Of her own clime, complexion, and degree; These are sentiments, just and undeniable, on general principles, though liable to exceptions, which the perturbed mind and strong feelings of the Moor were ill capable of taking against their application to Desdemona. The point is pressed by Shakspeare with wonderful force, and, amidst a world of thoughts and images, we can scarcely recognise the brief and natural hint of Cinthio, "Know then that your colour makes you personally odious to your wife." Thus far Shakspeare carried Iago in the execution of his design with little assistance from the novel. Jealousy is ripened in Othello ere Cinthio has sown the seeds of suspicion in the Moor. In furnishing the series of proofs necessary to complete Othello's conviction of Desdemona's guilt, the dramatist becomes more largely indebted to the story, but considerably varies the application of the materials which he borrowed. The Lieutenant of Cinthio makes a skil ful use of circumstances as they arise: Iago's superior ability enables him to direct the actions of others with infinite facility; he uses his associates as mere instruments of his will, and is thus the creator of his own opportunities for the accomplishing of his design. Iago had some suspicion of Cassio with his "night-cap," and entertained an earnest desire "to get his place," but the Lieutenant laboured under no very considerable portion of the Ancient's hatred. Yet, as a fit agent for his purposes, Iago used him, and, when his ruin appeared necessary to the furtherance of his views, he paused not a moment to effect it. In a familiar interview, he prevails over the "thrice gentle Cassio" to transgress the bounds of his accustomed abstemiousness; and aided by that "poor trash of Venice," Roderigo, a quarrel and disturbance are created, an alarm spread through the town, and the intoxicated Cassio exposed on "the court of guard" to the observation of his General. Varying very immaterially from the truth, Iago's feigned reluctant narration of the occurrences of the night is so peculiarly constructed as to imply deep criminality in Cassio: -successfully imitating the affectionate solicitude of a friend, he recognises throughout the existence of an offence justly meriting disgrace. Cassio is displaced from his lieutenancy. In the novel, it will be remembered, the Captain's degradation arises from an indiscretion with which the Lieutenant is in no way connected. The influence which Desdemona possessed over Othello was an obvious means of effecting the restoration of Cassio, and hence lago counselled his friend to sue to the General's wife, knowing that her solicitations could be easily made subservient to his designs. In the novel, the amiable interference of the lady is entirely uninfluenced by the Lieutenant, who, unlike Iago, entertains no idea of converting her disinterested benevolence into a means of effecting her ruin till the Moor himself remarks the earnestness of Desdemona's entreaties in the captain's favour. In the scene where Othello, goaded almost to madness, seizes Iago by the throat, and threatens him with destruction*, Shakspeare is indebted to Cinthio both for Iago's judicious reply to his violence, and Othello's singular demand for ocular demonstration of Desdemona's guilt; but Shakspeare cannot be too highly praised for the master-stroke by which Iago makes his victim recoil from what he so eagerly sought, as too Act III. sc. 3. horrid for his contemplation*, and Othello is thus satisfactorily subdued to the reception of evidence of inferior weight, "imputation and strong circumstance," the only testimony that Iago could by any possibility adduce. In the novel, the Lieutenant relates that the Captain had boasted of the favours he received from Desdemona. The narration of Cassio's dream is far more artfully imagined. Shakspeare has shown great judgment in the use of the incident of the handkerchief at the critical period when something resembling distinct and positive proof of Desdemona's guilt was wanting to complete the impression already made, and nothing could touch more closely on the point than the allegation, that her paramour's "amorous works" had been gratified "with that recognizance and pledge of love" first given her by her husband: "With such a handkerchief," says Iago, "did I to day see Cassio wipe his beard;" an exquisite piece of cunning, as the proof of Cassio's possession of the handkerchief was easy, and involved in it no danger of the detection of his villainy. The most feebly executed scene in the play is *"You would be satisfied? But how? How satisfied?" &c. Act III. sc. 3. that in which Othello is placed in such a situation as to overhear a dialogue between Cassio and Iago, relative to the courtezan Biancha, so managed by Iago as to convince Othello that Desdemona was the subject of their conversation. The novel would here have been deserted with advantage. Shakspeare's solicitude to display the masterly ingenuity of Iago must frequently press itself upon the notice of the reader, and there is still further occasion to remark the care of the poet to furnish the villain with extensive and diversified occasions for the exhibition of his talents. It was with these views that Shakspeare introduced, entirely from his own resources, that " silly gentleman" Roderigo. Scarcely, it has been seen, had the Moor become united to Desdemona when the fertile brain of Iago sketched a rude outline of his meditated proceedings. Alive to the advantage of every auxiliary, he availed himself of a passion for Desdemona, which this "trash of Venice" dignified by the name of love, to inveigle him to Cyprus. Adapting his manners and conversation to the capacity of the coxcomb, Iago moulds him completely to his purpose: from the fortunes of Roderigo his pecuniary necessities are supplied, he had his "purse as if the strings were his," and he |