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The characters which make a chief figure in the tragedy of Othello, are the Moor himself, Desdemona, and Iago. The subject is, the destruction of Desdemona; and this catastrophe the author never loses sight of. It is indeed remarkable for unity of action, which of all the three unities is of principal consequence. Unity of time and place peculiar to this species of composition, arises from the nature of dramatic representation, the action being supposed to be in view of spectators for a moderate space of time. But a strict attention to the unities of time and place has never been completely attained by any writer. When an action is to be represented, of such importance as to awaken, keep alive, and at last gratify curiosity, it must necessarily give rise to many incidents; and in these incidents, if consistent with nature and probability, in different places and with different intervals, much time is spent, and much is done behind the curtain, which cannot be brought in review such liberties never offend the reader, and seldom the spectator; and when a certain degree of liberty is thought proper, the writer may go a considerable length without offending our sense of propriety; and we partly consider it as dramatic narration. To be scrupulously attentive to the unities of time and place, confines the genius of the writer, makes the work barren of incidents, and consequently less interesting: much must be forced and improbable, and the internal merit and beauty of the story must be sacrificed to the external and artificial nature of representation.

Those who contend for a strict resemblance of the artificial action to the story, require what can never take place the scene is often changed on the same spot, and it matters very little whether from one room of the palace to another, or from London to York, as both are equally impossible; and the same may be said of supposing five minutes, when we well know it is really five hours; it may, without much greater improbability, be protracted to five weeks. A natural train of incidents can scarcely be expected from a story accommodated to the strict rules of the stage. They must be dull, few, and uniform, because they are all in some measure within view, and comprehended at first sight; and in place of incident, there must be spun out long harangues of common-place morality. Few or none but those who are critically conversant with controversies of this kind, observe infringements of time and place; but all are offended with a want of probability in the management of the plot. I have made these observations, as Shakspeare is more remarkable for adhering to unity of action than to the other two: the one is the offspring of genius alone, the other of art.a

W. N.

d These observations on the unities of time and place are correctly and powerfully given; and when added to the remarks which have been previously quoted in a former note from Dr. Gregory, cannot but convince the reader how judiciously, and with what happy effect, Shakspeare has liberated himself from an arbitrary and overwhelming yoke.

e Anderson's Bee, Vol. 1, p. 56, et seq.

No. VII.

CRITICAL REMARKS ON OTHELLO CONTINUED.

SHAKSPEARE has adorned the hero of this tragedy with every virtue that can render human nature great and amiable, and he has brought him into such trying situations as give full proof of both. His love for Desdemona is of the most refined and exalted kind; and his behaviour, upon the supposition of his false return, is an indication of his great spirit, and such as might be expected from his keen sense of honour and warlike character: though naturally susceptible of the tenderest passions, yet being engaged from his early youth in scenes that required the exercise of those of a higher nature, he has not learned

Those soft parts of conversation

That chamberers have.

Rude (says he) am I in speech,

And little bless'd with the set phrase of peace.

His manners have nothing of that studied courtesy which is the consequence of polite conversation, a tincture of which is delicately spread over the behaviour of Ludovico and Gratiano; but all is the natural effusion of gentleness and magnanimity. His generous and soaring mind, always occupied with ideas natural to itself, could not

brook, according to his own expression, the qualities of human dealings, the a interest, and the meanness of servile To a man constituted' like Iago hi affected interest which he takes in the his master, profound as it, was, must very suspicious; but to Othello it is th exceeding honesty! His enlarged affec used to diffuse happiness in a wide ci pained with misery, and displeased wit if within his view; but he did not co small proportion of mankind that was i similar sentiments, and therefore the

Iago was in his eyes unbounded generos

With so much nature and dignity always act, that, even when distorted passions, he appears amiable.

A

EMIL. I would you had never seen him.
DESD. So would not I; my love doth so a
That even his stubborness, his checks,
Have grace and favour in them.

A character of this kind command and in his actions we naturally interes

Iago, who is the prime mover of th this tragedy, is a character of no simpl possesses uncommon sagacity in judg actions of men good and bad; he d merit of Cassio to lie more in the the the practice of war. Roderigo he cor completely; the amiable nature of De

was not ignorant of; he often praises the free and noble nature of Othello; the beauty of Cassio's life he felt with much regret; and he is sensible of the intrinsic value of virtue, as well as its estimation among men; he knew well that, without virtue, no solid or lasting reputation could be acquired; and without doubt he understood the force of Cassio's feeling reflections on this subject, though he makes an appearance of despising them. Iago, it must be observed, artfully assumes the character rather of strong than of high and refined benevolence: in the second scene of the first act he says,

With the little godliness I have,

I did full hard forbear him.

-a character which he knew would be more easily supported, which would render him less liable of being supposed acting from pride, and consequently create no envy. Content for the present with the humble appellation of honest creature, he found sufficient amends in the prospect of being recompensed with double interest in the accomplishment of his plans.

In his first interview with Othello, Iago begins his deep schemes very successfully, by labouring, with bold and masterly cunning, to impress him with a strong sense of his fidelity and attachment to his interests; he represents himself as sustaining a difficult conflict between two of the best principles, regard to his master, and a fear of seeming to act with a malicious cruelty. He speaks like a

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