Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-04-22
THE RICHMOND D1sPATCH-sUNDAY APRIL o. 1888
would listen TO all Of this, how she wonld
SO of to attend to "house affairs and
9chefd ror,a again AMI 18th yreadv s.r

would listen 10 all OF this, how she wonld
SO of to attend to "house affair" and
"she'd come again. and with greedy ear
Devour up my discourse,"'
and how she finally asked him 10 tell all
the story OF his lie to her, and he did
SO.
WY story being done.
she gayo me ior my pains world OF signs:
sue swore-in faith, twas strange, twas passing
strange.
! Twas piufal. twas wondrous pitIful:
Sbe wisted she had not hoa a It; yet she wished
| mat heaven had mace her sucn man; she
THANKED me
Ind Na1e roe II had friend that lovod her.
shouii but teach him % tell NV story.
ANA ibai wOuid NOD her. Iuon this hint spake ,
>he loved me- for the dangers had passed,
Aud loved her that size old pity thom."
But there is blemish in Desdemona.
she djey Vith q f0f,cbOOd on her Ups,
she declaring in answer to the inquiry Of
Emcla--yiz.
Emelia: "Oh who hath done
This deedT"
Desdemona: Nobody: myself: farewell
Commend me 10 my kind Lord ;
O. farewell"
or course this fasehood proceeds from
her exalted love for Othello, and her de-
sire 10 protect him from bis crime, but
Shakespeare should have saved her from
this blemsh. The dramatic construction
of the play is not enhanced by it, and
the beauty Of Desdemonas character
would have been complete without il.
Her death should have been consistent
with TIE angelic purity OF her life. All
critics agree in declaring that there is no
lovelicr creation in ali dramatic fiction.
Gentle, noble, pure, beautiful, and de-
votedly loving, she is the highest EN-
bodimcnt OF perfect wOmanhood, and
"ch0Stc as IN icicic cmdcd by the frost
from pUrcst snO,c. and hangs on Didno's
tempie."
1t is avery interesting fact in Cirthios
novel, on which this play is based, that
Desdemoua aud Othello lived happily in
Venice and until Othelio was put in COM
maud OF Cyprus. That be took with him
there M ensign TO whom he was attached.
He was a man Of great personal beauty
and became epamored OF Desdemona.
She looked on him disdainfuIly, and he,
in revenge, charged her with infidelitY
to the Moor. The Moor's jealousy is
aroused, and he and his ensign determine
TO kill her, and she is beaten 10 death
with a stocking filled with sand, and the
ensign and Othelo conceal the murder
by pulling down the ceiling, and an
nOunce that she has been killed by the
fall of a beam. The Moor becomes al
most insane with grief over his loss, and
drives his ensign from him, and the en-
sign revenges himself by disclosing how
Dcsdemona had been murdered. OthellO
is arrested, tried, tortured, bsnished, and
finally killed by Desdemonas relatives.
In all these facts Shakespeares genius
found simply suggestion for his immor-
tai work.
Ulrici, tho great German critic, with
his clear critical perception, ssys-viz.
"But how touching is Othello's appeal
to Desdemona to pray and confess her
sins to Heaven, that he may not kill
her soul with her body. Here at the
moment Of the most intense excitement,
in the desperate mood of murderer,
his love still breaks forth, and again we
see the understandable nobility of his
soul. 1t is in inspirations like this
that Shakespeare dramatic power stands
by itself and illustrates that genius that
is bestowed by God alone.
EDWARD VI. ALFRIENp.