The sun., 1908-02-23


mobiles used TO wear, with sand and to strike
DesdGmoNa in the back, then to place her
on bed and break down a beam of rotten
old roof and place il across her, that she
may seem to have died by accident. Shake
speare himself makes OthsIIo and Togo de-
bate the mode OF DesdOmORa's death;
OtheHo--oet me some poison IaEo
ia0o-Do Il not with poison Strangle her In bed.
The bed she hath contaminated.
otasIO-GoOd. Good: The justice OF II pleaseS me.
For reasons Of his own, however, owing
doubtless to the consideration that an
English audience would resent the intol-
cradle cowardice and cruelty OF the deed,
Shakespeare changed the nature OF tho
fatal act; DesdemonG dies not sand
bagged but strangled Italian students
have another explanation OF Shak espeare's
substitution OF strangulation for a blow
from a sandbag They recall that in May
the year 1902 in Venice one Of the Sanuto
family killed his wife for iniidelity In
a contemporary letter Domenico Bollani
narrates the event thus: -The other day one
OF the Sanudo compelled his wife to go to
confession and then. on the following night,
stabbed her in the throat and killed her,
he said because she was unfaithful to him,
but the quarter where he lived holds her
for saint II is pleasant to recall that
SanudO was tried by the Council Of Ten,
who recognized the wife 8 innocence. Italian
critics surmised that Shakespeare had
heard this story and they point out that
the episode Of the forced confession before
the murder is paralleled by OtheElo's de-
mand:
Have you prayed TO night. Desdemona'
II you bethnk yourself OF any crime.
Unreconciled as yet 10 heaven and grace.
Solicit for II straight.
Nothing corresponding to this dramatic
episode OF the confession is to be found in
Cinthio's story.
In our authors judgment the whole OF
the first act OF -Othello' is full OF the spirit
Of Venice. which the poet has known how
to breathe into his words--the dark night;
the narrow streets; BrGbdntiO's house. with
close barred doors and shutters; the low
voices OF Id0o and Rodrigo; the sudden
uproar springing up out Of the quiet night;
the torches and lackeys; the -knave Of
common hire" the gondolier; the Doge
and Senators in council; their indignation
at their brother patriCian's wrongs;
OtheIlo's calm and noble statement OF his
wooing, how he sped by tales of moving
accidents and histories so strange as to
tempt the reader almost to believe that
Shakespeare had studied Marco Polo's
Voyages; and finally BrGbantio's bitter.
resentful, unforgiving warning
Look to her. Moor. II thou hast eyes 70 see:
She has deceived her father, and may thee.
All this in the judgment Of our author.
who speaks as an expert. is admirably
conceived to picture forth authentically one
full night in Venice
Mr.. Brown adds that as in the comedy
OF the Merchant of Venice" Portia is the
type OF the brilliant. playful. sprightly
Venetian lady 50 in the ira gedy Of -Othello"
DesdemonG personifes the gentle, loving
submissive forbearing type so dear 20 the
Italians and made illustrious in the tale Of
the patient Griselda
Those that do teach young babes
DO II with gentle means and easy tasks:
He might have child me so.
says DesdemoRd: she is incapable OF re-
sentiment Her very meekness maddens
OtheILO till he strikes her. but the Venetian
onlooker, Lodouico, instantly rebUkes him:
Ny lord this would not he believed in Venice.
Though should swear I saw II: It's very much:
Make her amends
On the whole. however, our essayist con-
cedes that there il less OF local color in
Shakespeare's Venetian tragedy than in his
Venetian comedy. When the action of the
formers plot once gets under way We are
soon carried out Of any particular locality,
and the movement might have been taking
place in Paris as we'll as in Cyprus. We arc
face 10 face with elemental passion, true to
all places and to all times NJ. W. II.