Page:The Moor of Venice.djvu/23

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It does not however appear in the Tragedy, that Iago actually practised on the virtue of Desdemona, as he does in the Tale; for, as Mr. Knight observes, "It is a part of the admirable knowledge of human nature possessed by ShakspereShakespeare [sic], that Iago does not, even for a moment entertain the thought of tampering with the virtue of Desdemona, either through Cassio or Roderigo, or any other instrument." No, in all probability ShakspereShakespeare [sic] departed in this instance from the Novel, purposely to bring this highest testimony to the virtue of Desdemona; her purity was not only superior to assault or artifice, but above the reach of trial: had she been tried, and remained firm, her virtue would have been heroic,—removed from the possibility of trial, it is divine. And here we observe the well-balanced contrast to the villainy of Iago: the characters are extremes, or they would not correspond.

Minor points of comparison will suggest themselves on a perusal of the Story. In the latter, the Ensign, at the entreaty of the Moor, attacks and wounds the Captain; but in the Play it is a natural conclusion of Iago's treatment of Roderigo to induce him to do the deed: this perfects the plot as regards Roderigo; he had been the dupe and tool of Iago as long as he could serve his purposes; but