OTHELLO. THE story is taken from Cynthio's Novels. Pope. I have not hitherto met with any translation of this novel (the seventh in the third decad) of so early a date as the age of Shakspeare; but undoubtedly many of those little pamphlets have perished between his time and ours. It is highly probable that our author met with the name of Othello in some tale that has escaped our researches; as I like. wise find it in God's Revenge against Adultery, standing in one of his Arguments as follows: "She marries Othello, an old German soldier." This History (the eighth) is professed to be an Italian one. Here also occurs the name of Iago. It may indeed be urged that these names were adopted from the tragedy before us: but I trust that every reader who is conversant with the peculiar style and method in which the work of honest John Reynolds is composed, will acquit him of the slightest familiarity with the scenes of Shakspeare. This play was first entered at Stationers' Hall, Oct. 6, 1621, by Thomas Walkely. Steevens. I have seen a French translation of Cynthio, by Gabriel Chap. puys, Par. 1584. This is not a faithful one; and I suspect, through this medium the work came into English. Farmer. This tragedy I have ascribed (but on no very sure ground) to the year 1611. Malone. The time of this play may be ascertained from the following circumstances: Selymus the Second formed his design against Cyprus in 1569, and took it in 1571. This was the only attempt the Turks ever made upon that island after it came into the hands of the Venetians, (which was in the year 1473) wherefore the time must fall in with some part of that interval. We learn from the play that there was a junction of the Turkish fleet at Rhodes, in order for the invasion of Cyprus, that it first came sailing towards Cyprus, then went to Rhodes, there met another squadron, and then resumed its way to Cyprus. These are real historical facts which happened when Mustapha, Selymus's general, attacked Cyprus in May, 1570, which therefore is the true period of this performance. See Knolles's History of the Turks, p. 838; › 346, 867. Reed. PERSONS REPRESENTED. Duke of Venice. Two other senators. Gratiano, brother to Brabantio. Lodovico, kinsman to Brabantio. Othello, the Moor: Cassio, his lieutenant; Roderigo, a Venetian gentleman. Montano, Othello's predecessor in the government of Cyprus.* Clown, servant to Othello. Herald. Desdemona, daughter to Brabantio, and wife to Othello. Emilia, wife to Iago. Bianca, a courtezan, mistress to Cassio. Officers, gentlemen, messengers, musicians, sailors, SCENE, For the first act, in Venice; during the rest of the play, at a sea-port in Cyprus. * Though the rank which Montano held in Cyprus cannot be exactly ascertained, yet from many circumstances, we are sure he had not the powers with which Othello was subsequently invested. Perhaps we do not receive any one of the Persone Dramatis to Shakspeare's plays, as it was originally drawn up by himself. These appendages are wanting to all the quartos, and are very rarely given in the folio. At the end of this play, however, the following enumeration of persons occurs: "The names of the actors.-Othello, the Moore.-Brabantio, Father to Desdemona.-Cassio, an Honourable Lieutenant.-lago, a Villaine.-Rodorigo, a gull'd Gentleman.-Duke of Venice.-Se nators.-Montano, Governour of Cyprus -Gentlemen of Cyprus.Lodovico, and Gratiano, two noble Venetians.-Saylors.-Clowne.-Desdemona, Wife to Othello.-Emila, Wife to lago.-Bianca, a Curtezan." Steevens. THE MOOR OF VENICE. ACT I.....SCENE I. Venice. A Street. Enter RODERIGO and IAGO. Rod. Tush, never tell me,1 I take it much unkindly, That thou, Iago,-who hast had my purse, As if the strings were thine,-should'st know of this. Iago. 'Sblood, but you will not hear me:2— If ever I did dream of such a matter, Abhor me. Rod. Thou told'st me, thou didst hold him in thy hate. Tago. Despise me, if I do not. Three great ones of the city, In personal suit to make me his lieutenant, Oft capp'd to him; 3—and, by the faith of man, 1 Tush, never tell me,] Thus the quarto, 1622. The folio omits the interjection-Tush. Steevens. 2 'Sblood, but you will not &c.] Thus the quarto: the folio suppresses this oath. Steevens. 3 Oft capp'd to him;] Thus the quarto. The folio reads,—Offcapp'd to him. Steevens. In support of the folio, Antony and Cleopatra may be quoted: "I have ever held my cap off to thy fortunes." This reading I once thought to be the true one. But a more intimate knowledge of the quarto copies has convinced me that they ought not without very strong reason to be departed from. Malone. To cap is to salute by taking off the cap. It is still an academick phrase. M. Mason. —a bombast circumstance,] Circumstance signifies circum locution. So, in Greene's Tu QQuoque: "You put us to a needless labour, sir, "To run and wind about for circumstance, "When the plain word, I thank you, would have serv’d.” Horribly stuff'd with epithets of war; My mediators; for, certes, says he, Forsooth, a great arithmetician, 5 One Michael Cassio, a Florentine, A fellow almost damn'd in a fair wife;” Again, in Massinger's Picture: "And therefore, without circumstance, to the point, Again, in Knolles's History of the Turks, p. 576: “ — - wherefore I will not use many words to persuade you to continue in your fidelity and loyalty; neither long circumstance to encourage you to play the men." Reed. 5 Forsooth, a great arithmetician,] So, in Romeo and Juliet, Mercutio says: 66 -one that fights by the book of arithmetick." Steevens. Iago, however, means to represent Cassio, not as a person whose arithmetick was " one, two, and the third in your bosom," but as a man merely conversant with civil matters, and who knew no more of a squadron than the number of men it contained. So afterwards he calls him this counter-caster. Malone. 6a Florentine,] It appears from many passages of thisplay (rightly understood) that Cassio was a Florentine, and Iago a Venetian. Hanmer. 7 A fellow almost damn'd in a fair wife;] Sir Thomas Hanmer supposed that the text must be corrupt, because it appears from a following part of the play that Cassio was an unmarried man. Mr. Steevens has clearly explained the words in a subsequent note: I have therefore no doubt that the text is right; and have not thought it necessary to insert Mr. Tyrwhitt's note, in which he proposed to read-"a fellow almost damn'd in a fair life." Shakspeare, he conceived, might allude to the judgment denounced in the gospel against those of whom all men speak well. Malone. Mr. Tyrwhitt's conjecture is ingenious, but cannot be right; for the malicious Iago would never have given Cassio the highest commendation that words can convey, at the very time that he wishes to depreciate him to Roderigo: though afterwards, in speaking to himself, [Act V, sc. i,] he gives him his just charac ter. M. Mason. That Cassio was married is not sufficiently implied in the words, a fellow almost damn'd in a fair wife, since they mean, according to Iago's licentious manner of expressing himself, no more than a man very near being married. This seems to have been the case in respect of Cassio.-Act IV, sc. i, Iago speaking to him of Bianca, says,—Why, the cry goes, that you shall marry her. Cassio › |