"it and reworked hints in creating the character of Othello. While supplying the source of the plot, the book offered nothing of the sense of place of Venice or Cyprus. For knowledge of this, Shakespeare may have used Gasparo Contarini's ""The Commonwealth and Government of Venice"", in Lewes Lewkenor's 1599 translation. The earliest mention of the play is found in a 1604 Revels Office account, which records that on ""Hallamas Day, being the first of Nouembar ... the Kings Maiesties plaiers"" performed ""A Play in the Banketinghouse at Whit Hall Called The Moor of Venis."" The work is attributed to"
"Kingdom recovered Famagusta but by then it was too late and in any event, the Venetians had their own designs on the island. Venetian rule over Cyprus lasted for just over 80 years until 1571, when the Ottoman Empire under Sultan Selim II Sarkhosh invaded and captured the entire island. The battle for Cyprus between Venice and the Ottoman Empire was immortalized by William Shakespeare in his play Othello, most of which is set in the port city of Famagusta on the eastern shores of the island. After the Fourth Crusade, the territories of the Byzantine Empire were divided into"
"Shakespeare Festival, the play also marked that 500 years had passed since the Venetian Ghetto was instituted. The Merchant of Venice The Merchant of Venice is a 16th-century play written by William Shakespeare in which a merchant in Venice (Antonio) must default on a large loan provided by a Jewish moneylender, Shylock. It is believed to have been written between 1596 and 1599. Though classified as a comedy in the First Folio and sharing certain aspects with Shakespeare's other romantic comedies, the play is most remembered for its dramatic scenes, and it is best known for Shylock and the famous"
"The Merchant of Venice The Merchant of Venice is a 16th-century play written by William Shakespeare in which a merchant in Venice (Antonio) must default on a large loan provided by a Jewish moneylender, Shylock. It is believed to have been written between 1596 and 1599. Though classified as a comedy in the First Folio and sharing certain aspects with Shakespeare's other romantic comedies, the play is most remembered for its dramatic scenes, and it is best known for Shylock and the famous ""Hath not a Jew eyes?"" speech on humanity. Also notable is Portia's speech about ""the quality of"
"""et al."" in ""The Cambridge Companion to Greek Tragedy."" ""The Bacchae"" had an enormous impact on Roman literature. It seems to have been one of Horace's favorite tragedies. The play's influence, however, has extended far beyond the Romans; dramatists and filmmakers of all ages have been greatly impacted by it. The tragedy's influence can be seen in the writings of Henrik Ibsen, as well as Thomas Mann's 1912 novella ""Death in Venice"" and Oliver Stone's 2004 film ""Alexander"". The Bacchae The Bacchae (; , ""Bakchai""; also known as The Bacchantes ) is an ancient Greek tragedy, written by the Athenian"
"with the execution of Christians by damnatio ad bestias. Julius Caesar (play) The Tragedy of Julius Caesar (First Folio title: The Tragedie of Iulius Cæsar) is a history play and tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1599. It is one of several plays written by Shakespeare based on true events from Roman history, which also include ""Coriolanus"" and ""Antony and Cleopatra"". Although the play is named ""Julius Caesar"", Brutus speaks more than four times as many lines as the title character; and the central psychological drama of the play focuses on Brutus' struggle between the conflicting"
"Desdemona Desdemona () is a character in William Shakespeare's play ""Othello"" (c. 1601–1604). Shakespeare's Desdemona is a Venetian beauty who enrages and disappoints her father, a Venetian senator, when she elopes with Othello, a Moorish man several years her senior. When her husband is deployed to Cyprus in the service of the Republic of Venice, Desdemona accompanies him. There, her husband is manipulated by his ensign Iago into believing she is an adulteress, and, in the last act, she is murdered by her estranged spouse. The role has attracted notable actresses through the centuries and has the distinction of being"
"Julius Caesar (play) The Tragedy of Julius Caesar (First Folio title: The Tragedie of Iulius Cæsar) is a history play and tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1599. It is one of several plays written by Shakespeare based on true events from Roman history, which also include ""Coriolanus"" and ""Antony and Cleopatra"". Although the play is named ""Julius Caesar"", Brutus speaks more than four times as many lines as the title character; and the central psychological drama of the play focuses on Brutus' struggle between the conflicting demands of honour, patriotism, and friendship. ""Triumvirs after Caesar's"
"Antony and Cleopatra Antony and Cleopatra (First Folio title: The Tragedie of Anthonie, and Cleopatra) is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. The play was performed first circa 1607 at the Blackfriars Theatre or the Globe Theatre by the King's Men. Its first appearance in print was in the Folio of 1623. The plot is based on Thomas North's translation of Plutarch's ""Lives"" and follows the relationship between Cleopatra and Mark Antony from the time of the Sicilian revolt to Cleopatra's suicide during the Final War of the Roman Republic. The major antagonist is Octavius Caesar, one of Antony's fellow triumvirs"
"cannot maintain control over, and therefore must submit to. Antony and Cleopatra Antony and Cleopatra (First Folio title: The Tragedie of Anthonie, and Cleopatra) is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. The play was performed first circa 1607 at the Blackfriars Theatre or the Globe Theatre by the King's Men. Its first appearance in print was in the Folio of 1623. The plot is based on Thomas North's translation of Plutarch's ""Lives"" and follows the relationship between Cleopatra and Mark Antony from the time of the Sicilian revolt to Cleopatra's suicide during the Final War of the Roman Republic. The major"
"Phaedra (Seneca) Phaedra, is a Roman tragedy with Greek subject of c. 1280 lines of verse by philosopher and dramatist Lucius Annaeus Seneca, which tells the story of Phaedra, wife of King Theseus of Athens, and her consuming lust for her stepson, Hippolytus. Based on Greek Mythology and the tragedy ""Hippolytus"" by Greek playwright Euripides, Seneca's ""Phaedra"" is one of several artistic explorations of this tragic story. Seneca portrays the title character as knowing and direct in the pursuit of her stepson, while in other iterations of the myth she is more of a passive victim of fate. This Phaedra"
"may only be saved from death by true love. ""Tableau 3: In the realm of Tuonela"" Helka descends to hell and releases her son with a song. ""Tableau 4: In the mountains"" Medon and Anemotis find Chryseis and return to Cyprus and the grove of Aphrodite. ]] Prinsessan av Cypern (Larsson) Prinsessan av Cypern (""The Princess of Cyprus"") is an opera in four acts by Lars-Erik Larsson, with a Swedish libretto by Zacharias Topelius, first performed in Stockholm in 1937, but subsequently withdrawn by its composer. The libretto by Zacharias Topelius is based on elements of the Finnish national epic"
"face the death penalty. In Venice, Jews had to live in a ghetto protected by Christians which was probably for their own safety. The Jews were expected to pay their guards. Shakespeare's play reflected the anti-semitic tradition. The title page of the Quarto indicates that the play was sometimes known as ""The Jew of Venice"" in its day, which suggests that it was seen as similar to Marlowe's ""The Jew of Malta"". One interpretation of the play's structure is that Shakespeare meant to contrast the mercy of the main Christian characters with the vengeful Shylock, who lacks the religious grace"
"The Two Foscari (Byron) The Two Foscari: An Historical Tragedy (1821) is a verse play in five acts by Lord Byron. The plot, set in Venice in the mid 15th century, is loosely based on the true story of the downfall of doge Francesco Foscari and his son Jacopo. Byron's play formed the basis of Verdi's opera ""I due Foscari"". Jacopo Foscari, son of the Doge of Venice, has twice been exiled, once for corruption and once for complicity in the murder of Donato, a member of the Council of Ten. He has been recalled from his second exile to"
"times, and may be considered the first Italian tragedy identifiable as a Renaissance work. The earliest tragedies to employ purely classical themes are the ""Achilles"" written before 1390 by Antonio Loschi of Vicenza (c.1365–1441) and the ""Progne"" of the Venetian Gregorio Correr (1409–1464) which dates from 1428–29. In 1515 Gian Giorgio Trissino (1478–1550) of Vicenza wrote his tragedy ""Sophonisba"" in the vernacular that would later be called Italian. Drawn from Livy's account of Sophonisba, the Carthaginian princess who drank poison to avoid being taken by the Romans, it adheres closely to classical rules. It was soon followed by the ""Oreste"""
"review: Now, adds Wagner, 'let us see how Herr Saint-Georges has used this historical find for a five-act ""lyric"" drama'. In the Cornaro palace in Venice, Andrea is about to marry his daughter Catarina to Gérard. Mocenigo however announces the decision of the Council of Ten to marry her to the King of Cyprus; otherwise Andrea faces execution. He is given one hour to make up his mind. Andrea revokes his promise to Gérard, to the scandal of all present. Catarina's chamber in the Cornaro palace. Andrea asks Catarina to forgive him. No sooner has he left than, by a"
"Caterina Cornaro (opera) Caterina Cornaro ossia La Regina di Cipro (""Caterina Cornaro or The Queen of Cyprus"") is a ""tragedia lirica"", or opera, in a prologue and two acts by Gaetano Donizetti. Giacomo Sacchèro wrote the Italian libretto after Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges' libretto for Halévy's ""La reine de Chypre"" (1841). It is based on the life of Caterina Cornaro (1454 - 1510), Queen of Cyprus from 1474 to 1489. It premiered at the Teatro San Carlo, Naples on 12 January 1844. Following the success of ""Linda di Chamounix"", ""Caterina Cornaro"" was commissioned by Bartolomeo Merelli, impresario of the Kaertnerthortheater"
"at Florence, Italy. The second manuscript is the ""Codex Palantinus 287"", thought to be from the fourteenth or fifteenth century. It is kept in the Vatican Library. The meter is principally iambic trimeter, which it has in common with tragedy and comedy. Regarding the date of composition, it is thought that this play was written earlier than Euripides' ""Alcestis"", and after Aristophanes' play ""Acharnians"", which parodies the ""Cyclops"". The play is set in Sicily at Mount Aetna. It begins with an opening monologue by Silenus, who tells the tale of how he and his satyrs, who are his off-spring and"
"ruler of Cyprus to the Doge of Venice—and by extension the Venetian government as a whole—as she had no heir. The last Crusader state became a colony of Venice, and as compensation, Catherine was allowed to retain the title of Queen and was made Lady of Asolo, a county on the ""Terraferma"" of the Republic of Venice in the Veneto region, in 1489. Asolo soon gained a reputation as a court of literary and artistic distinction, mainly as a result of it being the fictitious setting for Pietro Bembo's platonic dialogues on love, ""Gli Asolani"". Caterina died in Venice in"
"can be established, sources have speculated on the involvement of other singers. There are several versions of the published libretto; the list of roles is taken from the publication by Gherardo & Iseppo Imberti, Venice 1622. The action is preceded by a brief prologue, delivered by Apollo. Venus and Cupid are then discovered, in conversation, on a desolate seashore. Venus informs Cupid that Duke Theseus of Athens, together with Ariadne, will soon be arriving on the island of Naxos on their way to Athens. They are fleeing from Crete, where the pair have been complicit in the slaying of Ariadne's"
"Death in Venice Death in Venice is a novella written by the German author Thomas Mann and was first published in 1912 as Der Tod in Venedig. The work presents a great writer suffering writer's block who visits Venice and is liberated, uplifted, and then increasingly obsessed, by the sight of a stunningly beautiful youth. Though he never speaks to the boy, much less touches him, the writer finds himself drawn deep into ruinous inward passion; meanwhile, Venice, and finally, the writer himself, succumb to a cholera plague. The novella is powerfully intertextual, with the chief sources being first the"
"The Gentleman of Venice The Gentleman of Venice is a Caroline era stage play, a tragicomedy written by James Shirley, and first published in 1655. The play was licensed for performance in London by Sir Henry Herbert, the Master of the Revels, on 30 October 1639. It was acted by Queen Henrietta's Men at the Cockpit Theatre in that year, though Shirley himself still seems to have been in Ireland at the time. It is possible, however, that the play was performed earlier at the Werburgh Street Theatre in Dublin, where Shirley worked as producer/director and house dramatist in the"
"unnatural lust brings about the creation of the monstrous bull that dismembers Hippolytus. Phaedra (Seneca) Phaedra, is a Roman tragedy with Greek subject of c. 1280 lines of verse by philosopher and dramatist Lucius Annaeus Seneca, which tells the story of Phaedra, wife of King Theseus of Athens, and her consuming lust for her stepson, Hippolytus. Based on Greek Mythology and the tragedy ""Hippolytus"" by Greek playwright Euripides, Seneca's ""Phaedra"" is one of several artistic explorations of this tragic story. Seneca portrays the title character as knowing and direct in the pursuit of her stepson, while in other iterations of"
"The opera is set in 15th-century Venice, at the house of Simone Trovai, military commander of the Venetian republic. On the night of the great Carnival, Simone in vain searches his house for his wife Violanta. Ever since her sister Nerina committed suicide (after having been seduced by Alfonso, the Prince of Naples), she has been bent on vengeance. Simone is about to leave for the Carnival with the painter Giovanni Bracca, when Violanta appears. After dismissing Bracca, she reveals to Simone that she has (anonymously) arranged a meeting with Alfonso in their house, where she wants her husband to"
"uses her magic powers to summon up demons from the underworld. She kills Creusa with a poisoned robe then stabs her own - and Jason's - children to death, before making her escape in a chariot pulled by flying dragons. In despair, Jason attempts suicide in vain. Medea in Corinto Medea in Corinto (""Medea in Corinth"") is an 1813 opera in Italian by the composer Simon Mayr. It takes the form of a ""melodramma tragico"" in two acts. The libretto, by Felice Romani, is based on the Greek myth of Medea and the plays on the theme by Euripides and"
"in insults to Desdemona) a letter from the Doge, announcing that he (Otello) has been called back to Venice and Cassio is to succeed him as governor of Cyprus. Enraged, Otello throws Desdemona to the ground. (Otello, Roderigo, Iago, Cassio, Lodovico: ""Messeri! il Doge mi richiama a Venezia"" / ""Gentlemen! The Doge recalls me to Venice"".) Desdemona, on the ground, laments (""A terra! … sì … nel livido fango"" / ""Fallen! yes, in the foul mud...""). The various characters express their feelings: Emilia and Lodovico express their sympathy for Desdemona, Cassio marvels at his sudden change of fortune, and Roderigo"
"Othello Othello (""The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice)"" is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1603. It is based on the story ""Un Capitano Moro"" (""A Moorish Captain"") by Cinthio, a disciple of Boccaccio, first published in 1565. The story revolves around its two central characters: Othello, a Moorish general in the Venetian army and his unfaithful ensign, Iago. Given its varied and enduring themes of racism, love, jealousy, betrayal, revenge and repentance, ""Othello"" is still often performed in professional and community theatre alike, and has been the source for numerous operatic, film,"
"""Bracebridge Hall"" (1822), on Davenport's drama. The play is set in the cities of northern Italy. Lorenzo is a kinsman of the Duke of Verona, where the play begins; his wife Abstemia is a sister of the Duke of Venice. Lorenzo has fallen victim to an irrational jealousy of his wife; he is convinced, beyond reason, that she is unfaithful to him. Lorenzo pressures his friend Philippo to make sexual advances to Abstemia, to test her chastity. Philippo reluctantly complies; Abstemia consistently rejects his advances. Trapped in an awkward position for a gentleman, Philippo informs Abstemia of the situation; thrown"
"Roman Tragedies Roman Tragedies (Dutch: ""Romeinse Tragedies"") is a 6-hour stage adaptation of William Shakespeare's plays ""Coriolanus"", ""Julius Caesar"", and ""Antony and Cleopatra"", created in 2007 by Toneelgroep Amsterdam, the theatre company of Amsterdam. As of November 2012, the company continues to perform it at venues across the world. Directed by Ivo van Hove, the production has been highly praised for its acting, its innovative set, and its use of multimedia. ""Roman Tragedies"" condenses three of Shakespeare's plays into a single 6-hour production. The actors speak Dutch; surtitles are used when touring the production. The surtitles do not present Shakespeare's"
"The Merchant of Venice (opera) The Merchant of Venice is an opera by André Tchaikowsky (1935–1982) to a libretto, based on the Shakespeare play, by John O'Brien. Written between 1968 and 1982, it was first performed in 2013 at the Bregenz Festival. The British premiere was presented by the Welsh National Opera in September 2016. Tchaikowsky, who was based in England after the 1950s, was a great admirer of Shakespeare, and was able to recite large stretches of his works from memory. His compositions include settings of seven of Shakespeare's ""Sonnets"", songs from ""The Tempest"", and incidental music for ""Hamlet""."
"panel above."" In Shakespeare's """"Merchant of Venice"","" considered to be one of the greatest romantic comedies of all time, the villain Shylock was a Jewish moneylender. By the end of the play he is mocked on the streets after his daughter elopes with a Christian. Shylock, then, compulsorily converts to Christianity as a part of a deal gone wrong. This has raised profound implications regarding Shakespeare and antisemitism. During the Middle Ages, the story of Jephonias, the Jew who tried to overturn Mary's funeral bier, changed from his converting to Christianity into his simply having his hands cut off by"
"Venice Preserv'd Venice Preserv'd is an English Restoration play written by Thomas Otway, and the most significant tragedy of the English stage in the 1680s. It was first staged in 1682, with Thomas Betterton as Jaffeir and Elizabeth Barry as Belvidera. The play was soon printed and enjoyed many revivals through to the 1830s. Jaffeir, a noble but impoverished Venetian, has secretly married Belvidera, the daughter of a proud senator named Priuli, who has cut off her inheritance. Jaffeir's friend Pierre, a foreign soldier, stokes Jaffeir's resentment and entices him into a plot against the Senate of Venice. Pierre's own"
"Roman plays ""Coriolanus"", ""Julius Caesar"", and ""Antony and Cleopatra"". Another tragedy ""King Lear"", is based on British legend, as is the romanc ""Cymbeline, King of Britain"", which is set in Ancient Britain. Other playwrights contemporary to Shakespeare, such as Christopher Marlowe, also dramatized historical topics. Marlowe wrote ""Edward the Second"" which deals with the deposition of King Edward II by his barons and the Queen, who resent the undue influence the king's favourites have in court and state affairs, and ""The Massacre at Paris"", which dramatizes the events of the Saint Bartholomew's Day Massacre in France in 1572. Marlowe's ""Tamburlaine"