a is a sweet, naive victim. Othello does not have money, beauty or good manners, but to Desdemona, he is perfect. She loves him for what he is. She respects him, as well. Desdemona is a loyal spouse who will do absolutely anything for her husband. Emilia tries to teach the innocent Desdemona about the evils of life. Carefully watching over her, Emilia constantly tries to warn her that jealousy is a "monster." She is not at all afraid of men and does not think twice about defending Desdemona's honor to the raging Othello. In Shakespeare's play, the "willow" song is a supplement to the words and actions which move the action along. In the two operas, on the other hand, the music itself serves to advance the plot. The "willow" song has different words in each of the three versions. The way the women sing the song is different, as well. In Shakespeare's play, she is just singing an old folk song, and she is not a great singer. In Verdi's opera, on the other hand, Desdemona displays the highest qualities of the musical voice, which elevates the character of Desdemona and provokes a shiver in the audience. The beautiful song serves to portray the pure and innocent character of Desdemona, which is accented by the shining white of costumes and lights. It is like musical poetry. Verdi's Desdemona is a pure, white lady in white clothing, almost a goddess. Rossini's Desdemona is pretty, but her voice ranges from loud to whispering, instead of from forte to pianissimo. She is fully human, unlike the goddess of Verdi's opera. Her lighting is blue, not white. She is sad, not pure. Thus, Shakespeare presents a saint killed by the monster of jealousy, and Verdi presents a goddess murdered by the monster of jealousy, while Rossini presents a woman killed by her husband....
