Michael Melch -- Sumbul, a complement to Othello

   This is mostly very good and I think you see pretty clearly that the Sanlikol 
   opera's plot is related to the Shakespeare plot by a series of substitutions or 
   reversals in the Venice-Turkey relationship, or in the basic traits of 
   characters or the relationships between characters, that all have the effect 
   of shining a light on those relationships "from the other side," so to speak.  

   You mention some of these, but it goes even deeper if you think about it.
   For instance:

       Shakespeare                                Sanlikol

      Venice's "colony" on Cyprus is             Turkey's "colony" on Cyprus
      potentially under attack by Turkey         is potentially under attack by Venice

      Othello is a black Moorish warrior         Sumbul is a black eunuch 
      for Venice                                 who tries to negotiate peace for 
                                                 Turkey
   
      Desdemona is daughter of a senator         Suzan is a slave
 
      Iago is motivated mostly by hate           Frenk Mustafa is motivated
      for Othello (and Cassio)                   mostly by love for Suzan   

   There are several other substitutions or reversals of this type too.       

   It's true that the Sumbul character is respected because of his office in
   the Ottoman court.  But I really think you could say the same thing about
   Shakespeare's Othello character too for his role as a general (at least 
   for the characters in the play other than Iago and the people under
   Iago's sway--think of the ways the Duke praises Othello in Act I).  And don't 
   forget that Sumbul is also specifically a eunuch (a castrated male), so he's 
   not a "whole man" so to speak, and he can serve as a harem master for the
   Ottoman pasha without being a threat.  

   Grade:  92 (A-)