Teatro Real

What leads Otello to believe himself betrayed by his wife Desdemona who has never stopped loving him? William Shakespeare masterfully portrayed the devastating power of insecurity. He gave the Moor racial features which were unusual for his surroundings and these became a powerful Achilles heel. However, the Otello as conceived by stage director David Alden -and in Arrigo Boito’s libretto for Verdi–, situates the conflict less in the physical features of the Venetian Moor and more in the intricate psychological labyrinths within which he becomes trapped. Otello is overwhelmed by jealousy. He cannot avoid the downfall of his own ideals, and he is smothered by an obsession to find proof of his wife’s infidelity which, in actual fact, only exists in his mind. The bloodthirsty general devours the man of peace, and thus destroys both himself and everything around him. In his ensign Iago, we have one of the most venomous villains ever conceived. With opportunistic authority, he encourages the wild imagination of his commander.  By losing all sense of dignity, self-control and judgement, Otello confronts us with one of the most unspeakable fears of mankind:  to not feel worthy of that which one most loves.