Classics and the Western Canon discussion
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Shakespeare - Othello
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You’ve set me pondering productions of Othello I’ve seen. The most unique was a 2016 Shakespeare Theater Company production in Washington, D.C. which emphasized the “Moor” in the title and cast an Arab actor as Othello. In several scenes, they showed Othello kneeling or rising from his daily prayers on a prayer rug, using the setting to add a context not explicit in the text. Unfortunately all that seems to be available online is the trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eU7La...
Thomas wrote: "For this interim we’d like to do something we’ve never tried before: music! (Or in this case, a music drama.) Listening to a piece of music and forming opinions about it is an inherently subjective..."It's worth noting that the 1965 film stars the late Maggie Smith, AKA Prof McGonagall, as Desdemona. She was nominated for an Academy Award for the role.
While I was searching for full performances on Youtube I came across a production where Othello is played by a woman. I had never thought of Othello as a "trouser role," but it might be no different than watching Olivier in his horrible blackface. The power of the poetry and the acting take over and the superficial aspects of the actor's appearance fade into the background. It does highlight the strangeness of Othello though, and this might be a good entry to the discussion.
Othello is ostensibly a powerful and highly valuable asset to the Venetian state, but he is a Moor, an outsider subject to prejudicial attacks by his peers. Does Othello's being different make him more easily manipulable by Iago?
Thomas wrote: "Does Othello's being different make him more easily manipulable by Iago?."I think Othello is easily manipulated by Iago for a couple of reasons. On the one hand, he is a proud man with a huge ego and is thoroughly incensed that Desdemona would betray him. That she would ostensibly betray him with a subordinate adds salt to his wound.
On the other hand, he seems so quick to believe Iago’s accusations based on very little evidence and almost exclusively on Iago’s word. I wonder if this is because, beneath his layer of blustering, Othello may actually harbor a suspicion he is unworthy of Desdemona. Has he internalized racism? Does he believe he is not good enough for her? And, if so, is this what makes him so quick and willing to believe in her betrayal? At times, he even sounds eager to hear proof of her betrayal as if he wants to reinforce his self-image—i.e. his suspicion that a man like him cannot possibly be loved by a woman like Desdemona. He calls himself a “circumcised dog” just before he kills himself perhaps suggesting he has problems with his racial identity.
Tamara wrote: "On the other hand, he seems so quick to believe Iago’s accusations based on very little evidence and almost exclusively on Iago’s word. I wonder if this is because, beneath his layer of blustering, Othello may actually harbor a suspicion he is unworthy of Desdemona."It is a mystery to me how Iago came to have a reputation for "honesty," and I don't understand why Othello trusts him so implicitly and doesn't trust his wife, whom he adores. He demands evidence of her infidelity from Iago but he never directly asks her if she has been unfaithful. I find that strange, and it makes me think he is hiding a vulnerability.
In any case it creates incredible dramatic tension because we know Iago is anything but honest while we watch him take advantage of Othello's weaknesses and ensnare him. He has to be one of literature's greatest villains.
In addition to race, there are a couple other reasons Othello might feel unworthy of Desdemona: he is quite a bit older than she is, and he is epileptic. He may also have some difficulty seeing. Are these physical manifestations symbolic of Othello's character? Desdemona is initially attracted to Othello by the stories he tells. Are they true stories, these fables about anthopophagi and "men whose heads do grow beneath their shoulders"? (Act 1, Scene 3. l. 145)
At the end of the play Othello wants a story to be told about him:
Then must you speak
Of one that loved not wisely, but too well;
Of one not easily jealous, but, being wrought,
Perplexed in the extreme... (Act 5 Scene 2 l. 341)
Here it sounds like Othello is almost as dishonest about himself as Iago is.
Thomas wrote: "In addition to race, there are a couple other reasons Othello might feel unworthy of Desdemona: he is quite a bit older than she is, and he is epileptic. He may also have some difficulty seeing. Ar..."wrought upon meaning: Inflicted or brought about by - OneLook. Definitions. Usually means: Inflicted or brought about by.
Interesting word here -- see Internet for Biblical usages?
anthopophagi -- men eaters -- I'm going to have to read the text for this allusion,
For the life of me, I'm going to have to reconstruct when/where I saw Othello performed -- I suspect it was the MET version that was broadcast to theaters a few years ago -- pre-Covid, of course. Perplexing story when set in history, its own and its time of production, as is so often true for Shakespeare.
(This is NOT the set I recall: https://www.classicalsource.com/conce...)
Otello or Othello? "Librettist Arrigo Boito and composer Giuseppe Verdi, who created Otello, the operatic adaptation of Othello (using the Italianised version of the name as its title.) Responses had ranged from offended condemnation to passionate celebration."
Lily wrote: "wrought upon meaning: Inflicted or brought about by - OneLook. Definitions. Usually means: Inflicted or brought about by."
The OED has a number of definitions, as usual, but I think the applicable one is "worked up; rough; agitated." I think of wrought iron in this context. Othello is slow to believe that Desdemona is unfaithful, but when he becomes convinced (by Iago's handkerchief ploy) his belief is unshakeable, tough as iron.
Thomas wrote: "For the life of me, I'm going to have to reconstruct when/where I saw Othello performed -- I suspect it was the MET version that was broadcast to theaters a few years ago -- pre-Covid, of course. Perplexing story when set in history, its own and its time of production, as is so often true for Shakespeare.(This is NOT the set I recall: https://www.classicalsource.com/conce...)
"
The Met performance I like best is the 1995 production with Placido Domingo and Renee Fleming. Unfortunately it's not freely available, but it's on the Met's subscription service (Met on Demand.) Any production with Domingo is probably worth a listen. It's one of his signature roles.
Iago is such a bad guy, but it's never clear what his motive is exactly. Why does he want to punish Othello in the way that he does, and drag a complete innocent like Desdemona into it? Not to mention Cassio and Roderigo, who don't fare well either. The reason I ask is that Verdi (and Boito) supply an answer. But Shakespeare seems very vague about it. Being passed over for promotion doesn't seem proportional to the complete devastation that Iago unleashes.
Thomas wrote: "Tamara wrote: "On the other hand, he seems so quick to believe Iago’s accusations based on very little evidence and almost exclusively on Iago’s word. [...] He demands evidence of her infidelity from Iago but he never directly asks her if she has been unfaithful.That's very interesting because, in the 1st act (I haven't read the rest of the play yet), he is the one who suggests they ask for Desdemona's testimony (when Desdemona's father and all the other Venitian nobles are questionning their marriage). He is the only one who thinks to speak to her directly (but, from what I'm reading in the other comments, he doesn't even ask her any question when Iago suggests she's cheating).
Exactly! I'll be interested to hear when you think Othello changes. He is so head-over-heels in love with Desdemona and trusts her completely in Act One. What awakens doubt in him? When they arrive in Cyprus after defeating the Turk he starts to get jealous for no good reason. Is it just Iago's suggestion? And why does his suggestion take hold?
Indeed Othello goes from happy newlywed to tormented jealous husband with astounding speed in one scene (III-III). The only thing that propels him seems to be Iago's demonically clever insinuations, with perhaps a little help from Desdemona's warm (but innocent) friendliness with Cassio. I think we have to see a character flaw--his passion is so strong that the thought of D being unfaithful eats away at his reason. He gives immediate credence to everything Iago says and dismisses the passionate rebuttals from Emilia and from D herself.
Iago gives two reasons for his hatred of Othello in the first act — he tells Roderigo he hates Othello because he promoted Cassio to the job Iago wanted, and he says in a soliloquy that it’s rumored Othello slept with his wife, Emilia. “I hate the Moor,/ And it is thought abroad that 'twixt my sheets/ H’as done my office. I know not if't be true,/ But I, for mere suspicion in that kind,/ Will do as if for surety.” Given what a manipulator he is, I’m not sure we can believe what Iago tells Roderigo, but can we even believe what Iago tells himself? Neither explanation seems quite adequate for his actions in the play.
The emphasis that Othello places on evidence is interesting. He certainly doesn't want to believe what Iago is insinuating, but he is suspicious by nature and can't turn away. He never suspects Iago, however, which is downfall. Why he trusts Iago and is suspicious of his wife is an open question, but I tend to think that it's because he knows he can't control her heart the way he controls his subordinates like Iago. Love is never guaranteed, even for a man of power, which is why he feels vulnerable, and so he is open to suspicion. Meanwhile, Desdemona is clueless, doesn't pick up on Othello's anxiety, and continues to press Cassio's suit. That's also a little strange. I keep wondering why Othello doesn't level with her about these stories Iago has been feeding him.
In the late 1870’s Verdi was unhappy with the state of Italian opera and how it was leaning toward German sensibilities. He decided to retire to his farm after a long and brilliantly successful career. His librettist, Arrigo Boito, convinced him to un-retire to write the music for Otello. Verdi adored the plays of Shakespeare and his final operas were this one and his only big comedy, Falstaff.Our rule for interim reads is that the material must be available online and free of charge so that it is available immediately. Unfortunately in this case it narrows the number of productions to choose from. There aren’t too many on Youtube that include English subtitles. The orchestra and the singing in this one are fine, but I don’t really care for the modernized production. If you find another one you like better, feel free to share!
The question for the opera is pretty simple: what does the music add to the play? Are Verdi and Boito able to express something in the music that changes or enhances Shakespeare’s vision?
Jonas Kaufman, Maria Agresta, Igor Golovatenko.
Teatro San Carlo, 2021
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qcuaN...
Boito's libretto:
https://www.murashev.com/opera/otello...
To help us along, I'll be posting some notes on the opera. The time notations are for the Kaufman/Agresta production posted above.
Act I
Boito condenses and rearranges the original. The first act includes some common tropes in opera: a storm, a choral victory hymn, a bonfire song, a drinking song, and a love duet.
Boito skips Act 1 of Shakespeare’s play and opens with the storm after Otello's victory over the Turks. Iago's feelings are pretty clear: he sees Othello’s ship and hopes it sinks.
It is not to be, however, and the crowd exults at Othello’s arrival on Cyprus. Otello enters on a heroic note – Esultate! a soaring line that the Cypriots respond to with a joyful chorus. “Evviva Otello!”
Iago confesses his hatred of Otello and provokes Rodrigo with talk of Desdemona. Note the creepy, snake-like melody that is typical of Iago’s singing, especially when the subject is women (8:20).
Iago and Otello move offstage while the Cypriots sing a bonfire song (a staple of Italian opera that Verdi found tiresome, but it was expected.)
Iago encourages Cassio to drink. Cassio resists, as in the play, but he relents in order to toast Otello and Desdemona. Iago launches into the “Brindisi” (a drinking song, another staple). (14:00) Note Iago’s serpentine chromatic line on “beva” (drink!) which is echoed by the chorus.
At Iago’s instigation, Rodrigo incites Cassio to fight. (is this music right for a brawl?) Otello enters, calms the combatants, and fires Cassio.
Peace is restored, and Otello and Desdemona are left onstage for the love duet. (25:00)
Un bacio – a kiss – the theme of which will return hauntingly at the end of the opera. ( 31:00)
Another thing to listen for is the difference in the way Othello, Desdemona, and Iago express themselves. Verdi often gives Iago slippery, sing-songy lines, sometimes accompanied in unison by a few instruments in the orchestra. There's something slithery and serpentine about his singing that is right in line with his character. Desdemona by contrast is lyrical with flowing melodic lines which reflect her innocence. Othello's lines are mixed, sometimes melodic and sometimes declamatory.
Opening the opera with the storm is really dramatic thanks to the music — since we haven’t been introduced to any of the characters, my interest in the characters’ survival was more general (or based on prior encounters). The storm also foreshadows the violent emotions of the story to come and the eventual “shipwreck” of the conclusion
In the opera, Iago sings about how he is disinterestedly pursuing evil for its own sake. In Shakespeare he is just a blackhearted sociopath pursuing his own passions and interests. Shakespeare also has him getting his just deserts--hauled off to the torture chambers. In the opera he just runs off. I like Shakespeare's version better. On the other hand, Verdi's music is beautiful, and is more expressive of emotion than mere words.
Iago's "Credo" in Boito's text is pretty stark by comparison to Shakespeare. Son scellerato
perche son uomo
e sento il fango originario in me.
I am a wretch
because I am a man
and feel the primeval slime in me.
The term "il fango" is used again later in Act 2:
OTELLO
... e il core infrango
e ruinar nel fango
... and my heart is broken
and trampled in the mire
And again in Act 3 when Otello throws Desdemona to the ground:
DESDEMONA
A terra!... sì... nel livido
fango... percossa... io giacio...
piango... m’agghiaccia il brivido
dell’anima che muor.
Down!... yes... in the livid slime
stricken... I lie... I weep...
chilled by the icy touch
of death upon my soul.
Shakespeare is a little more subtle and ambiguous. Iago is a bad guy, but still human because his motivation stems from jealousy. It's something we can relate to on some level. Boito makes him seem almost supernaturally evil. Without the music I think he would run the risk of caricature.
Some notes on Act 2: 37:00 Iago's "Credo"
44:00 Another example of Iago's serpentine sing-song lines
46:00 "Beware, my lord, of jealousy..." Iago plants the seed with a warning, just as in Shakespeare
48:00 Chorus transition and mandolinetta, "Dove guardi". Iago says he will add discord and "untune the strings" that make this music.
54:00 Quartet
1:03 Era la notte -- Iago tells Othello of Cassio's dream; slithery chromaticism
1:08 Othello seethes with anger, beginning in a growling monotone which gradually assumes the shape of Iago's line when Iago joins in ... in other words, Iago "calls the tune."
I watched the 1965 movie and the 2021 Teatro San Carlo opera. What struck me about the movie was that it was staged like a movie or TV show, with closeups and people speaking at a conversational pace. I had a great deal of difficulty understanding the words. Some of that was the Elizabethan language, but some wasn't. (I have no difficulty reading the text.) I think the play has to be less realistic and more stylized and formal, with the beautiful language more declaimed than acted in a Hollywood manner.
Thomas wrote: "Lily wrote: "wrought upon meaning: Inflicted or brought about by - OneLook. Definitions. Usually means: Inflicted or brought about by."
The OED has a number of definitions, as usual, but I think ..."
One of the reasons the "inflicted or brought about by..." definition caught my ear was because of the link to Biblical use of "wrought" -- the English Bible was "laying down" much of English usage at the same time as Shakespeare was writing. Certainly part of our discussion suggests that a key conundrum of the story is what is brought upon by what, whether on the part of Iago or Otello. (If interested, google "wrought" and explore usages.)
Is this a story of villainy or of vulnerability? Or something else all together?
Some notes on Otello, Act 3: 1:10 Orchestra opens with a variation on Iago's theme from 46:00; Iago reminds Otello of "il fazzoleta," the handkerchief
1:12 The handkerchief as Desdemona enters
1:13 lyricism that contrasts with Iago's slithery melodies
1:22 Otello quotes Desdemona's musics and then throws her out. (Interesting how often Otello ends up adopting the music of other characters in response...)
1:24 Dio mi potevi... called by one critic "Verd's greatest tragic achievement"
1:30 The music is playful as Iago gets Cassio to "confess" by singing about Bianca
1:33 Iago's "spider web" song
1:35 Chorus: Eviva!
1:41 A terra e piange. Is Desdemona as submissive in Otello as she is in Shakespeare's Othello?
1:44 Ensemble: foreboding harmonies
1:48 Iago's gloating. Love that last chord.
Notes on Act 4:Opens with the "Willow Song" in the orchestra
1:57 Salce salce... Desdemona sings the classic aria
2:03 D's good night... the music says so much more than the words here.
2:05 Another classic number: Ave Maria, starting in a a monotone and growing hymn-like
2:10 Ominous in the bass register; narrative between the strings
2:13 Il Bacio theme reeturns
2:16 Otello suffocates Desdemona
2:17 D comes back to life for one last arietta.... how operatic! But Shakespeare does this too.
2:21 Otello's last gasp
2:24 Il Bacio theme returns suddenly, like brightness from the gloom.
In the Teatro San Carlo production, Desdemona sure was less submissive. She took out a pistol, loaded it, and put it under her pillow. Then she pulled it out to defend herself in Act V, though Otello manages to disarm her. (Alert viewers would note that she failed to rack a round into the chamber after loading it, so it wouldn't fire anyway.)
Roger wrote: "In the Teatro San Carlo production, Desdemona sure was less submissive. She took out a pistol, loaded it, and put it under her pillow. Then she pulled it out to defend herself in Act V, though Otel..."Whoa! I was listening to another production, but maybe I’ll switch to this one.
Roger wrote: "I watched the 1965 movie and the 2021 Teatro San Carlo opera. What struck me about the movie was that it was staged like a movie or TV show, with closeups and people speaking at a conversational pa..."I watched the 1981 BBC production with Anthony Hopkins, Bob Hoskins, and Penelope Wilton. Hopkins is good but Hoskins is great as Iago. And Hopkins' makeup is considerably less disturbing than Olivier's.
The Teatro San Carlo Otello wore no makeup and did not look at all Moorish.
I just finished reading the play two days ago (and I did not have the time to watch the opera). I know I'm late, but I'm still leaving a comment. So here are my (few and maybe not that pertinent) thoughts:Iago is the ultimate liar, always wearing a masks, even his wife doesn't know how low he's willing to sink. The only moment I thought "mmm, he's showing his true colors" was in the 2nd act, when he pushes Cassio to drink. That's a good reminder that a friend who pushes you to consum something, when you clearly said you had enough, is not a friend at all.
I have a question because I feel I'm missing a cultural reference : jealousy is referred in the play as a monster (fair enough) but why the green eyes? I'm sure there is something I'm missing.
And finally about Othello : it's surprising how fast he turns on his wife, and we already talked about the probable causes (internalised racism, even if it's a modern turn of phrase, his past as a slave, the fact that Desdemona is from a very noble and rich family). I thought of something else, to add to those reasons, not to remplace them : what if his lack of "work" plays a part? Othello is defined as a very successful soldier, an outstanding general, a man of war. But when everybody gets to the island, there are no battles to be fought any longer. What if his lack of military work leaves him vulnerable to Iago's plan? He was, in a way, going to prove himself to Desdemona. But here he is, with nothing to do...
La_mariane wrote: "I have a question because I feel I'm missing a cultural reference : jealousy is referred in the play as a monster (fair enough) but why the green eyes? I'm sure there is something I'm missing.."Some emotions are associated with colors in English (and I would imagine in other languages too.) Red with passion, purple with royalty, etc. These associations aren't necessarily consistent though, and they change over time. Now I think we generally associate green with nature, youth, and that sort of thing, but in Elizabethan England green was sometimes associated with disease, and jealousy/envy sort of fits into that category as an emotional disorder. The phrase "green with envy" is sometimes still used in English.
La_mariane wrote: ". I thought of something else, to add to those reasons, not to remplace them : what if his lack of "work" plays a part? Othello is defined as a very successful soldier, an outstanding general, a man of war. ."That's an interesting point! If there were battles to fight, Iago wouldn't have the leisure to spin his web of lies, and Othello wouldn't have the time to get caught up in them. The circumstances create a fertile field for Othello's anxiety.
Thomas wrote: "La_mariane wrote: "I have a question because I feel I'm missing a cultural reference : jealousy is referred in the play as a monster (fair enough) but why the green eyes? I'm sure there is somethin..."Thanks for the explanation. Green for illness, I could have guessed (like a cartoon character turning green when they're ill), and I see how we can extend the symbolism to jealousy.
Thomas wrote: "La_mariane wrote: ". I thought of something else, to add to those reasons, not to remplace them : what if his lack of "work" plays a part? Othello is defined as a very successful soldier, an outsta..."Yes, more time without work gives Iago time to whisper his lies in everybody's ears.
And also, when you're good at your job, it boosts your self-esteem. And if you have no work to do, it can erode your self-esteem (like a prolonged time, after someone's been laid-off, and they can't find a new job). I think Othello might be like that : his job props up his self-esteem, and he's more vulnerable when he has only "peace time" things to do.
This will be an experiment for us, but an enjoyable one, I hope. But first we’ll take a look at the source for Otello, which is an even greater masterpiece: Shakespeare’s tragedy Othello, The Moor of Venice. If you do not already have it on your shelf, the text is here:
https://www.folger.edu/explore/shakes...
Feel free to share your favorite performance, if you have one.
One of the aspects of Othello that we will be discussing is his role as a high-ranking Moorish citizen of Venice. Othello was played by white male actors in makeup for centuries, and only relatively recently has it become more common (if not required) for the role to be played by black men. Laurence Olivier is a brilliant performer, but his blackface in the 1965 movie is considered racially insensitive, or just downright offensive, by many. I find it absurd and distracting, but it's still Olivier.
Paul Robeson was the first African American to play Othello in a major production. An audio recording of one of his historic performances is here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVotv...
Othello - Paul Robeson
Iago - Jose Ferrer
Desdemona - Uta Hagen
Some other notable video recordings that I could find for free:
The aformentioned 1965 film starring Laurence Olivier:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OW82A...
The 1990 production with Willard White, Ian McKellen, and Imogen Stubbs:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oX0cb...
William Marshall (who was also an opera singer) in the 1981 film:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCdHp...
Let's spend a couple weeks on the play and a week on the opera. If anyone has a great idea about how to approach this, I'm all ears! Otherwise, I'll post an opening question in a few days and we'll see how it goes.