The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1898-12-08
THE MOOR OF VENICE.
PROF. MOULTON DISCUSSES THE
TRAGETY OF OTHELLO.
CENTRAL MUSIC HALL FILLED
Large Audience Gathers to Hear the
shakespearean Scholar othello
Discussed as a Study of Plot
Lecture Proved Interesting.

unprOpitious weather on each occasion
of Prof MOulton's lectures thus far
That this inclemency has not reduced
the number of auditors is evidence both
of the interest felt by Kenosha citizens
in high class entertainment and OF the
intrinsic worth of Mr.. MoultOn's dis
courses on the absorbing topic OF
Shakespeare's plays. The play under
discussion Thursday evening was
OthellO.
An Italian novela by Gerald CinthiO,
published in 1865, furnished the plot of
this tragedy and the principal person
ages, all of whom are name.ess in the
tale, except the MOOr's wife, who is
called Desdamona. kespeare
greatly modified the incidents of Gin
thia's story, which is rude, although
not without spirit and an air of reality;
and he also lifted the action from the
level of coarse intrigue and brutal
murder into the highest regions OF
tragic ait. The catestrOphy is of his
conception, the Moor of the novella
being tried, tortured, banished and
finally put to death by Desdamona's
kinsmen. OthellO was one of Shake
speare's most admired and most popu-
lar plays.
Prof. MOult0n treated the play as
study of plot He prefaced his remarks
with definition of plot and brought
to bear several Illustrations which
greatly assisted in making the detini-
ton, as we'll as the distinction between
ancient and Elizabe than plot, perfectly
clear to the audience. The real sig
nifcance of plot be said was pattern.
The older type of plot was single
story Qike design made of single
line); Shakespearean and modern
dramas unite in one plot many stories.
or trains of events, or technically,
actions Qike q complex pattern, where
many lines are interwoven). In illus
tration the speaker called to his assist
ance the play of Merchant of Venice.
AS in music, by virtue of harmony and
counter point the four parts are blend
ed into one, so in the play of the Mer
chant of Venice four distinct stories are
so interviewer as to emphasize and
assert one another and produce an
harmonious whole. The story of the
caskets, the story of the rings, the
story of the wealthy Jew and the story
It Jeesi "a, three of which had formed
the plot of story previously were
taken up by this master of dramatic
art and united into one. The speaker
also used reference to a piece of wool
work with it's many Threads to illustrate
the effect and purpose of plot.
In the play of Othello complete ana
lysis reveals eight of such separate
actions, gradually brought together.
Three of these actions have been in
action before the commencement of the
play. The actions are as follows:
/. Bianca's liaison with Cassie.
2. Roderigo's pursuit of Desdamona.
3. The true love of Othello and
DesdamOna.
The play here adds four intrigues
centering around Iago.
4. Against Roderigo; to get money
from him and GUST him from Office.
5. Against Cassie; to get his place.
6. Against Cassie; to destroy him.
7. Against Othello; to make him
the victim of his own jealousy.
Of these No. may be regarded as
the main action, which, as it progresses,
gradually draws all the rest into
common stream of tendency. The
first three are old when the play opens.
The following four begin with it. The
eighth follows at the close.
Prof. Moulton showed clearly the
manner in which these various dis
tinct actions were blended and made
to contribute their respective parts to
one main purpose and result. By ac-
cidents arising in the liaison of Blanca
with Cassie Iago is enabled to work
out his schemes against the life of
Cassie and the hal piness of Othello at
the same time. Phus Nos. l, and 7
are brought into the current. Iago
also uses ROderigO's purusit of Desda.
mona as a means whereby he is enabled
to accomplish his purposes against
Roderigo and Cassie. Thus actions 2,
4 and are drawn in, and so Oh until
all the several plots are brought
together.
The common working of all these
appears first in a preparatory stage,
(refected in lagos solilcquies); then in
the crescending passion of the third
and fourth acts; finally it eliminates in
the tragic accumulation of acts ~ and
Y until the way is prepared for an
eighth action.
This action is reaction; Nemesis on
Iago The Reaction like the Main
Action, assists in binding the rest to-
gether, as affecting Othello, Cassie and
Roderigo. Othello is even with Iago,
wife for wife. Cassie lives to be lagos
eXecutioner, and from the pocket of
tho dead ROdariCO comes that which