; he lived his mature years side by side with various traits of his character, day after day he encountered on his life’s path first this or that side of this personality, and finally, one fine day, when he fully felt and understood that smart, evil, low people can do, he fused all these fragments and cast them into one powerful image.
Iago has a larger style in this character than in all of Macbeth. Iago - in this one character there is more depth of thought, more knowledge of human nature, than in the whole of Macbeth. Iago is the very embodiment of great style.
He is not an evil principle, not the Old Testament devil, who, as we know, is stupid, and not the Miltonian devil, who loves independence and invents firearms, and not Goethe’s Mephistopheles, who speaks cynicisms, knows how to make himself necessary and for the most part turns out to be right - and in at the same time, he is not greatness in undaunted malice, not Caesar Borgia, who filled his life with terrible deeds.
Iago has no other goal before his eyes except his own benefit. That it was not he, but Cassio, who received the post of Othello's lieutenant - this is the circumstance that prompted his cunning to plot intrigues from the very beginning. He wanted this position and is trying to win it. But with all that, on the way to her, he picks up every benefit that can fall into his hands, and does not think twice about extracting all his fortune and jewelry from Rodrigo. He constantly hides behind lies and hypocrisy, but he has chosen a different impenetrable mask for himself: the bold severity, the direct, honest gloom of a soldier who does not take into account what others think or say about him. He never tries to curry favor with Othello, never with Desdemona, never even with Rodrigo. He is a frank, honest friend. He seeks his own benefit, while at the same time looking askance at others. Iago is schadenfreude in human form. He does evil in order to have the pleasure of harming; he triumphs at the sight of other people's torment and adversity. And at the same time, he is an eternal envy, fueled by the advantages and successes of others. He is not petty envy, content with desiring for himself other people's merits or other people's property, or considering himself more deserving of someone else's happiness. No, in the great personification of Iago, this is envious ill will, acting in human life as a powerful force, its very engine, this aversion to other people's perfections, manifested in the persistent denial of these advantages, in distrust or disdainful attitude towards them; it is an instinctive involuntary hatred of everything open, beautiful, bright, good and great.
Shakespeare not only knew that such envy existed, he snatched it from life and branded it forever. This is his immortal glory as a psychologist.
Everyone has heard the objection made against Othello, that the tragedy is excellent because the hero and Desdemona are true and rare images, but Iago - who knows? And what is the rationale for his course of action? What explains such anger? It would be good if he was directly in love with Desdemona and hated Othello for this reason or for another similar motive!
Yes, if he were simply a rogue in love and a slanderer, then everything would undoubtedly have turned out simpler. But then, indeed, the whole drama would not be above vulgarity, and Shakespeare would not stand here at the height of his genius.
No! No! In the apparent lack of motivation, this is where the greatness and depth lie. And Shakespeare understood this. In his monologues, Iago constantly points out to himself the reasons for his hatred. Reading soliloquies in other plays of Shakespeare, we can see from them what the character is really like; it confesses them directly to us; even such a villain as Richard III is completely sincere in his monologues. It's a different matter for Iago. This half-devil constantly tries to explain his hatred to himself, constantly almost fools himself, imagining half-hearted motives in which he believes a little and strongly disbelieves. Coleridge aptly defined this movement in his soul with the words the motive hunting of a motiveless malignity (search for the cause of causeless malignity). Again and again he declares to himself that he believes that Othello was too close to his wife, and that he wants to take revenge for the insult. At times, in order to find a basis for his hatred of Cassio, he adds that he suspects him of having an intimate relationship with Emilia. As a side motive, which in any case is worth taking into account, he does not even disdain the motive of falling in love with Desdemona. He says (II, 1):
Yes, finally, I love her myself
Not a passionate lover's love,
Even though it may be such a huge sin
I don't atone for this at all,
But partly because I want
I take revenge on him, out of suspicion,
That this Moor is slutty on bed
He climbed up to me more than once.
All this is half-dishonest attempts at self-understanding and self-justification. Bile, poisonous envy always has a motive behind it, legitimizing the hatred hidden in it and turning the desire to harm a more worthy person into just revenge. But Iago, who a few lines above said about Othello that he has a “faithful, gentle and noble soul,” is a thousand times too smart to think that he is deceived by the Moor; after all, he sees through it as through glass.
The universal human capacity for love or hate, for some very specific reason, would diminish and humiliate the superiority that Iago achieves in anger. In the end they threaten him with torture because he does not want to say a word in explanation or justification. Unyielding and proud, he probably wouldn’t open his lips even in torture, but he couldn’t give a real explanation. He slowly and persistently poisoned Othello's soul. We can trace the effect of the poison on the simple-minded Moor and see how the very fact that the poisoning process is successful embitters and intoxicates Iago more and more. But where the poison entered Iago’s soul, it would be illogical to ask, and he himself cannot answer this. The snake is poisonous by nature and produces poison, like a silkworm its yarn, like a violet its fragrance.
Shortly before the end of the drama (III, 2), there is an exchange of remarks that belong to the most profound remarks in the play and give the key to the bewilderment that overcame Shakespeare in these years at the sight of malice and during his exploration of the power of evil.
Emilia, who witnessed Othello's fury against Desdemona, tells her:
...I'll let myself be hanged
Kohl did not spread such slander
With the desire to find a place for myself,
Some despicable scoundrel
Some slacker, sycophant,
Some mean, flattering slave!
Yes, that's true, or let me be hanged!
Wow, there are no such people in the world!
Can't be!
Desdemona.
And if there are such people, God forgive them!
Emilia.
No! Let the gallows
Forgive me! May hell devour all his bones!
All three characters seem to be carved with a chisel in these short remarks. But Iago's remark is the most significant of them. “There are no such people in the world! Can't be!" - this is the thought in the shadow of which he lived and lives, the thought: others do not believe that such things exist.
Here we again encounter in Shakespeare Hamlet’s amazement at evil as a paradox, and we encounter the same indirect appeal to the reader that appeared in Hamlet and Measure for Measure, now repeated for the third time: do not say, do not believe that it is impossible ! The belief in the impossibility that there are villains in the world is a vital condition for a king like Claudius, a ruler like Angelo, an officer like Iago. Hence the words of Shakespeare: Verily I say unto you, that this highest degree of malice is possible.
It is one of the factors in the tragedy of life. Stupidity is another factor. On these two pillars rests the main result of all the disasters of earthly life.
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Among the 37 plays created by Shakespeare, one of the most outstanding was the tragedy Othello. The plot of the work, like many other plays by the English playwright, is borrowed. The source is the short story “The Moor of Venice,” written by the Italian prose writer Giraldi Citio. According to researchers of Shakespeare's work, the playwright borrowed only the main motives and the general outline of the plot, since Shakespeare did not know Italian well enough to perfectly understand all the nuances of the story, and the work was translated into English only in the 18th century.
The conflict in the play is based on conflicting feelings of trust, love and jealousy. Iago’s greed and desire to climb the career ladder by any means are stronger than Cassio’s devotion and the pure and true love of Othello and Desdemona. Knowing Othello’s strong nature, his military-like clear and strict views, his inability to perceive the world around him in halftones, Iago turns his intrigues on only one doubt sown in the Moor’s soul. One hint, carefully dropped by the “faithful” lieutenant, leads to a tragic outcome.
In the work "Othello", the basic laws of the tragedy genre are clearly observed: the collapse of hopes, the inability to change reality, the death of the main characters.
"Othello": a summary of the play
The action of the dramatic work takes place in the 16th century in Venice, and later moves to Cyprus. From the first lines, the reader witnesses a dialogue between Iago, Othello’s lieutenant, and the local nobleman Rodrigo. The latter is passionately and hopelessly in love with the daughter of Senator Brabantio Desdemona. But Iago told his friend that she had secretly married Othello, a Moor in the Venetian service. The lieutenant convinces Rodrigo of his hatred of Othello, since the Moor took a certain Cassio instead of Iago to the position of lieutenant, that is, his deputy. To take revenge on the Moor, they report the news of Desdemona's escape to her father, who, in a frenzy, begins to look for Othello.
At this time, news comes that the Turkish fleet is approaching Cyprus. Othello is summoned to the Senate because he is one of the best generals. Brabantio also arrives with him to the Venetian Doge, the main ruler. He believes that his daughter could marry a black military man only under the influence of witchcraft. Othello tells the Doge that Desdemona, listening to stories about his military exploits, fell in love with him for his courage and bravery, and he fell in love with her for her compassion and sympathy for him. The girl confirms his words. The Doge gives his blessing to the young, despite the senator's anger. It was decided to send Othello to Cyprus. Cassio, Desdemona and Iago follow him, who convinces Roderigo that all is not lost and persuades him to follow them.
During a storm, Turkish galleys drowned, and the young people enjoyed happiness. Iago continues his evil plans. He sees Cassio as his enemy and tries to get rid of him using Rodrigo. On the eve of the celebration of the wedding of Othello and Desdemona, Iago gets Cassio drunk, who loses control from drinking. Rodrigo deliberately hurts the drunken Cassio. A fight breaks out, causing general commotion. For unworthy behavior, Othello excommunicates Cassio from service. The lieutenant asks Desdemona for help. She, knowing Cassio to be an honest and devoted man to Othello, tries to persuade her husband to relent. At this time, Iago sows a seed of doubt in Othello’s head that Desdemona is cheating on her husband with Cassio. Her ardent persuasion in defense of the lieutenant increasingly inflames her husband's jealousy. He becomes not himself and demands from Iago proof of betrayal.
The jealous man asks Iago to kill Cassio. Rodrigo comes to the lieutenant, angry that Iago has already extracted all the money from him, but there is no result. Iago persuades him to kill Cassio. Having tracked down the victim in the evening, Rodrigo wounds Cassio, and he himself dies, finished off by Iago’s blade. Othello, hearing the screams, decides that the traitor is dead. Gratiano and Lodovico arrive in time and save Cassio.
The culmination of the tragedy
Othello, having asked Desdemona to repent of her sins, strangles her and finishes her off with a blade. Emilia runs in and assures the Moor that his wife is the most holy creature, incapable of betrayal and meanness. Gratiano, Iago and others come to the Moor to tell about what happened and find a picture of the murder of Desdemona.
Othello says that Iago's arguments helped him find out about the betrayal. Emilia says that it was she who gave her husband the handkerchief. In the confusion, Iago kills her and escapes. Cassio is brought in on a stretcher and the arrested Iago is brought in. The lieutenant is horrified by what happened, because he did not give the slightest reason for jealousy. Iago is sentenced to death, and the Moor must be tried by the Senate. But Othello stabs himself and falls on the bed next to Desdemona and Emilia.
The most negative hero, at first glance, is Iago. He is the initiator of all the intrigues that led to the tragic outcome. But he himself did nothing except kill Rodrigo. All responsibility for what happened falls on Othello's shoulders. It was he who, succumbing to slander and gossip, without understanding it, accused his devoted assistant and beloved wife, for which he took her life and gave his own, unable to withstand the remorse and pain of the bitter truth.
The main idea of the work
The dramatic work “Othello” can rightfully be called a tragedy of feelings. The problem of confrontation between reason and feelings is the basis of the work. Each character is punished by death for blindly following his desires and emotions: Othello - jealousy, Desdemona - boundless faith in her husband's love, Rodrigo - passion, Emilia - gullibility and indecision, Iago - a frantic desire for revenge and profit.
The best dramatic work of William Shakespeare and one of the most significant masterpieces of the world classics is tragedy - a symbol of tragic and unfulfilled love.
The comedy is based on a very instructive idea about female character as the basis of true female happiness.
Iago’s game was almost a success, but he was unable to control it to the end due to the scale of the intrigues and the large number of its participants. Blindly following feelings and emotions, devoid of a voice of reason, according to the author, will inevitably result in tragedy.
Verdi played a leading role in the creation of the libretto for Othello. According to his instructions, Boito changed the plan several times and rewrote entire scenes. Shakespeare's plot has undergone significant changes. The composer concentrated the action around the main conflict - the clash between Othello and Iago, giving it a universal sound, freeing the intrigue from small everyday details.
Having completed the work in November 1886, Verdi took direct part in its production. The premiere took place on February 5, 1887 in Milan and resulted in a true triumph of Italian national art. Soon this opera was recognized throughout the world as Verdi's best, most perfect creation.
Music
“Othello” is a musical tragedy that amazes with its truthfulness and depth of embodiment of human characters. The musical portraits of Othello - a hero and warrior, a passionate loving spouse, a trusting man and at the same time furious in his rage, the meek and pure Desdemona, the treacherous Iago, trampling all moral laws - are marked by extraordinary relief and dramatic power. Choral episodes complement the images of the main characters, expressing the attitude of the people towards them. An important role in the opera is played by the orchestra, which conveys the emotional atmosphere of events and the exceptional richness of psychological shades.
The first act opens with a grandiose vocal-symphonic picture of a storm, which immediately introduces you into the thick of intense struggle and sharp clashes. The climax of this dynamic scene is the appearance of Othello, accompanied by a joyful chorus. In the feast scene, the whimsical choir “Joy of the Flame,” with its melody and picturesque orchestral accompaniment, seems to depict the flaring fires of festive bonfires. Iago's drinking song is permeated with caustic sarcasm. The duet of Othello and Desdemona “The Dark Night Has Come,” preceded by the soulful sound of solo cellos, is replete with melodic melodies. At the conclusion of the duet, a passionate, ecstatic melody of love appears in the orchestra.
In the second act, the characteristics of Iago and Othello take center stage. The image of Iago - a strong, unwavering, but spiritually devastated person - is captured in the large monologue “I Believe in a Cruel Creator”; in the firm, decisive musical phrases there is a hidden mockery, enhanced by orchestral accompaniment (at the end there is an explosion of caustic laughter). An expressive contrast is created by the Cypriot chorus “You look - everything will sparkle,” emphasizing the purity and purity of Desdemona; the enlightened nature of the music is created by the sound of children's voices, the transparent accompaniment of mandolins and guitars. In the quartet (Desdemona, Emilia, Othello and Iago), Desdemona’s broad melodies, full of calm nobility, contrast with Othello’s agitated, sorrowful phrases. Arioso Othello “I say goodbye to you forever, memories”, accompanied by warlike fanfares, close to the heroic march; this is a brief musical portrait of a courageous commander. In contrast to this is Iago’s story about Cassio, “That Was the Night”; its insinuating, bewitching melody and swaying accompaniment pattern resemble a lullaby. The duet of Othello and Iago (oath of revenge) by the nature of the music echoes the arioso of Othello.
The third act is based on a sharp contrast between the solemnity of the mass scenes in which the people greet Othello, and his deep mental turmoil. The duet of Othello and Desdemona opens with the gentle melody of “Hello, my dear husband.” Gradually, Othello's phrases become more and more anxious and agitated; at the end of the duet, the initial lyrical melody sounds ironic and ends with an angry exclamation. The torn, gloomy, seemingly frozen phrases of Othello’s monologue “God, you could have given me shame” express depression and numbness: the melodious melody of the second part of the monologue is permeated with restrained sorrow. A wonderful septet with a choir is the pinnacle of drama: the leading role here belongs to Desdemona, her soulful melodies are full of sorrowful forebodings.
In the fourth act, the image of Desdemona takes precedence. A mournful orchestral introduction with a solo English horn creates a tragic atmosphere of doom, predicting an imminent denouement. This mood is intensified in Desdemona’s simple, folk song with repeated melancholy exclamations of “Willow! Willow! Willow!". A short orchestral intermezzo (the appearance of Othello), ending with a passionate melody of love, is distinguished by a wide range of feelings. The dialogue between Othello and Desdemona, built on short, nervous remarks, is accompanied by an alarming pulsation of the orchestra. The last characteristic of Othello is a short monologue “I am not terrible, although armed”; short phrases convey a feverish change of thoughts. At the end of the opera, highlighting the dramatic denouement, the melody of love again plays in the orchestra.
M. Druskin
“Othello” is Verdi’s highest realistic achievement, one of the best works of world opera classics.
Using the means of his art, the composer was able to convey the true spirit of Shakespeare's tragedy, although, according to the laws of the specifics of musical dramaturgy, a number of side moments and scenes were released in the opera, the turn of events was given more concisely and quickly, the contrasts of characters and dramatic situations were more sharply defined.
At the same time, a number of additional episodes were introduced, which made it possible to more widely reveal in the music the spiritual world of the characters and their characteristics. Such are the duet of Othello and Desdemona at the end of Act I and the “Cypriot chorus” in Act II, which gives an indirect characterization of Desdemona, praising the nobility and chastity of her moral character.
Act I is divided into three large scenes; Let's call them “Storm”, “Tavern”, “Night”. Each of them has its own musical and dramatic centers, which anchor the development of action and characters. The opera begins without an overture, replaced by a large dynamic choral scene; it is at the same time an indirect characteristic of Othello - the people's favorite and leader. In the second scene, the intrigue unfolds and the initial exposition of the image of Iago with his wonderful drinking song is given. The third scene is a love duet, in which the poetic appearance of Desdemona and the lyrical aspects of Othello’s character are outlined (for the two main themes of the duet, see examples 167 a, b). The end of the act - the highest bright point of the tragedy - is captured in a love theme of amazing beauty:
In Act II, the insidious and evil Iago comes to the fore. In showing a strong negative image, Verdi uses, as usual, not satirical, but dramatic means of expression. This is Iago’s monologue - the best example, along with the images of the priests in Aida, of this manner of Verdi. Angular, seemingly grinding chord progressions, frantic explosions of passages, tremolos, piercing trills - all this serves to outline the image of an inhuman, cruel enemy:
Further key points of Act II are presented in the “Cypriot chorus”, the quartet and the final “oath of revenge” - the duet of Iago and Othello, which is demonic in nature.
The development of Act III is marked with great purpose. Its first half shows the growth of Othello's jealous feelings (the duet of Desdemona and Othello; the trio of Iago, Cassio and Othello), which leads to the climax of the opera - a septet with a chorus, where the contradictions between the two polar images of the tragedy: Desdemona and Iago are expressed with great force. The intonation of the lyrical themes that sounded in the love duet of Act I served as the basis for two Desdemona themes in the septet.
Its initial section (Es-dur, choir comments - As-dur) is dedicated to the exposition of these themes, which has a closed form, being framed by the first of the given themes.
In the second section, Iago becomes more active, the chorus’s remarks become more and more alarming, but they sound wary, in a whisper. This is the calm before the fierce battle that will break out in the third section (the main stages of the battle are As-dur, F-dur). Both themes of Desdemona are also used here, which gives this section a reprisal character. But the balance of forces has changed: the chant of the second lyrical theme in the bass is answered by Iago’s menacing phrase. Thus, throughout this masterfully written septet, the action moves inexorably towards a tragic denouement.
Act IV is the pinnacle of tragedy. With unusually restrained, stingy means, Verdi conveys the feeling of intense anticipation of a terrible catastrophe and its fulfillment, and - which is wonderful! - the music is dominated by muted tones and shades rrr(even ppppp!). Unexpected outbreaks of violent manifestations of despair or anger stand out all the more clearly. Such, for example, is the following phrase from Desdemona’s farewell to Emilia:
The atmosphere of guarded silence is brilliantly conveyed in the orchestral introduction. The melancholy melody of the cor anglais is accompanied by the mournful sigh of the flutes; Later, the opening “empty” fifth of the clarinets sounds like an inexorable sentence:
The thematic theme of the introduction permeates the entire first scene of the act with the song about the willow tree and the prayer of Desdemona - these outstanding examples of Verdi's folk song lyrics. Echoes of this thematic theme also penetrate into the intonations of Othello, who regained his sight after the death of Desdemona. At the moment of his death, a wonderful melody of love appears from the duet of Act I (see example 165): thus, through the means of music, the composer cements in the memory of the listeners the noble and courageous, deeply humane image of the unfortunate Moor.
The musical dramaturgy of Othello develops rapidly and intensely. Verdi finally breaks with the principles of number structure: the action breaks up into scenes, but the transitions between them are smoothed out. The amazing skill with which Verdi combines end-to-end development with the internal completeness of the central dramatic moments is amazing. Iago's drinking song, love duet in Act I, Iago's "credo", "Cypriot chorus", "oath of revenge" - in Act II, Othello's aria, septet - in III, song about the willow tree and Desdemona's prayer, Othello's dying monologue in Act IV - all of these are, to one degree or another, completed, internally complete numbers, arising, however, in the process of the end-to-end development of music.
In this coherence of development, the role of both vocal and instrumental factors is great.
Verdi found in Othello the ideal balance between the recitative-declamatory and song-ariat beginnings. That is why the transitions from recitative forms to arioses are so organic in opera. Moreover, Verdi’s melodic generosity did not dry out, and he did not move away from the folk song origins that permeated the music of his creations. At the same time, her harmonic structure became bolder and brighter, and her tonal movement became more flexible and varied. All this helped convey the emotional nuances and richness of the characters’ spiritual world.
Verdi's orchestra also became more colorful and varied, without losing, however, its individual qualities - the rich and courageous sound of “pure” timbres, bright juxtapositions of contrasting groups, light and transparent coloring, powerful dynamics. And most importantly, the orchestra acquired the importance of an equal participant in the action and was imbued with songfulness to the same extent as the vocal part was imbued with declamation (Verdi said: “Good instrumentation does not consist in the variety and unusualness of effects - it is good when it expresses something.” Rimsky-Korsakov wrote enthusiastically about the “dramatic orchestra” of Verdi.).
Thus, all the musical resources of the opera appeared in organic unity, which is a distinctive feature of the best realistic works of the world musical theater.
"Othello as a tragedy of betrayed trust"
The source of the plot of “Othello” was the short story “The Moor of Venice” by D. Cintio from the collection “One Hundred Stories” (1566), where the story is presented as “the story of the ensign’s wife.” While maintaining the general plot line, Shakespeare nevertheless significantly reworked the original material, especially in key moments. The writer modified the motive of revenge of the scoundrel Ensign (Iago), according to the novella, in love with Desdemona and rejected by her, and Shakespeare also gives an exalted character to the love of Desdemona and Othello, whom she fell in love with “an anxious life,” and she fell in love with him “with the ardor of her soul.” The writer changed the very essence of this story, changing the motive of Othello’s jealousy: in Shakespeare it is not dictated by a wounded sense of honor or the insulting feeling of a husband, but is the fulfillment of the real duty of a hero seeking to destroy evil in the world. This is evidenced to some extent by these lines (Othello’s answer to the question of what to call him now, after the murder of his wife):
"….As you please.
A wife-killer out of blind love.
I made a sacrifice of honor, as I thought.”
Thus, the drama here loses its personal, love meaning and rises to the highest tragic motive - the collision of the individual with the environment.
For Othello, Desdemona is the focus of honor, truth, nobility in his life, in his, of course, special world, and if she can lie to him so dishonestly, betray him so treacherously, then she is even worse, even more terrible than all primordial evil, which means shouldn't live!
“It’s another thing to be a living target
Of ridicule so that everyone around would look
And everyone pointed a finger. But this too
I could bear it. And this. Easily.
But to lose the treasury of the heart,
Where did I take everything that I was rich in?
But to see that the source has been allocated
Everything I was alive while I was alive.
But to find out that this spring feeds
Ponds for breeding vile toads..."
“This is my duty. This is my duty. I'm ashamed
Name before you, virgin stars,
Her fault. Erase it from the ground."
Of course, these lines can be interpreted in different ways, but, in my opinion, they are here, by the way, emphasizing the above opinion.
In Othello, the development of the play's action is most concentrated around personal events. However, even a slight exaggeration of the intimate and love side of the tragedy leads to limiting the idea of the work only to the narrow framework of jealousy. But the theme of jealousy appears here, if not as a secondary element, then, in any case, as a derivative of more complex problems that determine the depth of the play.
We see a reflection of the problem “man and environment”, which was mentioned earlier, through the contrast of the worldviews of the main characters: Othello and Iago. Comparison of the life positions of these particular heroes has the most vivid connotation, as characteristic characters. However, in addition to Iago, this very “environment” is represented by Brabantio, Rodrigo, Cassio, Emilia, and many other less significant participants in the play.
Each of them is a bright representative of the time and environment that was so disgusting to Othello’s being. That environment was the end of the Renaissance, when the very idea of this great period had by this point been perverted, as we can see in the example of Iago. He transforms the idea of “everything for a person” into “everything for oneself,” making it soulless and selfish. Iago’s actions are determined by his social position:
"There are others
They work as if for the masters,
And for testing - for your own profit.
These are far from fools,
And I’m proud to be one of their kind.”
Now more about the heroes.
Iago: young, who has already (!) achieved certain merits in military affairs, which occupied his entire life. The author points this out to us with the hero’s sincere indignation, due to the fact that Othello appointed Cassio, not Iago, as his deputy. In this injustice, Iago sees Othello’s challenge to the army order (the first visible reason for Iago’s hatred).
"That's it. He moves his favorites
But they need to be promoted according to seniority.
This one will wait for production!
Oh no, I have nothing to love the Moor for.”
Iago was a sailor. Critics draw attention to the presence of a large number of naval metaphors that the hero uses in his speech. The image of a sailor in the eyes of that time was “smelly, independent, drunk, loud-mouthed and pugnacious.” This type was not chosen by chance; the author wanted to emphasize Iago’s outward rudeness and lack of education. His ignorance is glaring. Desdemona, not without reason, calls his fun “flat tavern jokes for the amusement of old fools,” and Cassio “He cuts straight. This is a military man, not a scientist.” But Iago is not ashamed of his behavior, but, on the contrary, receives every possible benefit from it: he seems to others to be a simple, straightforward person, open and honest.
Iago's most important trump card is his sober, practical mind. He has amazing powers of observation, with the help of which he gives succinct and objective assessments of people (apparently, Shakespeare expresses his attitude towards the heroes through Iago).
Thanks to this quality, he can also make predictions about the future behavior of this or that hero, build strategies for the implementation of his main plan - to remove Othello.
Cassio, whom Iago cannot talk about without irritation, is handsome, educated, has little experience in military affairs, is prone to frivolous relationships (connection with Bianca), drinks little, and therefore quickly gets drunk (at the same time he behaves extremely defiantly). All of these characteristics are easily confirmed in the actions and actions of the hero.
Rodrigo Iago considers him a fool, which is true and ultimately determines his fate. In fact, he is a rich heir, squandering the estates of his ancestors, and he is also part of decent society (he was even going to marry the daughter - Desdemona - of the respected senator Brabantio!). At the same time, he appears as a coward, a petty man with no moral principles. In general, Iago does not have a high opinion of Rodrigo, in fact, neither does Shakespeare (at the end of the play, Rodrigo decides to break up with Iago, but just because Iago robbed him, he intended to turn to Desdemona so that she would return the gifts that Iago “transferred” to her).
Women for Iago are nothing more than a means to get what he wants. Desdemona is to eliminate Othello; Emilia, his wife, is an intermediary and minor executor of some orders. In my opinion, there can be no talk of any love in such a heart. Such a person is only filled with love for himself and his interests and goals. He speaks extremely disrespectfully of women (I don’t think the author shares his opinion here!).
“...All of you are guests - pictures,
Ratchets are at home, cats are at the stove.
Grumpy innocences with claws,
Devils wearing a martyr's crown."
Emilia is used by Iago and is not at all respected by him, although she is his legal wife. But as for herself... Emilia is not as simple as it seems. She combines two extremes: she is a deceiver (she practically stole Desdemona’s handkerchief), she is virtue itself (she opened Othello’s eyes about Iago’s actions). In her defense, it can be said that she stole the scarf on behalf of her husband, not knowing about his plans and the terrible consequences this could lead to. But still, Emilia took the handkerchief and, in response to a direct question from Desdemona, her kind and honest mistress, she lied. We should not forget that during a frank conversation, when she and Desdemona were talking about treason, Emilia said:
“For such a fee?
For the whole world? Serious thing!
A huge world for a tiny prank.”
So it is impossible to unequivocally say about her nature as negative or, on the contrary, positive.
Desdemona, in Iago’s eyes, is honest, devoted and endlessly loving her husband, so it was not possible to simply seduce her with Cassio’s beauty and manners, which is why Iago resorts to his cunning tricks just to create the appearance of their “intimacy” with the lieutenant.
Let us turn to the fate of Desdemona to talk about those qualities of hers that Iago will not reveal to us. She is the daughter of a Venetian senator who enjoys universal honor and respect. Othello, as a valiant fighter, was also respected and loved by her father and often visited him, talking about what he experienced, saw, learned. And these stories interested the senator’s daughter; she ardently empathized with Othello. So she was immensely in love with Othello, who responded to her feelings.
She left home for him in defiance of her father, was his support and support in everything, did not even entertain the thought of cheating or betraying her husband and was devoted to him to the end. Even when he kills her, in her last words she tries to justify him, answering the question of who her killer is:
"Nobody. Herself. Let my husband
Doesn't remember him badly. Be healthy".
As you can see, Desdemona is the only resident of Venice who is a positive character. It cannot be attributed to the very environment that has been mentioned more than once.
Othello: the generally recognized savior of Venice, a revered general with royal ancestors. But he is lonely and alien to this republic, and she, in turn, despises him. For what? Apparently, because he is a Moor. During the Venetian council about the true reasons for Desdemona's love, no one except the Venetian Doge could believe in the sincerity of her feelings, and everyone was absolutely seriously interested in whether he had resorted to magic or other means of influencing the young girl. Othello understands his role, he cannot explain to the senators how this happened: how could the first beauty of the aristocratic world of Venice fall in love with a Moor-soldier? Othello accepts her love as an undeserved gift, as a miracle, as great happiness.
When Othello first realizes that he may lose Desdemona, he remembers that he is a Moor, that he is black. Why does Shakespeare make Othello black? Probably to emphasize the discrepancy between the appearance and inner essence of the hero.
The only thing that connects Othello and Venice is military affairs. And even here we see a striking difference between Othello and other warriors; he can occupy any position, but he is not able to join society.
These elements indicate the contrast between Othello and Venetian society (man and environment).
Likewise, his internal qualities differ from those familiar to that aristocratic world. Othello is trusting and simple-minded. Before his death, he says that jealousy was not the passion that initially determined his behavior, but it took possession of him when he was unable to resist the influence of Iago. Othello believed him not only because Iago, in his eyes, was honest and perfectly understanding of the true nature of the relationship between the Venetians, but, perhaps, also because he was a man, and they fought together, and for a man who spent most of his life dedicated to wars and battles - this is a powerful argument.
Othello trusted Iago’s logic, as he believed that it was inherent in all members of Venetian society. But Othello cannot come to terms with Iago’s moral standards, cannot give up his ideals, and therefore decides to kill Desdemona.
And again we see a confrontation between two incompatible worldviews. If for Iago the best answer to betrayal is to cheat on the offender in return, then Othello sees nothing better than to kill Desdemona, thereby “cleansing” the world of vice.
The Moor has everything that Iago lacks: a pure soul, courage, and the talent of a commander, which ensured him honor and respect. And the Venetian Iago, who considers himself by birth to belong to a higher, white breed of people, is forced to eternal subordination to the Moor, and his wife is forced to be a servant to the Moor’s wife. Another reason for Iago's hatred. Here we can also add the rumor that Emilia cheated on Iago with Othello - an unproven, empty rumor, which, however, could be the last straw in the relationship between Othello and Iago.
Iago does everything to make Othello believe in Desdemona’s insincerity, which was the Moor’s only weak point. He lies, manipulates facts, presents all events in a light favorable to himself.
Desdemona is at a loss, she is frightened and does not understand what evil has taken possession of the soul of her beloved, why he is gloomy, taciturn, looks at her sideways, accuses and insults her. Othello, in turn, is crushed. His whole life, everything good and bright that exists, is concentrated in his passionate love for Desdemona. If she, his beloved, is vicious, like everyone else, then the world is hopeless, meaningless. Who will remain in the world that Desdemona leaves? The answer is given by Othello himself when, enraged and out of control, he throws in the face of the Venetians: “Goats and monkeys!” It is impossible for such a bright soul to exist in such a dirty world - Othello cannot live there, he kills himself. And this is Iago's greatest success. The main theme lies precisely in this: the forces of evil managed to destroy Othello.
Iago's success shows how terrible and powerful the evil lurking in the depths of Venetian civilization turned out to be. And the death of the heroes makes the play one of Shakespeare's most difficult tragedies.
And yet, this work does not leave us convinced that good is initially and inevitably doomed to defeat evil. Before his death, Othello regains his sight, faith in high ideals, devotion, honesty, selflessness, and love returns to him. The true triumphant in this play is Desdemona, who initially, contrary to all life views and foundations that reigned in Iago’s world, was honest and devoted, who refuted them only with her being. Shakespeare shows that the ideals of truth and nobility are a reality, however, it is difficult for it to survive in the conditions of Venetian civilization. Thus, the problem of optimism develops into the problem of utopia, in which the representative of the highest values is a black warrior, both by soul and origin alien to such a society, where the main principle is expressed in the words of Iago: “Pour money into your wallet.” And the Moor’s only true ally is a woman who has broken with Venetian society. Their happiness, the harmony of their truthful, honest relationships are possible. But the sphere of such happiness and their high ideals is not civilized Venice, but the utopian environment of “natural man.” Shakespeare's tragedy makes readers (viewers) hate the society where Iago reigns, but also instills pride in humanity, which is capable of giving birth to people like Othello and Desdemona. This is the great power of Shakespeare’s tragedy, which opened before it a centuries-long triumphant path across the stages of the whole world.
27. Iago the genius of evil? + previous question
IAGO is the central character of W. Shakespeare's tragedy "Othello" (1604), a lieutenant in the service of Othello. By nature a boor and a plebeian, forced to be in the service of the “Moor,” hating him for the humiliation he experiences, unable to witness the serene happiness of Othello and Desdemona, he weaves a monstrous intrigue around them, into the network of which he falls without knowing it. knowing, and Lieutenant Cassio, subordinate to Othello. I am the complete opposite of Othello: cunning, treacherous, envious, ready for any baseness in order to destroy the harmony that he sees in Othello. Ya is one of Shakespeare’s favorite types of “villains,” but unlike Richard III or Macbeth, he is petty and his thoughts and aspirations are incomparable in scale. He is not the “incarnation of evil” - just an evil intriguer, but the intrigue invented by his narrow-minded but resourceful mind is enough to subjugate (and ultimately destroy) the generous Othello and Desdemona, who, unlike Othello, understands much better what there is I, but cannot resist him. The hatred that drives all the actions and thoughts of Ya, his rejection of everyone in whom, not by chance, he sees superiority over himself, turns out to be a terrible destructive force; it is hatred, it is destruction that is the only thing this person is capable of. At the same time, he knows the laws of human psychology - but only those that drive base and unkind actions. High actions irritate him so much that he has an instinctive desire to break, destroy. Knowing how to find his weak spot in everyone, he skillfully plays this string.
In the finale, exposed by his own wife, whom he stabs with a dagger in impotent anger, Ya remains alive - awaiting trial and execution. In the plot of Shakespeare's tragedy, it is he who is the spring of action, the source of intrigue.
In the role of Iago in the performances of the Drury Lane Theater, the partners of E. Kean, who played the role of Othello, were Ch. Macready (1832) and E. Kean’s son Ch. Kean (1833). It is noteworthy that in the English theater there has long been a peculiar acting tradition, when the performers of the roles of Othello and Iago “switched roles”: in the 19th century - G. Irving and E. Booth (1881), in the 20th century - L. Olivier and R. Richardson (1938 ). A bright performer of the role of Iago was A. Vasadze (1947, in the play with A. Khorava - Othello)
28. Rabelais the satirist. (What if someone knows Ukrainian in addition to Old Irish)
The guests themselves made their own satires. Rabelais directs against
on the shoulders of the people's masses. For Rabelais there is nothing more hateful than quotients.
Vin is equal to the Mavpas, but does not compromise in any way
korisnoi robots, and the little ones shit shit and piss everything, and then
to capture the sight of all the gloomy and boring people.
At the hour of the sea's price, Pantagruel and his friends describe the slaughter
islands inhabited by Chens, leders, scoundrels, litigators, etc. Wu tsikh
chapters that present Zhorstok with a satire on all sides of feudal
marriage, Rabelais appears as a spontaneous materialist and as a merciful
atheist. You however hate pashshani (Catholics) and papefigi
(Protestant), equal level of sorcerer of human nature. Robbie, whatever you want!
This is the motto of the Thelema monastery, which is based on a lay monk
brother Jean, what does the church and censiiv of the floor do not like much, as I myself
Rabelais. At the Thelema monastery, people were sanctified to self-corrupt themselves with all their will, without
change your mind to your love for the sciences and mysteries.
Opposing the Thelema monastery to the humanistic utopia -
monasteries and churches, Rabelais looks forward to Mayday,
what will you bring to people will and happiness?
In the images of the consecrated queens Gargantua and Pantagruel, the figures of criticism
promote an apology for absolutism. Ale Gar-gantua and Pantagruel spreads
utopian vigadani, like the Thelema monastery. Zhorstok and Pokhmura
the history of France in the 16th century, with the people's gods, drowned in
blood of village uprisings, evil re-examinations
humanistic intelligentsia (inspired by Rabelais himself),
I didn’t give any drive to idealize the king’s ruler.
It is characteristic that in the power of the monarchic church
reaction from France, image of ideal queens starting in
the remaining chapters of the novel are dark, appearing in the background like this
heroes, such as Panurge and brother Jean Vidatny, realist and satirist, taking Rabelais
Visible misce in the history of the world's literature. Yogo nationality,
life-loving laughter, hatred of everything that a strong man respects
development of the people, to rob Rabelais with the writing, which saves to our
days of your life and relevance
Rabelais's novel is very important for translation. Cream of what is French language
XVI century There are many aspects of the daily life, a writer
widely selected provincial dialects, specialized vocabulary terms,
archaisms, neologisms, tensions, puns, quotes and paraphrases
belongs to N. Lyubimov and is rightfully respected by one of her reach
translational mysticism. However, neither this nor any other shift Gargantua
Pantagruel's work is recommended for children: a book
Rabelais is not only foldable for sprinyattya, but to mistit richly
obscenities “Rtrubikh zhartiv”
Back in the 1930s, N. Zabolotsky sang, recounting this ancient novel for
children of the middle and senior wiki, carefully saving the best episodes
satirical for the most part. In a highly artistic and timely manner, N.
for children miracles are created and illustrations of the famous French
painter Gustave Dori (1832-1883), which Talanovito interpreted
great dobutku (Gargantua and Pantagruel, Don Quixote, Kazki Perrault, Come
Munchausen i in.). Illustrations of Dori, growing from the text,
make it one and the same.
(Translating)
During the sea voyage, Pantagruel and his friends describe various islands inhabited by monks, slackers, scoundrels, litigators, etc. In these chapters, representing a cruel satire on all aspects of feudal society, Rabelais appears as a spontaneous materialist and as a bold atheist. He is equally hated by the Pashans (Catholics) and the Papafigi (Protestants), who are equally hostile to human nature. "Do what you want!" - this is the motto of the Theleme monastery, which is founded by the “lay monk” Brother Jean, who despises the church and monks as much as Rabelais himself. In the Thelema monastery, enlightened people enjoy complete freedom, devoting themselves to their favorite pursuits, the sciences and the arts, without interference. Contrasting the Thelema monastery - this humanistic utopia - with monasteries and churches, Rabelais expresses hopes for a future that will bring people freedom and happiness.
In the images of the enlightened kings Gargantua and Pantagruel, some critics see an apology for absolutism. But Gargantua and Pantagruel are just as utopian and fictitious as the Thelema monastery. The cruel and gloomy reality of France in the 16th century, with popular poverty, peasant uprisings drowned in blood, and the evil persecution of the humanistic intelligentsia (Rabelais himself was persecuted), did not give him any reason to idealize royal power. It is characteristic that with the strengthening of the monarchical and church reaction in France, the images of “ideal” kings begin to fade in the last chapters of the novel, being pushed into the background by such heroes as Panurge and Brother Jean.
An outstanding realist and satirist, Rabelais occupied a prominent place in the history of world literature. His nationality, cheerful laughter, hatred of everything that interferes with the free development of man make Rabelais a writer who has retained his vitality and relevance to this day.
Rabelais's novel is very difficult to translate. In addition to the fact that the French language of the 16th century differs in many ways from the modern one, the writer widely used provincial dialects, special production terms, archaisms, neologisms, all kinds of allusions, puns, quotes and paraphrases from ancient and medieval authors, etc. The best available translation belongs to N. Lyubimov and is rightfully considered one of the achievements of translation art. However, neither this nor other translations of “Gargantua and Pantagruel” should under any circumstances be recommended to children: Rabelais’ book is not only difficult to read, but also contains a lot of obscene jokes.
Back in the 30s, the poet N. Zabolotsky retold this ancient novel for middle-aged and older children, carefully preserving the best episodes and the satirical salt of the work. In a highly artistic and tactful retelling by N. Zabolotsky, the book is recommended for school libraries. The editions for children reproduce magnificent illustrations by the famous French draftsman Gustave Doré (1832-1883), who talentedly interpreted great works (“Gargantua and Pantagruel”, “Don Quixote”, “Fairy Tales” by Perrault, “The Adventures of Munchausen”, etc.).