The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-04-13

perishes at the hands Of one who was
not born OF woman, and his bloody
head, severed from the trunk. is made
the target OF the bitter scorD. the fero-
cl0us triumph of the enemy. whom he
had wronged so deeply
Thus ends the play IL a bath Of human
gore. having begun in wild tempest.
with lightning and thunder. and vis-
ions OF hags aud witches upon the bar
rem heath. The whole series Of events
that intervene have their origin in pas
siDns that shake the soul, aud FIJI the
the breast With condemnation. Fear that
drives the color from the cheek. hatred
that embitters and darkens the mind
love that prompts 10 murder and usur-
patton. base ingratitude. despair-such
are the feelings from which the action
springs. IS a consequence, all that
inspires dread and awe in the conduct OF
men Is to be found IN the compass OF
tins drama Murder Of the aged aud
helpless. or Of the young and unprO-
tected. desperate contentious m hand
10 hand combats. pl0ttings TO kill and
destroy. are the principal events upon
which it turns. the whole drama Is
written in characters Of blood by the
point Of a sword. IL is like lurid
thunder cloud that bursts with
one prolonged roll of thunder
and one vast sheet OF flame involving
all IN the deepest ruin. The events are
upon the most extreme scale. full OF
lerocious violence and tumult. From
the hour when the tragedy opens, until
the hour /. closes. the reader feels that
he is driven along by an Irresistible tor
uadO. upon which rides the spirit OF
horror. 50 fnghtiul are the natural
events that the supernatural associated
with them. appear TO be entirely conso-
nant with the laws Of nature. Tue
hays and apparitions are lot As much
calculated % excite fear and repulsion
as the beings IN human form. who, in
their hearts, are far more malignant
hends than the seryitors of hecate. or
that ghost who shakes ms CORY locks at
the QuakiDg murderer.Wh whose hand was
DYED ia stains which all the waters Of
fthe ocean could not wash away.
The character Of the events i'm Othel-
10 is neither so impressive nor SO I'M
posing. The greater part of the first
act turns upon the marriage of young
girl % a Moor who has Won great
reputation IN the wars. We have first
"a vivid picture Of the anger Of baiiled
father. who. attended by The officers OF
tie Jaw. seeks revenge upon the man
who has stolen away bis daughter this
is followed by the account which Othel-
To- gives of the manner I'm which the
heart of DesdemOna Is won , and what
with the piottings of iag0, the lamenta-
lions of ROlerig0. the disappointed
lover Of Desdemona. and the prepare
tions for "A campaign IN Cyprus, the first
act closes. after "a series Of scenes turn
Ing upon commonplace events. And
SO with the second act, first there are
The scenes IN the Cyprian seaport m
which .lagO. OlhellO. Desdemona, and
Cassie, take part, an deriving their I'M
p0rtance from a mCreplay Of character;
and so with the famous drinking scene
that follows. and the scene m which
Cassie mourns the loss Of bis reputation.
Through them all runs the evil web OF
iag0' 3 dark aud t0rtuOu5 Vaccinations.
aud when the second act comes 90 an
end. the plotting of thar keen. lively
aud Implying villain Is drawing nearer
10 the c0usummali0n of his fell pur-
pose In Che third act. this plotting IS
renewed, and Che scheme to destroy
ID sdcm0ua further advanced. The
Hichiug of a handkerchief becomes an
event of fatal meaning in chat atmos-
phcre 10 heavily charged with the ex.
plosiyc forces OF agonlzing suspicion
and ovorNr0ught jealousy. The catas-
ihrophe that now begins % project its
shadow upon the foreground grows more
distinct M detail in the COM ersaiions
that succeed each other SO rapidly, I'M
OBJ upon the discovery of lhe handker-
chief in Cassie 3 chamber. in the fourth
act. DO seems ready 20 Overwhelm Des
dcmcna in that ruin which she has 20
/ Little deserved. Ia act fifth occurs the
sublime. the GROWING scene OF Desde-
mona b death. in which, with her very
/ last breath. she invckes the blessing OF
Heaven upon her unhappy murderer,
who soon puts an end TO his own life,
dying like some noble animal ia the
tolls. great of heart 20 the last, IN spite
of the pitiiul crime that he had com
mittod. Such. in Driei, is the course OF
events in this drama. PHIBU7.
III, t.. fl... fr,st.V