AP+2013+P2+Cinthio’s+tale_+Un+Capitano+Moro

Dallas: Historical Giovanni Battista Giraldi or otherwise known as Cinthio wrote Un Capitano Moro an Italian tragedy. Shakespeare’s Othello was based on Cinthio’s tale. In this tale, there was a women figure that was pretty dominant to both Un Capitano Moro and Othello. In the Society of Women, “The roles of women change unpredictably as the story of Othello takes shape between the Renaissance and the late nineteenth century” (Levenson). Within these changes of society of “women” were troubled when marrying foreign men. This was based on a true story with Cinthio. That “women” were a huge major impact on Cinthio’s life that is shown within his story of Un Capitano Moro. As both plays have this “women” figure they show the similarities and differences that Cinthio and Shakespeare display upon “women”. As stated in the website, Shakespeare’s Othello is thought to be an adaptation of the Italian writer Cinthio’s Un Capitano Moro. The plot line is very similar in the play, however Cinthio’s "Iago" has a slightly different motivation: he is in love with "Desdemona" and seeks revenge when his love is unrequited (Folger Shakespeare Library). From this explanation it shows that Shakespeare makes this play to a different level within the time century to display women a bit differently than Cinthio. Cinthio’s tale was based on "revenge" of women due to his personal experiences. The character plot is set up differently to give a different affect upon Iago and Desdemona. From these changes Shakespeare explains the "motivation" displays the historical impact on both authors. Without Cinthio’s tale Shakespeare would not be the same and the tragedy tale could not be impacted on women and society.

Works Cited: Levenson, Jill L. “The Society of Women in the History of Othello from Shakespeare to Verdi”. University of Toronto Quarterly. Vol. 81  Issue 4. Pg. 850-859. 2012. Web. 11 February 2013. “What Motivates Deception?”. FolgerShakespeareLibrary. Web. 11 February 2013.

Ashley: Audience  Shakespeare's story of //Othello// was originally taken from Cinthio's story //Un Capitano Moro.// Cinthio's targeted audience would be those who feelings are taken over by love. In the story the character of Ensign lusts over the character of Disdemona who is in love with Moor: "Now the wicked Ensign, regardless of the faith that he had pledged his wife, no less than of friendship, fidelity and obligation which he owed the Moor, fell passionately in love with Disdemona, and bent all his thoughts to achieve his conquest; yet he dared not to declare his passion openly, fearing that, should the Moor perceive it, he would at once kill him" (Taylor 8). The story has great "passion" between the two lovers Disdemona and Moor as well as with Ensign wanting Disdemona for himself. Cinthio wanted to show how love and romance can turn easily in lust and jealousy. It was very common for Cinthio to target an lustful audience since most of his works were similar in that way. " Among his minor works there is a disquisition on the methods to be observed in the composition of epic, romance, drama, etc." (Ford 5). In //Un Capitano Moro// there is plenty of "romance" and "drama" and the same translated into Shakespeare's //Othello//. Both stories show the power behind romance and speak to those who let love blind them because both end in tragedy teaching people the danger behind lust and jealousy.

Works Cited: Ford, Jeremiah. "Giovanni Battista Giraldi." __The Catholic Encyclopedia.__ Vol. 6. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1909. 11 Feb. 2013 Taylor, J. E. "Othello Navigator: Cinthio's Tale." //Shakespeare Navigators//. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Feb. 2013.

Jishian: Aim

The purpose of Cinthio’s tale, //Un Capitano Moro// was to indicate the thematic influence of jealousy upon human lives while also inspiring Shakespeare to write //Othello//. Philip Weller defines, “ Thus did Heaven avenge the innocence of Disdemona; and all these events were narrated by the Ensign's wife, who was privy to the whole, after his death, as I have told them here” (“Cinthio’s Tale: The Source of Shakespeare’s Othello”). In this translation of the original tale, the purpose of the tale clearly indicates that justice always awaits the corruptive cycles induced by jealousy. By “aveng”-ing the crime against Disdemona’s purty, Cinthio attempts to pass on the virtue of prudence against jealous and corrupted passion. He achieves this purpose as seen in Shakespeare’s adaptation of the tale in //Othello//. Philip Weller states, “Shakespeare’s primary source was a story in Giraldi Cinthio’s //Hecatommithi//, published in 1565” (“Cinthio’s Tale: The Source of Shakespeare’s Othello”). Cinthio successfully imbues the future generations with the moral of the tale because Shakespeare adapts the tale to his generation. By inspiring Shakespeare to produce a play that depicted the reality in the cyclic cycles caused by rampant jealousy, the purpose of Cinthio’s tale has become timeless in warning against the short-sightedness of human emotions. Cinthio may have also had ulterior motives in writing his tale. Mrs. Ruggiero states, “And, this story may have been based on an actual incident occurring in Venice about 1508…Cinthio's moral was hardly what we would find acceptable these days: Women are unwise to marry the males of other nations” (“Othello). This illustrates that Cinthio may have been attempting to illustrate the realities of within the military force, and the benefits of their justice system. Cinthio also attempted to illustrate the “moral,” that girls are “unwise” to wed people of different worlds as shown in Desdemona’s untimely demise.

Work Cited:

Ruggiero, J. “Othello.” //Sophmores-10th grade.// SchoolWorld, n.d. Web. 12 Feb. 2013.

Weller, Philip. “Cinthio’s Tale: The Source of Shakespeare’s Othello.” //Othello Navigator//. Shakespeare’s Navigators, n.d. Web. 11 Feb. 2013.

Nicolette: Cultural

The cultural implications of both Othello and Un Capitano Moro mainly focus on the women roles. The most prominent cultural implication is found in Central Islip Senior High "Cinthio's moral was hardly what we would find acceptable these days: Women are unwise to marry the males of other nations" (Ruggiero). This explains the dominance of the woman figure in both Un Capitano Moro and Othello. The idea that a woman makes the "unwise" choice to chose love over what is considered acceptable at that time in history. What is more the article "Love and Age in Othello" describes the secondary interesting implication of " the natural process of aging shared by the lovers Othello and Desdemona" (Stravopulos). Though the woman dominance is the primary cultural shift in Un Capitano Moro as well as Othello, the build up of what is called the "natural aging process" in Othello also takes its precedence from Un Capitano Moro. This process was typically not dramatized or even included in many of the plays at that time due to the depressing nature of it. Though it is reality, it was not a reality worthy of entertaining. These cultural implications act to fuel the intended audience of Un Capitano Moro being those in love. or going against the norm for love. As well as those worried about the effects of age upon a once passionate love affair.

Work Cited Stavropoulos, Janet C. "Love and Age in Othello". Shakespeare Studies, 1987, Vol. 19, p125, 17p. EBSCOhost. Web. 12 February 2013. Ruggiero. "Othello". Central Islip Senior High. Web. 12 February 2013.