Roderigo
Encyclopedia
Roderigo is a fictional character in Shakespeare
's Othello
(c.1601-1604). He is a dissolute Venetian
lusting after Othello
's wife Desdemona
. Roderigo has opened his purse to Iago
in the mistaken belief that Iago is using his money to pave the way to Desdemona's bed. When the assassination of Michael Cassio
runs amiss, Iago fatally wounds Roderigo.
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.
translation of Cinthio was available in print during Shakespeare's lifetime, it is possible the dramatist knew the Italian
original, Gabriel Chappuy's 1584 French
translation, or an English translation in manuscript. Cinthio's tale may have been based on an actual incident occurring in Venice about 1508.
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.
, with the rationale being all four roles would have been played by an actor in Shakespeare's company specializing in foppish characters.
Robert Coote
played Roderigo in Orson Welles
' 1952 film
. The production was filmed over a three-year period and was hampered by its 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.
Other film interpreters of the 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 (film)
, the Bollywood version of Othello, Roderigo nee Rajan ’Rajju’ Tiwari was played by Deepak Dobriyal
.
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
's Othello
Othello
The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in approximately 1603, and based on the Italian short story "Un Capitano Moro" by Cinthio, a disciple of Boccaccio, first published in 1565...
(c.1601-1604). He is a dissolute Venetian
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
lusting after Othello
Othello (character)
Othello is a character in Shakespeare's Othello . The character's origin is traced to the tale, "Un Capitano Moro" in Gli Hecatommithi by Giovanni Battista Giraldi Cinthio. There, he is simply referred to as the Moor....
's wife Desdemona
Desdemona (Othello)
Desdemona is a character in William Shakespeare's play Othello . Shakespeare's Desdemona is a Venetian beauty who enrages and disappoints her father, a Venetian senator, when she elopes with Othello, a man several years her senior. When her husband is deployed to Cyprus in the service of the...
. Roderigo has opened his purse to Iago
Iago
Iago is a fictional character in Shakespeare's Othello . The character's source is traced to Giovanni Battista Giraldi Cinthio's tale "Un Capitano Moro" in Gli Hecatommithi . There, the character is simply "the ensign". Iago is a soldier and Othello's ancient . He is the husband of Emilia,...
in the mistaken belief that Iago is using his money to pave the way to Desdemona's bed. When the assassination of Michael Cassio
Michael Cassio
Michael Cassio, or simply Cassio, is a fictional character in William Shakespeare's Othello. The source of the character is the 1565 tale "Un Capitano Moro" by Cinthio; Cassio is unnamed in Cinthio but referred to as "the squadron leader." In the play, Cassio is a young and handsome lieutenant...
runs amiss, Iago fatally wounds Roderigo.
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.
Source
Othello has its source in the 1565 tale, "Un Capitano Moro" from Gli Hecatommithi by Giovanni Battista Giraldi Cinthio. While no EnglishEnglish language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
translation of Cinthio was available in print during Shakespeare's lifetime, it is possible the dramatist knew the Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
original, Gabriel Chappuy's 1584 French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
translation, or an English translation in manuscript. Cinthio's tale may have been based on an actual incident occurring in Venice about 1508.
Role in Othello
Roderigo makes his first appearance in Act One, Scene One when, as Iago's confederate, he rouses BrabantioBrabantio
Brabantio is a character in William Shakespeare's Othello . He is a Venetian senator and the father of Desdemona. He has entertained Othello is his home countless times before the play opens, thus giving Othello and Desdemona opportunity to fall in love...
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
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
, 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
Coup de grâce
The expression coup de grâce means a death blow intended to end the suffering of a wounded creature. The phrase can refer to the killing of civilians or soldiers, friends or enemies, with or without the consent of the sufferer...
. 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.
Performances
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 GuildensternRosencrantz and Guildenstern
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are characters in William Shakespeare's tragedy Hamlet. They are courtiers who are set by the king to spy on Hamlet, using their claimed friendship with him to gain his confidence. The characters were revived in W. S...
, with the rationale being all four roles would have been played by an actor in Shakespeare's company specializing in foppish characters.
Robert Coote
Robert Coote
Robert Coote was an English actor. He played aristocrats or British military types in many films, and created the role of Colonel Hugh Pickering in the long-running original Broadway production of My Fair Lady.-Biography:Coote was educated at Hurstpierpoint College in Sussex...
played Roderigo in Orson Welles
Orson Welles
George Orson Welles , best known as Orson Welles, was an American film director, actor, theatre director, screenwriter, and producer, who worked extensively in film, theatre, television and radio...
' 1952 film
Othello (1952 film)
Othello is a 1952 drama film based on the Shakespearean play, made by Mercury Productions Inc. and Les Films Marceau and distributed by United Artists . It was directed and produced by Orson Welles, who also played the title role . The screenplay was adapted by Welles and an uncredited Jean Sacha...
. The production was filmed over a three-year period and was hampered by its Italian
Italian people
The Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...
backer declaring bankruptcy
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
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.
Other film interpreters of the role include Ferdinand von Alten in the 1922 silent version starring Emil Jannings
Emil Jannings
Emil Jannings was a German actor. He was not only the first actor to win the Academy Award for Best Actor, but also the first person to be presented an Oscar...
, Robert Lang
Robert Lang (actor)
Robert Lang was an English actor of stage and television. Laurence Olivier invited him to join the new National Theatre Company, at the Old Vic, Robert Lang was already earning high praise as an actor. From 1971 until his death he was married to Ann Bell, best known for her portrayal of Marion...
in the 1965 version
Othello (1965 film)
Othello is a 1965 film based on the National Theatre's staging of Shakespeare's Othello staged by John Dexter. Directed by Stuart Burge, the film starred Laurence Olivier, Maggie Smith, Frank Finlay, and Joyce Redman, providing film debuts for both Derek Jacobi and Michael...
starring Laurence Olivier
Laurence Olivier
Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier, OM was an English actor, director, and producer. He was one of the most famous and revered actors of the 20th century. He married three times, to fellow actors Jill Esmond, Vivien Leigh, and Joan Plowright...
, and Michael Maloney
Michael Maloney
Michael Maloney is an English actor.Born in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, Maloney's first television appearance was as Peter Barkworth's teenage son in the 1979 drama series, Telford's Change....
in the film version
Othello (1995 film)
Othello is a 1995 film based on William Shakespeare's tragedy of the same name. It was directed by Oliver Parker and stars Laurence Fishburne as Othello, Irène Jacob as Desdemona, and Kenneth Branagh as Iago...
with Laurence Fishburne
Laurence Fishburne
Laurence John Fishburne III is an American film and stage actor, playwright, director, and producer. He is perhaps best known for his roles as Morpheus in the Matrix science fiction film trilogy, as Cowboy Curtis on the 1980's television show Pee-wee's Playhouse, and as singer-musician Ike Turner...
.
In 2006, Omkara (film)
Omkara (film)
Omkara is a 2006 Indian film adaptation of Shakespeare’s Othello, co-written and directed by Vishal Bhardwaj. It starred Ajay Devgan, Saif Ali Khan, and Kareena Kapoor in the lead roles, supported by Vivek Oberoi, Naseeruddin Shah, and Konkona Sen Sharma with a cameo role from Bipasha Basu...
, the Bollywood version of Othello, Roderigo nee Rajan ’Rajju’ Tiwari was played by Deepak Dobriyal
Deepak Dobriyal
Deepak Dobriyal is an Indian film and theatre actor.He worked in many films like Not a Love Story, Teen Thay Bhai, Gulaal, Delhi 6, Omkara, Maqbool, Daayen Ya Baayen, Shaurya, 1971, 13B, The Blue Umbrella, Tanu Weds Manu and Mumbai Cutting.-Ealy life and education:Deepak's parents belong to Kabra...
.
Additional reading
- 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.