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{{Short description|Character in Othello}} |
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{{Infobox |
{{Infobox character |
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| name = Roderigo |
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| series = [[Othello]] |
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| image = Othello - Iago and Roderigo by H. C. Selous.jpg |
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| creator = [[William Shakespeare]] |
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| caption = Wood engraving of Roderigo (right) speaking with Iago (left) in Act 1, Scene 3, by [[Henry Courtney Selous]] |
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| play = ''[[Othello]]'' |
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| creator = [[William Shakespeare]] |
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| based_on = |
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| role = Desdemona's degenerate admirer • Iago's dupe and murder victim |
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| quote = Tush, never tell me! |
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| see_also = |
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'''Roderigo''' is a fictional character in [[William Shakespeare|Shakespeare]]'s ''[[Othello]]'' |
'''Roderigo''' is a fictional character in [[William Shakespeare|Shakespeare]]'s 1604 play ''[[Othello]]''. Roderigo, a wealthy [[Venice|Venetian]], is manipulated into funding the [[antagonist]] [[Iago]]'s plot against [[Othello (character)|Othello]] in the hopeless belief that Iago will aid him in courting Othello's wife [[Desdemona (Othello)|Desdemona]]. In the later acts, Iago recruits Roderigo to assassinate Othello's former lieutenant [[Michael Cassio]], though he is killed by Iago when he fails in his attempt to do so. |
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Despite Shakespeare heavily basing ''Othello'' on [[Cinthio]]'s Italian language tale ''Un Capitano Moro'', Roderigo has no counterpart in the original text, unlike other characters, suggesting that Shakespeare created the character himself.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/edit/10.4324/9780203055656/othello-philip-kolin |chapter-url=https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9780203055656-5/words-performances-john-ford |chapter=“Words and Performances”: Roderigo and the Mixed Dramaturgy of Race and Gender in Othello |title=Othello: New Critical Essays |last=Ford |first=John R. |year=2013 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=9781136017902 |editor-last=Kolin |editor-first=Philip |doi=10.4324/9780203055656 |p=150 |quote=He's not even mentioned in Cinthio, Shakespeare's source. And while Shakespeare clearly felt a need to create this character, neither critics nor directors have much shared that urgency.}}</ref> |
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Shakespeare's source for ''Othello'' was the tale "Un Capitano Moro" by [[Cinthio]], and, while Shakespeare closely followed his source in composing ''Othello'', Roderigo has no counterpart in Cinthio. The character is completely Shakespeare's invention. |
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==Sources== |
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''Othello'' |
While Shakespeare based ''Othello'' on a number of sources, the play was primarily based on the 1565 tale ''The Story of a Moorish Captain'' in Italian by [[Cinthio]].<ref name="4trag">Shakespeare, William. ''Four Tragedies: Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, Macbeth''. Bantam Books, 1988.</ref> |
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==Role in ''Othello''== |
==Role in ''Othello''== |
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Roderigo is introduced in the play's opening in Act One, Scene One, where, alongside [[Iago]], he alerts [[Desdemona (Othello)|Desdemona]]'s father [[Brabantio]] that his daughter is eloping with [[Othello (character)|Othello]], a fact that Iago knows will cause him great annoyance. After breaking off from Iago, who hid in the earlier scene from Brabantio's sight, he joins Brabantio and his men in their journey to Sagittary in Act One, Scene Two, in hopes of finding Othello and Desdemona. |
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Roderigo makes his first appearance in Act One, Scene One when, as Iago's confederate, he rouses [[Brabantio]] with the news that Desdemona has eloped with Othello. In the following scene, he accompanies Brabantio to the Sagittary where the newlyweds are found. He is present in Act One Scene Three when the couple defend their union before the Duke. In Act Two Scene One, Roderigo disembarks to [[Cyprus]], and, two scenes later, provokes the brawl that results in Cassio's disgrace. Roderigo next appears in Act Four Scene Two where Iago lures him into a plot to murder Cassio. In Act Five Scene One, Roderigo fails to kill Cassio, and is himself wounded in the attempt. Iago discovers Roderigo and renders the [[coup de grâce]]. Finally realising how he has been deceived, Roderigo curses Iago before being stabbed and left for dead. But it is later revealed that he had written letters before his death to tell the truth about Iago's plot. |
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In Act Two, Roderigo joins Iago in his journey to [[Cyprus]], where the Venetians are expecting a Turk invasion, in hopes of being able to woo Desdemona. When the Turks drown in the ocean, Iago convinces Roderigo to invoke a brawl with Cassio, whom Iago has convinced to get drunk, leading to Cassio wounding the Cypriot governor Montano. Othello demotes Cassio as punishment, but Desdemona remains in love with Othello, which sends Roderigo into a suicidal despair. Iago manages to convince him to stick with their plan by promising that, if Roderigo "puts money in his purse", they will be able to destroy Othello, giving him the perfect chance to win Desdemona over. A heartened Roderigo promises to sell all of his lands. |
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Based on the fact that ''Othello'' was composed in near proximity chronologically to the composition of ''[[Twelfth Night]]'', modern interpreters of Roderigo sometimes play the role as a dimwitted fop in the manner of [[Andrew Aguecheek]] or [[Rosencrantz and Guildenstern]], with the rationale being all four roles would have been played by an actor in Shakespeare's company specializing in foppish characters.<ref name="Honingmann">Honingmann, E. A. J.. ''Othello.'' The Arden Shakespeare, 2002.</ref> |
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He does not appear again until Act Four, Scene Two where he is enrolled in Iago's plot to murder Cassio, a desire he has had since the start of the play. In Act Five, Scene One, Roderigo is wounded in his botched assassination attempt of Cassio: he becomes the first to realise Iago's true plans. He is then fatally stabbed by Iago, cursing him before his departure.<ref name="4trag" /> |
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[[Robert Coote]] played Roderigo in [[Orson Welles]]' [[Othello (1952 film)|1952 film]]. The production was filmed over a three-year period and was hampered by its [[Italian people|Italian]] backer declaring [[bankruptcy]] early on in the shoot. As a result, a lack of costumes forced Roderigo's murder to be staged in a [[Turkish bath]] with the performers garbed in large, ragged towels. |
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Modern renditions of the play generally portray Roderigo as a naive fool lusting for love, who falls victims to Iago's cunning eloquence<ref name="Honingmann">Honingmann, E. A. J.. ''Othello.'' The Arden Shakespeare, 2002.</ref> |
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[[Robert Coote]] played Roderigo in [[Orson Welles]]'s [[Othello (1952 film)|1952 film]]. Other actors playing his role include [[Ferdinand von Alten]] in the 1922 silent version starring [[Emil Jannings]], [[Robert Lang (actor)|Robert Lang]] in the [[Othello (1965 British film)|1965 version]] starring [[Laurence Olivier]], and [[Michael Maloney]] in the [[Othello (1995 film)|film version]] with [[Laurence Fishburne]]. |
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In 2006, ''[[Omkara (film)|Omkara]]'', the [[Bollywood]] version of ''Othello'', Roderigo née Rajan ’Rajju’ Tiwari was played by [[Deepak Dobriyal]]. |
In 2006, ''[[Omkara (2006 film)|Omkara]]'', the [[Bollywood]] version of ''Othello'', Roderigo née Rajan ’Rajju’ Tiwari was played by [[Deepak Dobriyal]]. |
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==References== |
==References== |
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{{reflist}} |
{{reflist}} |
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==Further reading== |
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* MacLiammóir, Micheál. ''Put Money in Thy Purse: the Diary of the Film of Othello''. Methuen & Co., Ltd., London (1952); Virgin Books (1994), ISBN |
* MacLiammóir, Micheál. ''Put Money in Thy Purse: the Diary of the Film of Othello''. Methuen & Co., Ltd., London (1952); Virgin Books (1994), {{ISBN|0-86369-729-1}}. MacLiammóir's 1952 memoir about the filming of Orson Welles' ''Othello''. |
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==External links== |
==External links== |
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[[Category:Literary characters introduced in 1603]] |
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[[Category:Fictional Italian people in literature]] |
[[Category:Fictional Italian people in literature]] |
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[[Category:Male Shakespearean characters]] |
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[[Category:Othello]] |
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[[Category:Shakespeare villains]] |
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Latest revision as of 08:31, 28 November 2024
| Roderigo | |
|---|---|
| Othello character | |
 Wood engraving of Roderigo (right) speaking with Iago (left) in Act 1, Scene 3, by Henry Courtney Selous | |
| Created by | William Shakespeare |
| Portrayed by | Ferdinand von Alten (1922) Robert Coote, (1952) Robert Lang (1965) Michael Maloney (1995) Deepak Dobriyal (2006) |
Roderigo is a fictional character in Shakespeare's 1604 play Othello. Roderigo, a wealthy Venetian, is manipulated into funding the antagonist Iago's plot against Othello in the hopeless belief that Iago will aid him in courting Othello's wife Desdemona. In the later acts, Iago recruits Roderigo to assassinate Othello's former lieutenant Michael Cassio, though he is killed by Iago when he fails in his attempt to do so.
Despite Shakespeare heavily basing Othello on Cinthio's Italian language tale Un Capitano Moro, Roderigo has no counterpart in the original text, unlike other characters, suggesting that Shakespeare created the character himself.[1]
Sources
[edit]While Shakespeare based Othello on a number of sources, the play was primarily based on the 1565 tale The Story of a Moorish Captain in Italian by Cinthio.[2]
Role in Othello
[edit]Roderigo is introduced in the play's opening in Act One, Scene One, where, alongside Iago, he alerts Desdemona's father Brabantio that his daughter is eloping with Othello, a fact that Iago knows will cause him great annoyance. After breaking off from Iago, who hid in the earlier scene from Brabantio's sight, he joins Brabantio and his men in their journey to Sagittary in Act One, Scene Two, in hopes of finding Othello and Desdemona.
In Act Two, Roderigo joins Iago in his journey to Cyprus, where the Venetians are expecting a Turk invasion, in hopes of being able to woo Desdemona. When the Turks drown in the ocean, Iago convinces Roderigo to invoke a brawl with Cassio, whom Iago has convinced to get drunk, leading to Cassio wounding the Cypriot governor Montano. Othello demotes Cassio as punishment, but Desdemona remains in love with Othello, which sends Roderigo into a suicidal despair. Iago manages to convince him to stick with their plan by promising that, if Roderigo "puts money in his purse", they will be able to destroy Othello, giving him the perfect chance to win Desdemona over. A heartened Roderigo promises to sell all of his lands.
He does not appear again until Act Four, Scene Two where he is enrolled in Iago's plot to murder Cassio, a desire he has had since the start of the play. In Act Five, Scene One, Roderigo is wounded in his botched assassination attempt of Cassio: he becomes the first to realise Iago's true plans. He is then fatally stabbed by Iago, cursing him before his departure.[2]
Performances
[edit]Modern renditions of the play generally portray Roderigo as a naive fool lusting for love, who falls victims to Iago's cunning eloquence[3]
Robert Coote played Roderigo in Orson Welles's 1952 film. Other actors playing his role include Ferdinand von Alten in the 1922 silent version starring Emil Jannings, Robert Lang in the 1965 version starring Laurence Olivier, and Michael Maloney in the film version with Laurence Fishburne.
In 2006, Omkara, the Bollywood version of Othello, Roderigo née Rajan ’Rajju’ Tiwari was played by Deepak Dobriyal.
References
[edit]- ^ Ford, John R. (2013). ""Words and Performances": Roderigo and the Mixed Dramaturgy of Race and Gender in Othello". In Kolin, Philip (ed.). Othello: New Critical Essays. Routledge. p. 150. doi:10.4324/9780203055656. ISBN 9781136017902.
He's not even mentioned in Cinthio, Shakespeare's source. And while Shakespeare clearly felt a need to create this character, neither critics nor directors have much shared that urgency.
- ^ a b Shakespeare, William. Four Tragedies: Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, Macbeth. Bantam Books, 1988.
- ^ Honingmann, E. A. J.. Othello. The Arden Shakespeare, 2002.
Further reading
[edit]- MacLiammóir, Micheál. Put Money in Thy Purse: the Diary of the Film of Othello. Methuen & Co., Ltd., London (1952); Virgin Books (1994), ISBN 0-86369-729-1. MacLiammóir's 1952 memoir about the filming of Orson Welles' Othello.