I 10 0 I T H E A T E R A L A MU U E : ; H AK . E : ;l ' eAKe AN U T He K . I N U : ' VF UKA I V I A ~ TH O MA S RYM E R ~ From A S ho rt View of Tragedy I 69 3 Th om a s R y m e r 's A S ho r t V iew o f T rag e dy o f f er s a co n temp uous di s m i ss al o f O th e llo a n d t ypif i e s a f r e q u ent n eo c l ass i ca l react i o n t o S h a k espea r e ' s i n n o va ti o n s in t h e t r agi c m o d e . A lt h o u g h t h e n i ne t e ent h -ce nt ur y e ssay i s t T h o ma s B a b i n g t on M aca u l ay r e f e rr e d t o R y m e r as th e wo r s t c r i ti c that e v e r l i ve d , h i s n a r row view s o f Oth e llo ha ve o ft e n b e e n r e p e a t ed , i f mo r ed e l i c a t e l y, i n m o d e r n c ri t i c i s m of t he pl ay . THE FA B L E Ot h e l lo, a bl a c k a m oor c a pt a i n , by t a l kin g o f h i s p r o wess a n d f e a t s o f wa r , m ake s De s demo a , a sena t o r's d a u g h t e r , t o b e in love w i t hh i m , an d t o b e mar ri ed t o hi m w ith ou t h e r p a r e n t s' k n o w le d g e. A nd h av in g prefe r r e d C ass i o t o b e h i s l ie ut e n a nt ( a p l ac e w h i c h h i s e n s i gn, I ago , s ued for ) , I a go in re ve n ge wo rk s t h e M oo r in t o a j e a l ou sy t h a tC ass i o c u ckol d s hi m, w h i c h he e f f e c t s b y s t e a l in g a n d co n v e y i g a c e rt a i n h a n d ker chi e f w hich h a d, a t t h e we d din g , bee n b y the Mo o rp res en t ed to h is brid e . H er eup on, Oth e l lo a nd Ia go p lo t t he d e a t hs o f D e s d e mon a a n d C ass i o; Oth e ll o m urd e r s he r , and so o n a f t er i s c o n - v in c e d o f h e r inno c e nc e . And a s h e i s abo u t to b ec a r r i e dt o p r i so n, in o r d e r t o b e p u n i s h e d f o r t he m u rd e r , h e k i l l s him se l f. W h a t e v e r ru b s o r d if f i c u l ty m ay s t i c k o n t h e ba r k, t h e m o r a l , su r e , of thi s fab l e i s ve r y in s t ru c t i v e . r . F i r st, th i s m ay be a ca u t io n t o a ll m a id e n s o f q u a li t y h o w , w i t h o u t t hei r p are n t s ' con s e nt, th ey r u n aw ay w ith b l a c kam oo r s . . .. S eco ndl y , t hi s m ay b e a w arnin g t o a l l goo d wi v e s , th a t th ey l oo k w e ll t o th e ir l ine n . T h ird l y, th i s may b e a le ss on t o h u s b a nd s , that b e f o r e th e i r j ea l o u s y b e t ra g - i ca l , t e p r o of s' may b e m a th em ati ca l . ~~~l - ~d r: /Ju ~<re' ~ , ; , ~ ~ ~ . . :;~ ~ t . r ] • ( ' j : • £ 1- . /l1~ n r ~ . 2 0 I . ~ ~j~/ , % I l ; ~ CHAPT E R 4 erf o rman c es l ayh o use s a nd lay e rs o K - Going to a P la y ,C i r c a 1 5 9 5 L e t u s i m a g i n e ou r s e lve s t r a nsp ort e d b a c k t o t h e L on don o f Qp ee n Eli z a - be t h , w h e r e we ar e a tt end i n g th e f ir s t pe rfo r ma nc e o f R o me o a nd J uli e t . Th e da te i s s om e ti m e i n I5 9 5 o r I5 96 , p robabl y in the a u t u mn o r su m mer , jus t b efo r e t wo o' c l o ck i n t h e af t e r n oo n. We a r e s e a t ed on b e n ches i n a ga ll ery o f t h e T he a t r e , o n e o f th e f i rs t p e r man e nt s tru c ture s bu i l t f o r d ra m a in E n g l a nd; c o n s t r u ct e d in I 57 6 b y J am es Burb age , i t i s l ocate d ju st n o r t h of t h e w a ll s o f t h e C i t y of L o n d o n in a d i s t ri c t ca l l e d S h o r e di t ch . Th e C u r a i n , a n o th e r public t he a e r th a t sta n ds n ea rb y, w as b u i lt a y ea r l a t er . W e a r e no t a t t e ndin g the G l o b e b e ca u s e i t h as n o t ye t b ee n b uilt . (A l l of t he se pl ay h o u s e s a r e indic a t e d o n t h e map p r i n t e d on p. 12 7 - ) T o d ay' s p l ay was w r it t e n b y Wi l l i a m Sh a ke - sp eare, a p o e t (a s d r am a ti s t s ar e known ) w h o h as m a d e h i s n a m e w i t h a se r ie s o f c om e d ies ( T he C om e dy of E rror s and L ove 's L ab o r 's L os t b ei n g two of hi ss u c - ce s se s) and h i s t ory p l a ys b ase d on t h e W ar s of t h e R os es . T h e co mp a n y pr e p a r i n g t o pe rf orm, re s ide n t a th e Th ea t re, i s k n ow n a s t h e L o r d C h a mb e r- l a in 's e n , a g ro u p of p l a y er s wh o lef t other co mp a n i e s i n 1 59 4 t o jo in u n de r th e pa trona ge o fH en r y C are y , Lord Hu n s don , and h as r ap i d l y b ec o m e th e m os t su cc e ssf u l troup e i n En gl a nd. W i l l i a m Sh ake s p e a r e i s a p e r a n e n t m e m b e r of thi s comp a n y , a s h are h o l der, a s i s it s l ea d i n g ac t o r , Ri c h a r d B ur ba ge, so n of t h e car p e nt e r - e nt re p rene ur w h o b ui l t t he T h ea t r e. M u sicia n s a r e wa r m i n g up , ac t o r s a r e ru s h i ng ro u n d i n th e tiring-hou s e ( atti ri n g h o u se , o r dr e ss i n g r oo m ) be h i n d t he s t a g e , r e fr es h ment s a r e be i ng s o l d i n t h e p l a y ho u se b yv e nd o r s w h o mo ve a mo n g t h e c rowd, a n d s p e cta t o r s - hav i n g pai d t h e i r ad m is s i o n i n c a s h to ga th e r ers, t h e e arl y moder n e q ui vale nt of t i c k e t ta k e r s or u s h e r s - a r e
