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The Sources of Verdi’s Otello

Most likely written in 1603-04, Othello is one of Shakespeare’s five great tragedies, together with Julius Caesar, Hamlet, King Lear, and Macbeth. For the plot, Shakespeare drew from an earlier story by Giovanni Battista Giraldi, known as Cinzio, an Italian humanist and writer whose Gli Ecatommiti of 1565 included a tale of the “Moor of Venice” who kills his wife after being incited to jealousy by a duplicitous ensign. Shakespeare likely read Cinzio in the original Italian and found additional inspiration among his other stories: the Ecatommiti also provided the source for Shakespeare’s comedy Measure for Measure, written around the same time. 

Otello (1887) was the composer Giuseppe Verdi’s second Shakespeare adaptation, following his early masterpiece Macbeth (first performed in 1847 and extensively revised two decades later). Verdi was a devoted student of Shakespeare, and although he only knew his works in Italian translation, his enthusiasm for them was such that the prospect of composing an opera on Othello succeeded in luring him out of retirement. Together with his librettist Arrigo Boito, Verdi condensed and streamlined the original play so that all the action takes place on the island of Cyprus over the course of just a few days.

1.) How does Iago reveal his character to us in Shakespeare? In Verdi?

2.) What is the role of Verdi’s music in communicating Iago’s true nature?

Iago: A Villain in Shakespeare and Verdi

Begin the class by noting that the works of William Shakespeare have provided a rich trove of material for many opera composers and librettists. Verdi’s Otello is an adaptation of Shakespeare’s Othello, which itself is an expansion and dramatization of an Italian story from the mid-16th century. By comparing Shakespeare’s and Verdi’s versions of the character if Iago, students will gain insight into the nuances unique to different modes of storytelling. 

Distribute the Student Handout, taken from an excerpt of the Met’s full-length Educator Guide for Verdi’s opera. Explain that the first page contains one of Iago’s speeches from Shakespeare’s Othello. Give students five minutes to read over Iago’s soliloquy and to review the vocabulary definitions where applicable, then lead the students in a discussion of the text’s interpretation. Ask students: 

• What do we learn about Iago in this speech?

• How do we learn it? Can you describe Iago’s style of communication? 

• What have we learned about this character? What does Iago think of his supposed ally Roderigo? Does he give a reason for his hatred of Othello?

Guide students to understand that a soliloquy provides the opportunity to see how the character’s mind works—by concrete demonstration rather than mere assertion. In this example, as is often the case in Shakespeare, the soliloquy is an opportunity for characters to communicate their true feelings when they are operating under a campaign of pretense. In Iago’s soliloquy, we learn about his character from his own mouth and glimpse his mind in action.

Next, turn to the following page of the handout, which includes the text to Iago’s central aria from Verdi’s opera. Let students know that this speech has no direct parallel in Shakespeare’s play; Boito and Verdi created it from scratch rather than drawing it from their source. Ask for a volunteer to read the English translation of the aria’s text from the handout. Then lead a discussion about what the text conveys. Invite students to summarize what we learn about Iago in this piece. Guiding questions may include:

• How does this text compare to the treatments of Iago from Shakespeare? Do we learn anything new here?

• Does Iago give a reason for his hatred of Otello, or does he rather seem to prefer evil for evil’s sake?

• Compare the way the Credo conveys information about Iago with Shakespeare’s soliloquy. How does Boito’s libretto express this information? You may wish to encourage students to consider the terminology discussed earlier (omniscient narrator, third-person perspective, soliloquy)? Do any of these terms apply?

Next, remind students that in opera, the meaning of the text is amplified and expanded by the musical setting. Play the video for this exercise for students, letting them know that the text will appear on the screen.

Afterwards, invite students to comment on their initial impressions of the musical atmosphere, asking: 

• How does this music make you feel? Peaceful? On edge? 

• How would you describe the singer’s voice? High? Low? Full? Tender? Strong?

• What does that sound convey about the character? What kind of person would you expect this character to be like based on the sound of his voice alone?

Play the excerpt again, now having students pay special attention to the words they perceive as receiving a particular musical emphasis. They may find it helpful to underline portions of the text on the handout and to make notes in the margins with their impressions. In this discussion, it is not necessary to have a specialized musical vocabulary. Rather, students can call attention to more general shifts such as between loud and soft, fast and slow, pauses in the vocal line, and other kinds of emphasis.

After this second listening, lead a discussion about what students noticed. What did the musical setting add to their understanding of Iago as a character? Which textual sections are emphasized by the musical setting? You may ask students to call out the words or phrases they underlined on their handouts. Write these words on the whiteboard or chalkboard and invite students to comment on how these particular words demonstrate something about Iago’s character. Finally, ask students to summarize their impression of Iago in Verdi and Boito’s opera. How is Verdi’s Iago different from Shakespeare’s? Can students summarize how Verdi’s musical setting creates that changed impression?