New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-02-15

anne ana who appeals SO plteously 10 tne
audience for sympathy in his distress.
Salvini ignores the audience completely,
and, what is better yet, ignores himself.
Heart and soul and consciousness are alb
orbed into the character he has assumed
and, for the time, he is Othello. His en-
trance produces as instantaneous an effect
upon the audience as it does upon the
br awlers whose noise he quells. 1t is
evident at once that nan born to COM
m and has appeared. This appearance of
royalty is maintained throughout, even
in the height and tempest of his pas
sion. 1t appears in every motion,
to ne and look. In the Council Cham
Der when Desdemona enters, his reception
of her is the finest touch of nature that
co uld possibly be conceived, and throws
light upon the mingled passion and self
ontrol which characterizes him through
out. He turns towards her with an ex-
| preston of rapturous fondness and holds
| her in half embrace for moment. Then
seeming to remember the presence in
| which he stands, and what is due to it,
hi mself and her, he slowly releases her,
an turns again towards the Doge. 1t is
perfect.
In the first scene. wherein 1ago tries to
70 use his jealousy, the expression of face
and voice with which he delivers the lines
beginning:
Its not to make me jealous.
To say-my wife is fair.
show the unsuspecting, generous nature
of the man as fully as the words do.
Whe at length the artful fend so plays
upon his noble nature as to rouse him to
fury the effect is to carry the audience
long with him--a rare test Of truth TO
nature. This passion does not seem in
tbs least degree overdone or ar
tifc ial, but thrills like reality it.
self: One stroke Of nature almost
too painful is the sudden start Of mingled
rage and disgust with which he avoids
the touch Of his kneeling wife, as though
he both feared and loathed the proffered
caress. The killing scene is almos: too
tryi ng, and the innovation of having it
con Quoted in an ante-room. the bed being
conce aled within an alcove. is question
able as an Improvement. 1t is true that
the scene is rather prolonged and ami
mated to be conducted by woman in
bed. and that the words of the text, ut
tered by Othello just before he smothers
her. 'down -" convey the notion that
she must have arisen from the bed during
the course of the scene. Yet it is dread
full to see him seize her and make what
he intended as Sacrifice" a brutal
murder. But perhaps no part Of this most
tragic Of tragedies tells more sensibly upon
the sympathies than when he learns from
Z militia that his wife was innocent. The
80! o! o." with which he falls upon
Des demona's body is healt-rending, and
elici ted responsive sigh from many a
sympathetic breast.
As for the much vexed question Of
Othello's race and complexion. we agree
with Salvini in regarding him as OF mixed
African and Arab descent and of skin
SUI Efficiently dark to justify the illusions to
his complexion with which the play
abounds. In the matter of costume, how
ever. we are disposed to agree with those
critics who think that a general Of the
Venetian army would not be likely to APP
pear in public in dress SO nearly resem-
bling that of the Turks, with whom the
State he served was at war. This is
being hype:ccitical. perhaps, for there is
no doubt that the stage effect is height
ened by the wearing Of the Oriental cos
tune: and strict antiquarian accuracy in
this matter might please the few at the
ex pense of popularity.