Desdemona combines rationality and tenacity in her final conversation with Othello. Eventually, Othello learns of Desdemona's faithfulness after Emilia exposes Iago's true nature before being stabbed to death by Iago, and out of complete remorse, Othello commits suicide, but only after angrily stabbing Iago (though not fatally) as retribution for his lies against Desdemona. More ancient sources named another of Dionysuss lovers as the origins of the grapevine. The Myth of Er in Book X of Plato's Republic tells of the dead arriving at a barren waste called the "plain of Lethe", through which the river Ameles ("careless") runs. Greek mythology is home to many lovely celestial names for girls. [1], In the twentieth century, Peggy Ashcroft played the character opposite Paul Robeson in London's Savoy Theatre in 1930, and Uta Hagen appeared in the role opposite Robeson in Margaret Webster's production at the Shubert Theatre in New York City in 1943.[1]. Mount Aetna in Sicily was believed to have derived its name from her, and under it Zeus buried Typhon, Enceladus, or Briareus. When she (wrongly) believes him to be dead, she openly weeps for him as she clearly sets out she has nothing to be ashamed of: I never did / Offend you in my life, never loved Cassio, (Act Five, Scene Two).. FAMILY OF AETNA PARENTS [1] OURANOS & GAIA (Simonides Frag 52, Scholiast on Theocritus 1.65) This version of the story also contradicts myths that are known to be older. During 1999 Edinburgh Film Festival, Adil Hussain, cast as Othello, fell in love with Kristen Jain, who was playing Desdemona. Dysnomia (Anarchy) and Ate (Ruin), near one another, While modern readers often identify the river Charon worked on as the Styx, the Greeks actually believed it was the Acheron that one crossed by ferry. By clicking Accept All Cookies, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. ", Simonides, Fragment 52 (from Scholiast on Theocritus 1.65) (trans. 4 (trans. Othello and Desdemona: An Analysis. The image, they say, was made after this fashion. In marrying a Moor, Desdemona flies in the face of convention and faces criticism, which she handles unapologetically. There have been numerous screen modernisations of the play. For Desdemona, Othello is the hero of many exciting and dangerous adventures, who also has the appeal of the orphan child who needs love. Hecate Don't anger a girl named Hecate! ", POSEIDON & DEMETER (Callimachus Frag 652, Pausanias 8.25.5), Callimachus, Fragment 207 (from Scholiast on Lycophron 1225) (trans. : Pausanias, Description of Greece 8. She was the mother by Zeus of the Palikoi (Palici), gods of geysers and hot-water springs. Updates? Lethe was also the name of the personification of forgetfulness and oblivion, with whom the river was often associated. (2023, April 5). They say that they named her Melaina (Black) because the goddess had black apparel . Pindar, Pythian Ode 1. It was also personified by an ancient river goddess. Cinthio also drew a moral (which he placed in the mouth of the lady) that Italian women are unwise to marry men whose nature and habitude of life are foreign.[3]. Greek mythology, body of stories concerning the gods, heroes, and rituals of the ancient Greeks. Her marriage has brought her position and happiness, so much so that she finds it unbearable to think that her husband has turned against her. The giant Typhoeus or Enkelados (Enceladus) was buried beneath her bulk. In Greek mythology, it was much more common for a gods lover to die because of another deitys actions or a long-established fate. Campbell, Vol. Some Arkadians call it Olympos, and others Sacred Peak. However, Othello is in too emotional a state to listen, and he has already ordered the lieutenant's murder. According to Statius, Lethe bordered Elysium, the final resting place of the virtuous. The Arkadians bring into the sanctuary the fruit of all cultivated trees except the pomegranate [of the Persephone myth]. Iago suggests to Cassio that he importune Desdemona to intercede for him, which she does. DESPOINE (Despoena) was a fertility goddess of the Arkadian (Arcadian) Mystery cult of Akakesion (Acacesium). Nonetheless, he was accompanied in battle, by his sister Eris (Strife) and his sons (by Aphrodite) Phobos and Deimos (Panic and Rout). Conway) (Greek lyric C5th B.C.) : Ampelus defied the goddess of the moon and challenged her to do the worst to him that she could. The Parthenon frieze contains a group of Olympians, among whom Ares, in unwarlike garb, has been tentatively identified. Also associated with him were two lesser war deities: Enyalius, who is virtually identical with Ares himself, and Enyo, a female counterpart. Desdemona's flirtatious 'devour[ing] up [of Othello's] discourse' and her 'serious incl[ing]' (1.3.146-50) towards his autobiographical stories are reflective of Shakespeare's Venice at large; a society eager for the most colourful version of events and with no pressing concern for the truth of the tales it is told. My name is Mike and for as long as I can remember (too long!) A little farther up is the circuit of the wall of Lykosoura (Lycosura), in which there are a few inhabitants. Loyalty to patriarchy and marriage before oneself is captured in Desdemona's divided duty between her father,. The idea of reincarnation had some following throughout Greek history, but in later eras it became especially popular. 10 : For all the claims of military straightforwardness of some other characters, Desdemona is the most direct and honest speaker in the play. She was a horned goddess who drove a team of bulls, while the young satyr claimed that he had horns and was riding a bull. The rivers of the underworld were said to converge in its center, forming a great swampland that encompassed much of the realm. Her siblings included Ponos (Toil), Ate (Ruin), and Limos (Starvation). Spotting Ampelus on the back of the bull, she sent a stinging gadfly after it. Jones) (Greek travelogue C2nd A.D.) : Pausanias, Description of Greece 8. (1.3). Those who were wise drank only a small amount so that they retained most of their memories, and thus their sense of self, in the afterlife. Each had its own role in the land of the dead. Desdemona is as Shakespearean as a name can be, but because the beautiful and innocent wife of Othello came to such a tragic end, her name has been avoided for centuries. She was worshipped alongside her mother Demeter, sister Persephone, and Artemis. He was gored by a bull and immortalized as the first grape vine. Trypanis) (Greek poet C3rd B.C.) Zeus, the chief god, specifically assigns the sphere of war to Ares, the god of war, and Athena. The mountain itself was believed to be the place in which Hephaestus and the Cyclops made the thunderbolts for Zeus. On the right as you go out of the temple there is a mirror fitted into the wall. Later philosophers believed that, with self-control and care, it was possible to control how the water affected the mind. Vindemitor, the Grape-Picker, was put in the sky as the image of Ampelus. My work has also been published on Buzzfeed and most recently in Time magazine. Nameberry is a registered trademark of Nameberry, LLC. This story of the travels and wars of Dionysus was almost entirely original rather than taken from earlier accounts. When her maid Emilia rushes into the room, Desdemona rises weakly to defend Othello, then dies. Desdemona sees through this exterior and she shows herself to be very courageous. Jamieson, Lee. Jones) (Greek travelogue C2nd A.D.) : In Greek mythology Pandora was the first woman on earth. [9] In 138 BCE, the Roman general Decimus Junius Brutus Callaicus sought to dispose of the myth, as it impeded his military campaigns in the area. Shakespeare uses the term 'chaos' to evoke the confusion and turmoil of what his life would become without Desdemona. The daimones had no real characterization beyond the role they played. Lethe meant not just the forgetting of a single fact or event, but a complete loss of all memory and the concealment of truth. . It dictated their laws, religion, and social norms. Jones) (Greek travelogue C2nd A.D.) : Pausanias, Description of Greece 5. He previously served as a theater studies lecturer at Stratford-upon Avon College in the United Kingdom. Ares worship was largely in the northern areas of Greece, and, although devoid of the social, moral, and theological associations usual with major deities, his cult had many interesting local features. It was seated on a rock, like to a woman in all respects save the head. Despite Desdemona's claims of innocence, Othello refuses to believe her, and when he tells her that Cassio has been killed, Desdemona cries out. The accidental death of Ampelus in Ovids version, for example, seems out of place among other myths. It was a common belief that when a soul reached the underworld it was ferried into the realm of the dead by Charon. While Walcott never describes. In a 1966 British film version, Maggie Smith played the character opposite Laurence Olivier. and Horkos (Oath), who most afflicts men on earth, Although some sources[who?] In the play's first act, Desdemona has eloped with Othello, a Moor in the service of the Venetian Republic. Instead, he may have been the creation of a later poet. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). As could be expected given their shared name, the goddess Lethe and the River Lethe were often confused for one another. One of the children of Eris, the goddess of strife, she was almost universally seen as a negative influence in life. "Of this they were all obliged to drink a certain quantity," Plato wrote, "and those who were not saved by wisdom drank more than was necessary; and each one as he drank forgot all things. It is revealed that he has previously warned Roderigo of his daughter, saying My daughter is not for thee, (Act One, Scene One), but she takes control. These two rivers are attested in several verse inscriptions on gold plates dating to the 4th century BC and onward, found at Thurii in Southern Italy and elsewhere throughout the Greek world. The Elysium Fields emerged as a more pleasant and happy afterlife for those who were truly deserving of reward. Beyond what is called the Hall is a grove, sacred to Despoine and surrounded by a wall of stones, and within it are trees, including an olive and an evergreen oak growing out of one root, and that not the result of a clever piece of gardening. But at this point in time, there might be some adventurous parents willing to overlook that. . Good name in man and woman, dear my lord, is the immediate jewel of their souls; who steals my purse steals trash iii. warns readers to avoid the Lethe and to seek the Mnemosyne instead. Truth was thus an opposite of oblivion or concealment. In act 2, Othello's lieutenant, Cassio is disgraced in a brawl and falls from Othello's favor. The goddess Lethe was a personification of the idea. Bell's acting version, for example, omitted several moments including Desdemona's conversation with Emilia before her deatha death which is accomplished in Bells' version by stabbing rather than strangulation. Weir Smyth) (Greek tragedy C5th B.C.) De Divinat. Omissions? Those about the sanctuary say that Despoine was brought up by Anytos, who was one of the Titanes (Titans) [perhaps here the Kouretes (Curetes)], as they are called . 19.). 15. Stung repeatedly by the gadfly, the bull went mad. As belief in reincarnation grew, this meant that some souls could return with skills or wisdom they had learned in another lifetime. This stone was not brought in by them, but they say that in obedience to a dream they dug up the earth within the enclosure and so found it. The daughter of a Venetian senator, Desdemona is greatly loved by Othello, an honoured and heroic Moorish general in the service of Venice. He claimed that Ampelus died after recklessly insulting the moon goddess Selene. When the Arabs conquered the region much later, their name for the river became Guadalete from the Arabic phrase (Wadi lakath) meaning "River of Forgetfulness". While no English translation of Cinthio was available in print during Shakespeare's lifetime, it is possible that Shakespeare knew both the Italian original, Gabriel Chappuy's 1584 French translation, and an English translation in manuscript. The poet's gentle scene between Desdemona and Emilia while preparing for bed does not exist in Cinthio, and Cinthio's murder of Disdemona is accomplished when the Moor commissions his ensign to bludgeon Disdemona to death with a sand-filled stocking. Philosophers since, such as William J. Richardson have expanded on this school of thought. 6 : Aeschylus, Fragment 188 (from Orion, Etymologicum 26. 17. possible plural wife of American Mormon leader Joseph Smith, tragic wife in the play Othello by William Shakespeare, " song by by Gene Anthony Ray in the TV's "Fame", character in the book "The Total Tragedy of a Girl Named Hamlet" by Erin Dionne, cat character in comic strips "Cicero's Cat" and "Mutt and Jeff," 1907,1945, " werecat character in comic book "Angel: Aftermath", "Goodnight Desdemona (Good Morning Juliet)". bookmarked pages associated with this title. At Athens he had a temple at the foot of the Areopagus (Ares Hill). . Both he and the ensign escape immediate prosecution but are killed much later. Are you sure you want to remove #bookConfirmation# In Greek mythology, it was much more common for a god's lover to die because of another deity's actions or a long-established fate. Desdemona. Initiates were taught that they would receive a choice of rivers to drink from after death, and to drink from Mnemosyne instead of Lethe. In the Aeneid (VI.703-751), Virgil writes that it is only when the dead have had their memories erased by the Lethe that they may be reincarnated. Classical mythology in western art and literature, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lethe&oldid=1149961027, Articles containing Ancient Greek (to 1453)-language text, Short description is different from Wikidata, All articles with specifically marked weasel-worded phrases, Articles with specifically marked weasel-worded phrases from October 2022, Articles with unsourced statements from January 2022, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Ovid includes a description of Lethe as a stream that puts people to sleep in his work, Allen Ginsberg refers to the river in the final line of his poem ". The fact that the Muses were able to gain respect even from Iago exemplifies how much they were venerated for their values in the arts . Source: Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology. Like most of the children of Eris, she was seen as hateful and abhorrent. . By clearing the mind, the petitioner could see greater truths in his or her memories and perhaps even understand the future. Lethe was both a goddess and place in Greek mythology, although there was a great deal of overlap between the two. But there are a few exceptions with Uranus being the most unique. Dionysus came to be attracted to the young satyr and the two began an intense love affair. These dread flames that creeping monster sends aloft, a marvel to look on, and a wondrous tale even to hear, from those whose eyes have seen it. No longer was every soul doomed to wander without an identity for all eternity. Plato described the journey into the underworld as a trek across a vast plain. Whilst, 'chaos' refers to Greek mythology and the state before the creation of the universe. An Examination of Othello and Desdemona's Relationship. He was a young Thracian satyr who became the lover of Dionysus. At the heart of Shakespeare's"Othello" is the doomed romance between Othello and Desdemona. It was hoped that by never mentioning them, people could avoid attracting their unwanted attention. He ended up tightly hugging her, much to her and the audience's shock, instead of "killing" her as per the script, thus forcing the curtains to be brought down immediately. The ancient Greek word "daimon" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European "*daimon," meaning, "provider, divider (of fortunes or destinies)," from the root *da-," meaning, "to divide." Originally distinct from true Gods and Goddesses in Greek mythology, which were referred to as "Theoi," daimons were a classification all of their own.. By the image of Despoine stands Anytos (Anytus), represented as a man in armour. When Emilia's husband Iago sees Desdemona's handkerchief, he steals it and forbids Emilia to disclose its whereabouts to Desdemona. The personifications of murder and lies were among the family of Eris. [6], The goddess Lethe has been compared to the goddess Meng Po of Chinese Mythology, who would wait on the Bridge of Forgetfulness to serve dead souls soup which would erase their memories before they were reincarnated.[7]. Roddam Spencer Stanhope, John. It charged through the forest, throwing Ampelus from its back and goring him to death. Roger Brooke describes their dynamic in his 1999 book Pathways into the Jungian World: Phenomenology and Analytical Psychology stating "Rather than only constituting disaster and darkness, Lethe also presents their obliteration something like the withdrawal of life".[4]. Such is the being bound between the peaks of Aitna in her blackened leaves and the flat plain, while all his back is torn and scarred by the rough couch on which he lies outstretched. 25. Desdemona is concerned over the loss of the handkerchief but maintains that its loss will not cause Othello to grow angry. But whereas the real name of Kore (the Maid) is Persephone, as Homer and Pamphos before him say in their poems, the real name of Despoine (the Mistress) I am afraid to write to the uninitiated. The daughter of a Venetian senator, Desdemona is greatly loved by Othello, an honoured and heroic Moorish general in the service of Venice. A complete bibliography of the translations quoted on this page. Oh right! 15. Ira Aldridge, an American black actor who appeared in the role, married a white woman. Two sources recount the story of Ampelus in ancient mythology. On it, they say, Zeus was reared. Occasionally, Aphrodite was Ares legitimate wife. Was Ampelus a popular figure from classical mythology, or was his story a later creation? Later, Cinthio's ensign's wife learns of her husband's villainy in the handkerchief deception but feels constrained to remain silent. Demeter, they say, had by Poseidon a daughter [Despoine (Despoena)], whose name they are not wont to divulge to the uninitiated, and a horse called Areion (Arion). It means "ill-starred" or "ill-fated." Ajal - Ajal is a male baby name that means "dying hour" or "hour of death" in. AITNA (Aetna) was the goddess of the volcanic Mount Etna in Sicily, southern Italy. He also appears on the great frieze of the altar at Pergamum. . At Sparta, in early times, at least, human sacrifices were made to him from among the prisoners of war. 37. The river Lethe was said to be located next to Hades' palace in the underworld under a cypress tree. The River Cocytus Meaning lamentation, this river encircled the underworld. Amongst authors in antiquity,[8] the tiny Lima river between Norte Region, Portugal, and Galicia, Spain, was said to have the same properties of memory loss as the legendary Lethe River, being mistaken for it. Like most of the despised children of Eris, Lethe was rarely prayed to or invoked in hymns. Offended by this, Selene looked down from her place in the sky to find who had insulted her. Ovid wrote that the river flowed through the cave of Hypnos, god of sleep, where its murmuring would induce drowsiness. ", Pausanias, Description of Greece 5. The name Desdemona is primarily a female name of Greek origin that means Misery. The other Lethe was one of the five rivers of the underworld. "Othello and Desdemona: An Analysis." They believed that the water of the Lethe wore away at the mind. Ovid and Nonnus both told different versions of the story of Ampelus. ", Pausanias, Description of Greece 8. This act proved that the Lima was not as dangerous as the local myths described. The River Phlegethon The river of fire, it coiled around the earth before emptying its hot fires into the depths of. In despair at losing his love, she still defends him from the consequences of his actions, but he is past seeing what is clear to her and to Shakespeare's audience: that she has committed herself wholly to loving him; without his love, she cannot live. The story told later by Nonnus, however, gave a different version of events. The story of the Kouretes (Curetes), who are represented under the images, and that of the Korybantes (Corybantes)--a different race from the Kouretes--, carved in relief upon the base, I know, but pass them by. The Lethe one of five rivers that flowed through the realm of Hades. Whether the oracles in Boeotia worked under the influence of the goddess Lethe or the river is unclear at best. Some mystery cults seemed to have believed that rivers of both Lethe and Mnemosyne existed in the afterlife. In general, however, in the popular piety of the Greeks, the myths were viewed as true accounts. 584.) Only by reaching Elysium through three consecutive reincarnations could one achieve true bliss on the immortal islands, so any amount of retained wisdom would be helpful in that pursuit. It was un-forgetfulness, or un-concealment. The opposite of truth was not a lie, it was a concealment or erasure. The Greek word lethe has many approximate translations in modern English. Lethe, therefore, did not just refer to the forgetting of certain facts or events. the antonym of Eudaimonia. 1 : Pausanias, Description of Greece 8. The name Desdemona is girl's name of Greek origin meaning "ill-starred". That the myths contained a considerable element of fiction was recognized by the more critical Greeks, such as the philosopher Plato in the 5th-4th century bce. Dorian (Greek origin) meaning "child of the sea"; the main character from ' Picture of Dorian Gray'. Dracula (Latin origin) meaning "dragon"; from the famous novel 'Dracula'. Ampelus is one of the lesser-known characters of Greek mythology. In Cinthio, she is simply Disdemona's companion but in Shakespeare she becomes Desdemona's attendant and confidante. Desdemona was a candle because she was filled with life, but when he kills her she will no longer be alive. . Othello vows not to shed any of Desdemona's blood or scar her skin - prefiguring the strangling of her with his bare hands, which won't leave a scar or draw any blood. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Desdemona-fictional-character. In front of the temple is an altar to Demeter and another to Despoine, after which is one of the Great Mother (Meter Megale). Ares was one of the Olympian deities. "Othello and Desdemona: An Analysis." Desdemona may have the choice of many suitable matches, but she chooses Othello, even despite his racial difference. These include oblivion, concealment, or forgetfulness.. More recently, Martin Heidegger used "lth" to symbolize not only the "concealment of Being" or "forgetting of Being", but also the "concealment of concealment", which he saw as a major problem of modern philosophy. In the final act, Othello tells her that he knows she has been unfaithful, and is going to kill her. In the tradition of the oracles of Boeotia, the combination of water from Lethe and Mnemosyne, who was also believed by some mystery cults to be a river as well as a goddess, could induce a trance-like state in which higher truths could be revealed by wiping the mind clean of preoccupations. Othello becomes enraged and strangles Desdemona, ignoring her pleas for mercy. River of forgetfulness in the Greek underworld. [1], In the nineteenth century, behind-the-scenes events in the lives of the play's performers garnered for Othello a shocking and sensational reputation. However many critics argue that the first seed of doubt is not issued from Iago but by Desdemona's father: "Look to her, Moor, if thou hast eyes to see. The stories and myths consist of heroes and legends who are the protagonists. "Lady (despoina) Hekate (Hecate), before the portal of the royal halls. Add to this the fact that he is now an honored and powerful man in her country, and what young noble woman would not find him attractive? Latin text available at the Perseus Digital Library. In short, the Greeks hoped that Lethe would, herself, forget all about them. Dionysus was so heartbroken by his young lovers death that he immortalized the satyr in the stars. For all the claims of military straightforwardness of some other characters, Desdemona is the most direct and honest speaker in the play. Conway) (Greek lyric C5th B.C.) [citation needed], On 8 December 1660, Thomas Killigrew's new King's Company performed Othello at their Vere Street theatre, with Margaret Hughes as Desdemonapossibly the first time a professional actress appeared on a public stage in England. On the first relief are wrought Moirai (Moirae, the Fates) and Zeus surnamed Moiragetes (Guide of Fate), and on the second Herakles (Heracles) wresting a tripod from Apollon . Desdemona: [noun] the wife of Othello in Shakespeare's Othello. Othello may be impressive on the battlefield, but his own personal insecurity leads to the tragic end of the story. The realm of Hades was a place of shadow and mist, populated by souls with no direction. Beside this Pan a fire is kept burning which is never allowed to go out. Desdemona definition, (in Shakespeare's Othello) Othello's wife, murdered by her husband as a result of jealousy instilled by Iago. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. As Othello mistreats her, Desdemonas feelings are unwaning: My love doth so approve him / That even his stubbornness, his checks, his frowns, (Act Four, Scene Three). Ampelus drew the attention of the god who spent the most time among the satyrs. 65), a daughter of Uranus and Gaea, or of Briareus. Nonnuss story claimed that Ampelus was not killed by a reckless accident, but by impulsive arrogance.
