Santiago Matamoros and Shakespeare

[Elizabeth Boylston-Morris]

In 1996 Peter R. Moore wrote an illuminating article about the connection
between "Shakespeare's Iago and Santiago Matamoros".
As has been mentioned here several times, the name Santiago is a contraction
of San Iago; "Iago" derives from the Latin "Iacobus"; "Sanctus Iacobus", the
patron saint of Spain, became "Sanct Iago" and "Santiago".   (The use of Iago
as a first name fell in disuse in Spain as it became replaced with Santiago,
but in Portugal and Brazil the name Tiago continues to be used and it is
quite popular).
Shakespeare, as most playwrights of his time, adapted popular novellas for
the theater.  The Othello story comes from an Italian work by Giraldo Cinthio
called "Hecatommithi"; specifically from the seventh novella in the third
decade of the work, which was published in 1566. The plot involves a villain,
and a handkerchief which is used to deceive his Moorish superior.
In Cinthio's novella the only character who has a name is "Disdemona"
(apparently derived from Heraclitus "ehtos antropoi daimon" -character is
fate). The Iago character is referred to as "lo scellerato alfieri" but never
addressed by name.
Shakespeare very likely chose the name Iago because it created a hostile
sound for the English audiences. "Santiago y cierra Espana", invoking the
assistance of Santiago Matamoros, had been the Spaniards war cry during
1585-1604,  a cry well known in England throughout the twenty-year war.
The Spanish connection is also suggested by Iago's use of a Spaniard word:
"Who's that who rings the bell?  Diablo, ho!", also Othello kills himself
with a "sword of Spain" .   Of course, it is Iago who brings about the death
of a Moor and becomes thereby a "matamoro".

Liz