Othello and Otello: The Operatic Adaptation of Shakespeare's Tragedy katherine robinson College

Othello and Otello The act of adapting a work of art into a new medium is not simply revision of the original but is a creation of a new work of art. Giuseppe Verdi is one of the most famous Italian Opera composers of all time, and William Shakespeare one of the most famous poets. Many of Shakespeare’s works have been adapted to opera. Without declaring one piece of art more substantial or valuable than the other, Giuseppe Verdi’s Otello expresses the emotion and effectively conveys the themes of the story differently than Shakespeare’s original Othello. While Arrigo Boito remained faithful to Shakespeare’s original work in his libretto, it is ultimately a new, remarkable piece of art. Shakespeare’s Othello is believed to have been written in 1603. Othello is a tragedy that holds enduring themes of love, racism, jealousy, and revenge. It is based on the story Un Capitano Moro by Cinthio which was written in 1565. It is one of Shakespeare’s most well-known plays and it is taught, performed, and adapted for popular culture worldwide to this day.

In 1884 Giuseppe Verdi began adapting Shakespeare’s Othello into an opera with a libretto written by Arrigo Boito. Giuseppe Verdi was known to be a great fan of Shakespeare, and composed...