Othello

The force of evil in "Othello" has its origin, "like the origin of everything else in
the tragedy, in the character of its hero," . It is Othello who is guilty. Iago is able to
plant his cruel seeds of jealousy only because Othello's character is so thoroughly
prepared to receive them. To blame Desdemona's death on Iago is to turn Othello
into a pawn, and that violates the purpose of tragedy, which is to show a hero
brought down by his own flaws.

The best productions of "Othello" show Iago consumed by self-love - by a

narcissistic infatuation with his own villainy. Yes, he supplies Othello with the
false evidence to suspect Desdemona, but much of his performance is put on for
his own entertainment. Iago is jealous not of Othello's woman but of his power,
and he destroys Othello's life almost as an exercise in superiority.

Those are the human emotional engines that drive Shakespeare's play and that have
made it so powerful for so many different audiences for so many years. They are at
risk in any modern production, where the fact that Othello is black and Desdemona
white is likely to cast a longer shadow than it did in Shakespeare's time.

Mihaela

Lupascu

Actorie Anul 1