Othello is a Moor, a jealous husband from Shakespeare's drama. Othello - Moor, jealous husband from Shakespeare's drama Othello's Subordinate 6

Othello is considered his finest work. The action is built clearly, the cause-and-effect relationships are logical, and the events are consistent. This is a realistic tragedy of the writer, excluding the presence of a magical element and describing the real world. The characters of the characters are authentic and represent people without magical features.

William Shakespeare became the author of a perfect work for the era in which he worked. The novelty of the play of 1604 was the lack of recourse to ancient and medieval motifs. The scene was Venice, a modern and popular city of the period described.

History of creation

The writer used historical data and compiled it with fiction. Legends, parables, stories of sailors became the basis for the plays. "Othello" is a clear evidence of this fact. The Venetian Moor, who became a key figure in the story, was in reality fair-skinned.

The prototype of the character was the Italian soldier Maurizio Otello, who commanded the actions of the troops in Cyprus from 1505 to 1508. The man was married. His wife, who accompanied him in the war, did not return home. The inhabitants of Cyprus still show Othello's castle in Famagusta, where, according to legend, he strangled.

Othello's prototype castle in Famagusta, Cyprus

There is an alternative version of writing the tragedy. According to it, Shakespeare relied on the plot of Giambattista Cinthio's short story called "The Moor of Venice". In 1566, the characters, perhaps the prototypes of the characters in Shakespeare's work, excited the minds of the audience. The plot of Cinthio's creation is similar to Shakespeare's description of the action.

One of the differences with the writer who first told this story to the world was the appearance in the play of a child who steals Desdemona's handkerchief. Shakespeare writes that Desdemona loses the gift herself. Another "pioneer" talked about the death of the protagonist at the hands of his wife's relatives, and Shakespeare's Othello commits suicide.

The specificity of Shakespeare's work lies in the fact that the main leitmotif of the action is social relations that break against the barriers created by the origin and prejudiced attitude towards it. A representative of a different race, Othello becomes a stranger to society, regardless of achievements and service for the good of the state. For a society recently liberated from estates, true freedom is not available.

Image and plot

The play takes place in Venice. The main characters are the commander Othello, his wife Desdemona and secretary Iago. The Moor meets Brabantio's daughter Desdemona and falls in love with her. Their union disgusts the girl's family, and the secret wedding suggests that Othello took Desdemona as his wife by force. Having been assigned to a remote garrison, the hero leaves there with his wife. Secretary Iago and assistant Rodrigo plot to overthrow Othello from office. Men slander Desdemona, assuring the boss that the girl is cheating on him with a subordinate - Cassio.

Petty intrigues that Iago weaves prove to the Moor that his wife is unfaithful to him. The evidence of betrayal is Desdemona's handkerchief, thrown by Iago to Desdemona's "lover". He advises Othello to strangle his wife. Othello's subordinates, Cassio and Rodrigo come across in the nets set by the cunning secretary. Big deceit leads to the death of military personnel.

On the matrimonial bed, Othello tries to force Desdemona to repent of her sin, but the girl is adamant and is not going to admit what was not. The Moor strangles his wife and then stabs her to death. Upon the arrival of the guards, Iago's wife reveals his plans and dies at the hands of her husband. Othello commits suicide.

The central character is the Moor commander - a noble man, capable of pure thoughts, brave actions and real feelings. The image of Othello is the embodiment of the ideal of the Renaissance. The hero strives for the harmonious coexistence of mind and heart.

Othello feels like a stranger in Venice for a reason. A representative of a different race, he is not accepted by society, despite the all-encompassing love of Desdemona. The imaginary betrayal of the spouse in the eyes of the hero is a confirmation that he does not fit into the world that he is trying to be a part of. Iago convinces the chief that the love of a beauty of noble birth does not make Othello a full member of society. His exploits remain inconspicuous, and a life at risk means nothing to those around him.

Othello's jealousy is not the feelings of an offended man, but a deep emotional trauma associated with the social order. In Desdemona, the hero saw a combination of ideals, and the alleged betrayal denigrated and destroyed them. Faith is the main category for a character. Revealed to his beloved, he trusted her. At the time of the murder of his wife, Othello is experiencing a strong intrapersonal conflict. Love for his wife and the thought of deceit struggle in him. In the battle between the mind and the heart, the mind wins. Desdemona's death restores moral balance to a world where heroes exist.

Screen adaptations

The plot of Shakespeare's play formed the basis of many films. Thanks to the intricate collisions and ups and downs described by the poet, the directors received material for on-screen interpretations. For the first time the film "Othello" was shown to the audience in 1906. Actors and roles were curious to the audience, and the cinema at that time was going through a stage of formation.

In the period from 1906 to 1922, new film versions of the play were released to cinema screens almost every year. In the 1950s, the first video recordings of television productions and opera performances based on this story appeared. Among the famous performers of the role of Othello - who played a role in the film of the same name, filmed at Mosfilm in 1955, and who appeared in the form of a Moor in 1965.

In 1976, he portrayed the famous commander on the opera stage. He performed this part more often than other opera artists. In 1981, he decided to embody the hero in the frame.

The plot of a jealous spouse, capable of killing his beloved wife because of his own doubts, is still relevant today. They are inspired by theatrical figures, representatives of the cinema. The favorite performance of the Moscow audience is Othello, in which he plays the main role.

The play "Othello" is one of the most visualized works of Shakespeare. In the repertoire of any drama theater you will find a production based on the tragedy. It is included in the list of the most studied literary works, experts note that readers are often mistaken and misinterpret some of the facts of the story. So, for example, many are sure that Othello strangled Desdemona. But, if you read the remarks, it becomes obvious that the Moor did not succeed in doing this quickly and, taking pity on his wife, stabbed her with a dagger.

Maxim Averin in the play "Othello"

Those who do not remember the text of the play are sure that the famous phrase "The Moor has done his job, the Moor can leave" belongs to Othello. In reality, this is a phrase from the work "The Conspiracy of Fiesco in Genoa", written in 1783.

William Shakespeare knew the recipe for a successful literary work. He wrote Othello in 1604, when the military events that took place in Cyprus were still fresh in the memory of the audience. Thus, the writer added a context that would surely grab the attention of the public.

Quotes

Shakespeare confirms the positive nature of the protagonist, who is often perceived in a negative way, with similar remarks:

"She loved me for the torment,
And I her - for compassion for them.

The Moor, who values ​​faith and responsiveness, does not remain indifferent to the manifestation of attention. The majestic nature of the hero is emphasized by the phrase:

"Honor is something that many of those who boast of it do not have."

Tormented by terrible guesses, Othello doubts his wife's betrayal. His numerous remarks like:

“But the spirits of lies, preparing our death, first beckon us with the semblance of truth,” the author demonstrates the spiritual confusion of the noble hero.

Internal demons attack Othello gradually, and Iago, taking advantage of the shaky harmony of the heroes' family relations, manages to set Othello against his wife. The author rightly notes:

“Doubts do not flare up suddenly, but slowly, like sulfur underground.”

This philosophical thought is relevant to this day.

Othello, the Moor of Venice is a tragedy written around 1604 by William Shakespeare.

The young girl Desdemona, the daughter of a Venetian senator, secretly marries the noble Moor Othello, commander of the troops of the Republic of Venice. The people around do not understand why Desdemona could fall in love with the ugly and middle-aged Othello and suspect the Moor of witchcraft, with the help of which he took possession of Desdemona's heart. Othello tells how Desdemona fell in love with him:

Her father loved me, called often,
He asked me about my life
Year after year, about battles, about sieges,
About everything I've experienced.
I led a story from my childhood years
Until the beginning of our conversation with him:
I spoke of disasters
About terrible cases in the seas and in the field,
About storming gaps under impending death,
About how I was impudently captured
And sold into slavery, redeemed from there,
And what I saw in my travels.
Here about big caves, about deserts,
About wild rocks, steeps, grown into the sky,
I started the speech, - it always happened;
About cannibals that eat each other
Anthropophagi, people with a head,
Growing below the shoulders. And Desdemona
She listened diligently. But all around
Housework interfered with her.
She tried her best to fix them.
And she came back to us, and with a greedy ear
Swallowed my story. Noticing this
I am with her, at a convenient hour, one day
Extracted from the heart a sincere request
Detail my wanderings,
Known to her only in fragments,
Somehow heard. I agreed
And often stole her tear,
Any memory of adversity
From my youth. Finishing the story
I was rewarded with a whole world of sighs;
All this is wonderful, indescribably wonderful, -
She swore, - and sadly, too sadly;
I regretted that I heard; said,
It's still enviable to be like that; what if
Some friend of mine fell in love with her
Then, having memorized my story, he could
Captivate her. I understood and said:
I became dear to her because I lived in anxieties,
And to me she is her sympathy.
Here is the sorcery of which I am guilty.

Charles West Cope. Othello tells Desdemona and her father about his adventures

D. Cowper. Othello tells Desdemona and her father about his adventures

Carl Ludwig Friedrich Becker. Othello tells Desdemona and her father about his adventures

Desdemona vehemently confirms the correctness of Othello's words and says that she married Othello of her own free will.

Carl Becker. Othello and Desdemona deny the accusations

Then the action is transferred to Cyprus, where Othello is serving on duty, and Desdemona follows her husband.

Meeting Othello and Desdemona in Cyprus

William Powell Frith. Othello and Desdemona

Theodore Chasseriau. Othello and Desdemona

James Clarke Hook. Othello and Desdemona

Iago hates Othello for not making him his deputy. He has other reasons not to like Othello. Iago suspects his wife Emilia of having an affair with Othello, in whose house she works. Iago, taking advantage of Othello's gullibility, gradually inspires the Moor that his wife is cheating on him with the young and handsome lieutenant Cassio. Iago advises Othello to strangle Desdemona in the bed where she cheated on him.

Anticipating death, Desdemona sings a song about a willow.

My mother had a maid
Poor Barbara. Her favorite
Rejected her. She sang "Iva" all the time;
The song is old, but it went to her fate;
And she died with her. Today
This song does not give me rest.
Everything pulls the head to bow to the shoulder
And sing like Barbara.

Dante Gabriel Rossetti. Song of Desdemona

Theodore Chasseriau. Desdemona

Gustave Moreau. Desdemona

Alexander Cabanel. Desdemona

Othello comes to the bedchamber to Desdemona, asks if she prayed the night to repent of her sins:

It's hard for me to kill
Your unprepared spirit. God save
So that I become the killer of your soul.

Othello strangles Desdemona.

Having learned about those who obeyed, Emilia reveals the truth to Othello: Desdemona was innocent, and Iago slandered her. Othello stabs himself.

The famous Soviet Shakespeare scholar M.M. Morozov wrote about the last minutes of Othello's life:

"He says that he is an 'honest killer', 'because he did nothing for the sake of hatred, but did everything for the sake of honor.'" Musil, who played with Salvini, told me that once, when someone with Salvini said that Otello kills Desdemona out of jealousy, Salvini began to fervently prove otherwise. Othello, according to Salvini, kills the desecrated ideal of man in Desdemona. And at the end of the tragedy, at the last monologue of Othello, we not only reconcile with Othello, but admire him. He says that "I loved not wisely, but I loved too much." Othello was not "wise", that is, a man wise with the experience of Venetian life, and did not suspect the possibility of the very existence of Iago. He compares himself with "an ignorant Indian who threw away a pearl more precious than all the wealth of his tribe. "He appears before us not as a violent jealous man, but as a victim of a monstrous deceit. He himself says of himself that "he is not easily jealous, but when he was influenced, he reached extreme confusion of feelings."
Othello, of course, executed himself, because the murder of Desdemona was a crime. In the same way, he once executed a Turk in Aleppo who "vilified the Venetian Republic." But before he executes himself, he cries tears of joy because Desdemona turned out to be innocent; because, having escaped from Iago's nets, he regained his freedom, and Desdemona's loyalty, and not Iago's slander, turned out to be the truth of life; Othello says that his "softened eyes, though not accustomed to tears, drop drops as quickly as Arabian trees drop healing myrrh." In this joy, Othello is the victory of the humanism of Othello and Desdemona over the predator Iago. "(Analysis of the tragedy" Othello "in the course of action).

Shakespeare's tragedy "Othello" has been played many times in the theater and cinema. At one time, the role of Othello was played by the outstanding Russian theater director, actor and teacher K.S. Stanislavsky.

There is an American film "Othello" in 1952 directed by Orson Welles (the director himself played the main role).

poster for the American film "Othello" (1952)

The American film didn't make much of an impression on me, much more I liked the Soviet film of 1955 directed by Sergei Yutkevich.

Poster for the film "Othello" (1955)

The main roles in the film were played by Sergei Bondarchuk and Irina Skobtseva.

Smeared with brown paint, Sergei Bondarchuk in the role of Othello looks very natural, plays brightly and with inspiration.

Othello in the cartoon

Desdemona in the cartoon

Dying Desdemona in the cartoon

CHARACTERS Doge of Venice. Brabantio, senator. other senators. Gratiano, brother of Brabantio. Othello, a noble Moor in the Venetian service. Cassio, his lieutenant, that is, deputy. Iago, his lieutenant. Rodrigo, Venetian nobleman. Montano, Othello's predecessor in governing Cyprus. Jester, in the service of Othello. Desdemona, daughter of Brabantio and wife of Othello. Emilia, Iago's wife. Bianca, Cassio's mistress. Sailors, messengers, heralds, soldiers, officials, private individuals, musicians and servants. The first action takes place in Venice, the rest - in Cyprus. ACT I SCENE 1 Venice. The outside. Enter Roderigo and Iago. Rodrigo No more. This is meanness, Iago. You took the money, but this case was hidden. IAGO I didn't know myself. You don't want to listen. I did not think about it, did not guess. Roderigo You lied to me that you couldn't stand him. IAGO And believe me, I can't stand it. Three persons with influence proposed me for a lieutenantship. This post, which, by God, I deserve. But he thinks only of himself: They are one thing to him, he is another to him. Didn't listen, started to teach, Spoiled, spun and let go with a refusal. “Alas,” he says to them, “gentlemen, I have already chosen an officer for myself.” Who is he? A literate mathematician, a certain Michele Cassio, a Florentine, entangled in beauty. A woman's tail, Never having led troops on the attack. He knows the system no better than the old maids. But he is chosen. Before Othello's eyes, I saved Rhodes and Cyprus and fought In pagan and Christian countries. But he is chosen. He is the lieutenant of the Moors, And I am the lieutenant of their Moorishness. Rodrigo Lieutenant! It would be better to be an executioner! IAGO Yes, yes. He puts forward only favorites, And it is necessary to raise them in seniority. You'll have to wait for production! Oh no, I have nothing to love the Moor for. Roderigo Then I would quit my service. IAGO Calm down. In this service, I serve myself. It is impossible for everyone to be born masters, It is impossible for everyone to serve well. Of course, there are such simpletons Who fell in love with bondage And like donkey zeal, Life from hand to mouth and old age without a corner. Whips of such serfs! There are others. They seem to be busy for the masters, And in fact - for their own gain. These are far from fools, And I'm proud that I'm from their breed. I am Iago, not a Moor, and I try for myself, And not for their beautiful eyes. But rather than reveal my face, I'll rather let the jackdaws peck out my liver. No, my dear, I am not what I seem. RODRIGO O, thick-lipped devil! He is with her, you will see, He will achieve everything! IAGO We must awaken Her father, make her escape public, Raise sodom, set fire to her kindred. Like flies, annoy the African, Let him find so much torment in joy, That he himself will not be happy with such happiness. RODRIEGO This is her father's house. I will scream. IAGO Shout with might and main. Don't spare your throat. Scream, as if the city is on fire. Rodrigo Brabantio! Brabantio, wake up! Iago Brabantio, wake up! Guard! Where is your daughter? Where's the money? The thieves! The thieves! Check chests! Robbery! Robbery! Brabantio appears in the window upstairs. Brabantio What do these cries mean? What happened? Rodrigo All your houses? IAGO Is the door locked? Brabantio Wherefore are your inquiries? IAGO Hell and the devil! You have a rout. Remember, friend. Put on your raincoat. Just now, perhaps, This very minute the evil black ram Dishonours your white sheep. Hurry! Instantly! It is necessary to sound the alarm, Wake up the snoring townspeople. Otherwise, they will make you a grandfather. Live! Hurry, I say. Brabantio Are you crazy? Roderigo Do you recognize my voice, sir? Brabantio No. Who are you? Rodrigo Rodrigo I. BRABANTIO So much the worse. They kindly asked you: do not go. You were told briefly and clearly that your daughter is not for you. And you're good: The devil knows where you got drunk and ate And break my peace at night In a state of intoxication! Roderigo Sir, sir, sir! BRABANTIO But, believe me, I will always be able to discourage you from rioting. RODRIEGO Wait. Brabantio Why did you make a fuss? After all, we are in Venice, and not in the village: There is a watchman. Roderigo I woke you with the best of intentions, sir. Iago Signor, for the sake of the devil, remember God! We are doing you a favor, but they tell us that we are rowdy! So you want your daughter to have an affair with an Arabian stallion, so that your grandchildren would laugh and you would have trotters in your family and connections with pacers? Brabantio Who are you, impious? IAGO (impudently) I have come to tell you, sir, that your daughter is at the present moment playing a beast with two backs with the Moor. BRABANTIO You are a vile scoundrel. IAGO And you are a senator. Brabantio Rodrigo, you will answer me for everything. And I don't know about this! Roderigo And I will answer. But maybe I'm definitely wrong And it's at your pleasure Your daughter went so late Alone, without proper protection, In the company of a hired rower Into the voluptuous embrace of the Moor? Then I apologize: We insulted you without reason. But if what we tell you is new to you, you are not fair. I think it's too much to say that I wouldn't dare to play a trick on you. Find out: your daughter is behaving immorally, connecting without asking Her wealth, honor and beauty With a rootless foreign rogue. Look, the young lady is at home. Then Persecute me for false rumors. Brabantio Fire quickly! Give me a candle. Hey, servants, servants! How similar it is To what I now saw in a dream! I'm starting to think it's true. Fire! Fire! (Exit.) IAGO Farewell. I'll leave. I can't point to the Moor. I am a subordinate of the Moor. I'll fly. He will be forgiven for the night's adventure. Slightly put on the form, that's all. The Senate cannot give him his resignation, Especially now, when the storm has gripped Cyprus and no one is visible Who could replace him in trouble. Although I hate him to death - You yourself understand now - I am forced to throw out a friendly flag in front of the general. But this, of course, is a disguise. When they go to look for him, you go with them to the arsenal. He is there. I will be with him too. But I'm going. Farewell. (Exits.) Brabantio and servants with torches come out of the house. Brabantio The point is clear. She left. I no longer live. - So, where is this girl, Rodrigo? Unhappy! Moor, you say? - Be considered fathers after that! Have you seen her yourself? - What a deception! - What does she say? - Unfathomable! Shine! And more people! - Do you think they're already married? Roderigo Yes, it seems. Brabantio Oh my God! But how did she manage to get out? Fathers, trust no more daughters, No matter how innocent their habits may be! One has to believe in sorcery, Which seduces the purest. You, Rodrigo, have never read about such a thing? RODERIGO I had to. BRABANTIO Go to your brother. - It's a pity that I didn't give it to you. - Where are you a bunch? Some on this side, some on that side. Do you know where to look for her and the Moor? Rodrigo I'll show you, but you need to stock up on Reliable guards. Follow me. Brabantio Vedi. Let's go. I am invested with power To shoot guards wherever I want. We will take them with us. Well, let's go. I will reward you for everything, Rodrigo. They leave. SCENE 2 There. Another street. Enter Othello, Iago, and Servants with torches. IAGO Though I have killed men in war, Murder in civilian life is a crime. So I look. It would be easier for me to live Without this scrupulousness. Ten times I wanted to stab him in the stomach. OTHELLO It's better not to touch him. IAGO He called you such words, that although I am gentle and docile, I restrained myself a little. So, does that mean you got married for real? Her father, unfortunately, with influence, And in this matter the voice of the old man Will be stronger than the voice of the doge. He will divorce you, true Lord, Or in retaliation he will torment you with judgments. OTHELLO He will be silenced by my merits before the signoria. And if the old man is not ashamed aloud To boast of his family, I also declare: I am of royal blood and I can Stand before him as an equal, without taking off my hat. I am proud of my family as well as my destiny. If I didn't love Desdemona, Iago, For all the riches of the sea, I wouldn't hamper my free life with marriage, - Who is that there with the lights? Look. IAGO They are. Father with all family. Enter the house. Othello Why? I do not hide, I am justified by the name, rank And conscience. But are they there? IAGO I swear by the two-faced Janus that I am not. Enter Cassio and several palace attendants with torches. OTHELLO The military of the Doge's retinue, I see, And my assistant. Hello, friends. What's new? Cassio The Doge has sent us greetings. He demands you, General. Quicker. Hurry up. Othello What happened? Cassio All Cyprus, as far as I can tell. Some unexpected events. From the fleet messengers without end. Senators are awakened and assembled. The Doge has a meeting in the palace. They demanded you, they didn’t find you at home And they sent watchmen to the city, To get you even from the bottom of the sea. OTHELLO So glad you have found me. I just go in and out of this house. (Leaves). Cassio Why is he here? IAGO He has seized the galley with its cargo to-day, and will grow rich, As soon as he legalizes his seizure. Cassio I don't understand you. IAGO He is married. Cassio On whom? IAGO Don't guess. Othello returns. So let's go, General. Othello Ready. Let's go. Cassio The people of the palace are behind you again. You see? Iago Brabantio, perhaps. Look, beware. He has the Unkind in his mind. Enter BRABANTIO, RODRIGO, and the Night Watch with torches and weapons. OTHELLO Stop! Roderigo Here is the Moor. BRABANTIO There he is, the robber. Beat him! Swords are drawn on both sides. IAGO At your service. Hello Rodrigo! OTHELLO Down with swords! The dew will hurt them. Your age affects us more than your sword, most noble signor. BRABANTIO You despicable thief, tell me, where is my daughter? You enchanted her, devil! It's magic, I'll prove it. Really, judge for yourself, people: A beauty and an angel of kindness, Does not want to hear anything about marriage, Refuses the best suitors And suddenly leaves home, comfort, contentment, To rush, without fear of ridicule, On the chest of a monster blacker than soot, Instilling fear, not love ! Is it natural? Judge, does it happen without sorcery? You secretly lulled her consciousness And drugged her with a love potion! The law tells me to take you into custody As a warlock and sorcerer Who trades in the forbidden. - Arrest him, and if he does not give Good, seize power! OTHELLO Hands off, step aside! And you, and you. It will come to blood, - I know this role without prompting. Where can I go to justify myself? BRABANTIO To jail first. You sit for a bit. The time will come, they will call - you will answer. Othello Will I really obey you? What will the doge say? Here are some messengers. They're out of the palace this minute And they want me there on business. FIRST MILITARY Yes, sir, the position is this: The Doge has an extraordinary meeting. You, too, are expected there. BRABANTIO Doge's nightly advice? Very handy. Let's go there with him. My trouble is not a daily trifle, but a case that concerns us all. If we begin to unleash such attempts, In the republic, the lords of fate Will turn out to be pagan slaves. They leave. SCENE 3 There. Council room. Doge and senators at the table. Around military officials and servants. Doge There is no connection in the news. They cannot be trusted. First Senator They contain contradictions. They write to me that one hundred and seven galleys. Doge And me, That there are a hundred and forty of them. Second Senator I have two hundred of them. It is clear that the calculation is contradictory. It's made by guesswork. But that the Turkish fleet is sailing for Cyprus, On this all reports converge. Rain Yes, this discrepancy in number Can't serve as a comfort to us. At the core is the truth, and it's bitter. SAILOR (offstage) Hey, hey, let me in! The first servant of the Vestova from the fleet. Sailor enters. Doge Well, how are you? Sailor Turkish fleet Sails to Rhodes. This is a report from Angelo to the Senate. Doge Gentlemen, How do you like this change? First Senator Absurdity. This is for distraction. Some kind of tactical trick. For the Turks, Cyprus is more important than Rhodes, And Cyprus is much easier to master. Rhodes is a stronghold, Cyprus is not fortified, The Turks are not so naive, so as not to see Where the harm is, where the benefit is, and not to distinguish Complete security from risk. Doge No, no, of course, their goal is not Rhodes. FIRST ATTENDER Another messenger. The messenger enters. Messenger Doge and assembly! Having completed the transition to Rhodes in galleys, the Turks here joined up with another squadron. First Senator There you are, gentlemen. I knew it. Big reinforcement? Messenger Ships of thirty. All together again openly turned to Cyprus. Signor Montano, your faithful servant, Tells you that he will not betray his duty. Doge Of course, to Cyprus. I told you! What, Mark Luchese is in town? FIRST Senator Away. He is in Florence. Doge Send for him. Demand by letter, let him return. First Senator Here is Brabantio and the brave Moor. Enter Brabantio, Othello, Iago, Rodrigo, and attendants. Valiant Doge Othello, we must immediately send you against the Turks. Brabantio, I didn't see you. We missed your help. Brabantio And I need yours, good Doge. Don't be offended, but to tell you the truth, I'm in the palace for a different reason. It wasn't the position that got me out of bed. It's not the war that worries me now. Oh no, a very special care All thoughts swallowed up from me. Leaving no room for anything. Doge But what happened? Brabantio Daughter, my daughter! Doge and senators What's wrong with her? Brabantio She is ruined, she is lost! She was lured by force, taken away by a spell, slander, dope. She is smart, healthy, not blind And could not help but understand the mistakes, But this is a warlock, sorcery! Doge Whoever is the thief who has deprived you of your daughter, And your daughter of the ability to judge, Find for yourself a page for him In the bloody book of law and pass sentence on him. I will not interfere, even though it was my own son. Brabantio Thank you very much. Here's the culprit. The same Moor who was called to you By your order. Doge and senators Very sorry! Doge (to Othello) What do you object to us? Brabantio Nothing. He's caught. OTHELLO Dignitaries, grandees, My lords! What can I say? I will not argue, his daughter is with me, He is right. I married her. Here are all my sins. I don't know others. I'm not a talker and I don't speak the secular language well. Having started my service as a boy at the age of seven, I've been fighting almost all my life And, except for talking about battles, I don't know how to keep up conversations. However, here is a simple story About how with the help of what spells And secret charms I lured his daughter, How my accuser complained to you. Brabantio Judge for yourself, how not to accuse? She was afraid to take a step, modest, quiet, And suddenly, look where it came from! Everything on the side - nature, shame, decency, Fell in love with what you can not look at! Such a statement is unthinkable. There are intrigues and intrigues here. I bet he gave her poison to drink And shackled her will with sleepy madness. Doge There is little to vouch for. This is unfounded. Your accusations must be proven. I don't see any data to blame. First Senator Othello, speak at last! Was it really tricks, Or is it harmless love, How does it arise in the conversation of Soul with soul? OTHELLO Send to the arsenal. Let her testify herself, And it will be necessary - take away the rank And dispose of my life. Doge Deliver Desdemona, gentlemen. Othello Lieutenant, show them the way. Exit IAGO with a few attendants. Until they return, without hiding, I openly confess to you, How I achieved her love and how She - mine. Doge Othello, speak up. OTHELLO Her father loved me. I visited them often. He told more than once the events of his personal life, year after year. Described the vicissitudes of fate, Battles, sieges, everything that I have experienced. I again reviewed my whole life - From childhood days to the present moment. He recalled hardships and labors Experienced at sea and on land. He told me how I escaped trouble By a hair's breadth from death. Once I was taken prisoner, and was sold into slavery, And escaped from captivity. He returned to the places of his wanderings. He spoke about fabulous caves and deserts, Gorges with abysses and mountains, Peaks touching the sky. About cannibals, that is, savages, Eating each other. About people whose shoulders are higher than their heads. Stories occupied Desdemona, And when she was away on business, she Always tried to finish them early, To return in time and catch the Lost thread of the story. I was glad to quench this greed And I was glad to hear her request, So that I would somehow retell it From beginning to end, which she already knows in part. I started. And when I reached the first bitter collisions of My immature youth with fate, I saw that the listener was crying. When I finished, I was rewarded for this story with a whole world of sighs. “No,” she gasped, “what a life! I am beside myself with tears and surprise. Why did I find out! Why I wasn’t born the same person! Thank you. life will tell from your words - And conquer me. In response, I also confessed to her. That's all. I fell in love with her with my fearlessness, She fell in love with me with her sympathy. So I conjured. Here is Desdemona. Now you turn to her. Enter Desdemona and Iago with Servants. Doge Before such a story, I think, Our daughter would not have resisted. Brabantio, you will have to reconcile. After all, you will not break through the walls with your forehead. BRABANTIO Let us first hear what she has to say. Of course, if both are at the same time, Then I have no claims to the Moor. - Come closer, my lady. Tell me, which of this congregation Should you obey the most? Desdemona Father, in such a circle my duty is doubled. You gave life and education to me. And life and upbringing tell me That to obey you is my filial duty. But here is my husband. As my mother once Changed her duty to her father into a duty to you, so now I am obedient to the Moor, my husband. BRABANTIO Well, God be with you. - I'm done, Your Grace. Let's get down to public affairs. - I'd rather accept someone else's girl, Than gave birth and raised my own! Be happy Moor. My will - daughters You would not see how your ears. Well, my angel, here's the goodbye: I'm glad you're the only daughter. Your escape would make me a tyrant. I would put your sisters in chains. - I'm done, Your Grace. Doge I will add One piece of advice for you, to help young people rise again in your opinion. What has passed, it's time to forget, And a mountain will immediately fall from the heart. All the time to remember past misfortunes, Perhaps worse than fresh misfortune. In suffering, the only outcome - To the best of your ability not to notice adversity. Brabantio Why don't we give Cyprus back to the Turks, When something has passed, then we don't care? It costs nothing to teach through dispassion To one who is not bothered by anything. And where can one acquire dispassion, Who has something to regret and remember? Ambiguous and shaky sayings. Literature does not bring relief. And not the auricles - the path Into the tormented chest by suffering. Therefore I to you with the lowest request: Let's proceed to state affairs. Doge Good. So, the Turks moved to Cyprus with large forces. Othello, the structure of the fortress is well known to you. Although the island is ruled by a man of indisputable merit, but in wartime, such a post needs a man of renown. Everyone speaks for you. Get ready to overshadow your young happiness with this hassle-free trip. Othello Omnipotent habit, gentlemen, Turns the harshness of a camp overnight into a soft down jacket. I like deprivation. I will gladly go against the Turks, but I ask You to give my wife a comfortable home, To give maintenance and appoint a staff Decent for her origin. Doge Let him live for the time being with his father. Brabantio I am against it. Othello And me. Desdemona Me too. I will again remind my father About what happened. There is a convenient exit. I will offer you another remedy. Doge What do you want to say, Desdemona? Desdemona I fell in love with the Moor, so that I could be with him everywhere. With the swiftness of my step, I blew it to the whole world. I give myself to his calling And courage and glory. For me, the beauty of Othello is in the exploits of Othello. My lot is dedicated to his fate, And I can't, in the midst of his campaign, Remain a peaceful midge in the rear. Danger is dearer to me than separation. Let me accompany him. OTHELLO Senators, I beg you, agree. There is no self-interest here, God knows! I am not guided by the attraction of the heart, Which I could drown out. But it's about her. Let's go towards her. Do not think that in her company I will treat the task more casually. No, if the light-winged Cupid Fills my eyes with passion so much That I miss my military duty, Let the housewives make a furnace pot out of my helmet And thus they will disgrace me forever. Doge Decide as you wish among yourselves, Whether she stay or go, but events hurried us. First Senator You must leave tonight. OTHELLO Very glad. Doge Let's meet here again at nine o'clock in the morning. Leave us someone, Othello, Who will take our order to you. OTHELLO Then here is my lieutenant, your lordship. He is a dedicated and loyal person. I'm thinking of sending Desdemona with him. He will be able to capture everything that needs to be captured. Doge Great! Lord, good night. - That's it, Brabantio. Your dark son-in-law Has concentrated so much light in himself, What is purer than whites, I must tell you. First Senator Othello, take care of Desdemona. BRABANTIO Look carefully, Moor, follow her forward: She deceived her father, she will lie to you. Exeunt Doge, Senators and Ministers. OTHELLO I am as sure of her as I am of myself. But to the point. I entrust your care, Iago, to Desdemona. Tell your wife to follow her. As soon as there is the first opportunity, Happily sail away too. I have less than an hour. And deeds, and thoughts - and do not count! Let's go, let's say goodbye together. Exeunt Othello and Desdemona. Rodrigo Iago! IAGO What say you, noble soul? Roderigo What do you think I'll do now? IAGO Go and lie down to sleep. Rodrigo I'll drown myself this minute. IAGO Just try to do this, and I will be forever unfriended with you. Roderigo It is foolish to live when life has become torture. How not to seek death, your only savior? IAGO Wretched fool! I have been living in the world for twenty-eight years and, since I learned to distinguish profit from loss, I have not seen people who could take care of themselves. Before I say I'm going to drown myself because of some skirt, I'll swap my immortal self with a baboon. Roderigo What am I to do? I myself am ashamed that I fell in love so much, but I am not able to correct this. IAGO Not able! Tell me please! To be one or the other is up to us. Each of us is a garden, and the gardener in it is the will. Whether nettle, lettuce, hyssop, cumin, one or many things grow in us, whether they die out without care or grow luxuriantly - we ourselves are the masters of all this. If there were no reason, we would be overwhelmed by sensuality. That's what the mind is to curb its absurdities. Your love is one of those garden species that you can cultivate, if you like, or not. RODRIGO As if! IAGO And how? The purest allowance of blood with the silent consent of the soul. Be a man. Get drowned! Better drown cats and puppies. I swore to help you. We have never been so close to our goal. Fill your wallet tight and come with us. Change your appearance with a fake beard. It cannot be that Desdemona loved the Moor for a long time. Get your wallet tight. It cannot be that the Moor long loved her. A stormy beginning will have a stormy end. Get your wallet tight. These Moors are changeable. What now seems to him as sweet as pods will soon become bitterer than horseradish. She is young and will change. When she was fed up with him, she would come to her senses. She will need another. Get your wallet tight. If you absolutely must destroy yourself, come up with something smarter than water. Get your wallet tight. On the one hand, an experienced, cunning Venetian, on the other, an uncouth nomad. And I believe in the strength of their feelings! She's yours! Fill your wallet with coins. It's completely overkill. It's better to be hanged after you've enjoyed it than to drown without seeing anything in your life. Roderigo You won't deceive me if I rely on you? IAGO Don't worry. Fill your wallet with coins. I have often said to you and I repeat: I hate the Moor. I have my own scores with him, no worse than yours. Let's merge our hatred together. Give him horns. For you it's a pleasure, but for me it's an even greater celebration. Go. Fill your wallet with coins. We'll talk in more detail tomorrow. Goodbye. Roderigo Where shall we meet in the morning? IAGO I have. Rodrigo I'll come early. IAGO Okay. Well, Rodrigo? Rodrigo What exactly? IAGO Rodrigo I've changed my mind. I'll lay down the estate. (Exits.) IAGO This fool serves me as a purse And free fun. Otherwise, I wouldn't waste my time on it. I hate the moor. They say that it was as if he climbed to my wife. This is unlikely, but let's assume. If there is suspicion, then so be it. He puts me high. So much the better: It is more convenient to act. What a thought! After all, Cassio is a godsend for this! Firstly, I'll knock him off the spot, And secondly ... Hooray! Hooray! Invented! I'll start whispering in Othello's ear, That Cassio is good with his wife, It's enough to look: manners, camp, - Ready, born seducer. The Moor is simple-hearted and open-hearted, He will take everything at face value. To lead such a person by the nose is sheer nonsense. So on hand! Pitch hell and night Should help me in this plan. (Exits.)

Characteristics of the hero

IAGO is the central character in 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 experienced at the same time, unable to witness the serene happiness of Othello and Desdemona, he weaves a monstrous intrigue around them, into the network of which he falls, he himself does not knowing, and Lieutenant Cassio, a subordinate of Othello. I am the complete opposite of Othello: cunning, cunning, envious, ready for any baseness in order to destroy the harmony that he sees in Othello. I. is one of Shakespeare's favorite types of "villains", but unlike Richard III or Macbeth, he is shallow and his thoughts and aspirations are not comparable in scale. He is not the "embodiment of evil" - just an evil intriguer, however, the intrigue invented by his narrow-minded, but dodgy 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 I., his rejection of everyone in whom he does not accidentally see superiority over himself, turns out to be a terrible destructive force, it is hatred, it is destruction, that is the only thing that this person is capable of. At the same time, he is aware of the laws of human psychology - but only those that drive base, unkind actions. High deeds irritate him so much that he has an instinctive desire - to break, to destroy. Knowing how to find his weak point in everyone, he masterfully plays this string.
In the finale, exposed by his own wife, whom he stabs with a dagger in impotent rage, Y. 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, partners of E. Keane, who played the role of Othello, were Ch. Macready (1832) and E. Keane's son Ch. Keane (1833). It is noteworthy that a kind of acting tradition has long developed in the English theater, when the performers of the roles of Othello and Iago “change roles”: in the 19th century - G. Irving and E. Booth (1881), in the 20th - L. Olivier and R. Richardson (1938 ). A bright performer of the role of Iago was A. Vasadze (1947, in a play with A. Khorava - Othello).