SOURCE: Proffitt, Bessie. “Religious Symbolism in Otway's Venice Preserv'd.” Papers on Language and Literature 7, no. 1 (winter 1971): 26-37.

In the following essay, Proffitt argues that critics have often ignored one of the subtlest aspects of Venice Preserv'd, namely the play's biblical imagery and themes.

The complexity of Thomas Otway's Venice Preserv'd has led to a wide range of critical opinions, each of which has obvious and legitimate claims to accuracy. For example, “the horrors of political and sexual corruption” which William H. McBurney sees in the play clearly are basic to any reading of it.¹ In the same vein, R. E. Hughes concentrates upon the “nightmarish” world of Venice which is revealed primarily through the Nicky Nacky scenes.² By pointing out that Venice is far more corrupt than Pierre, Jaffeir, and Belvidera, Hughes demonstrates that the historic opinion that Venice Preserv'd is simply a condemnation of the Popish Plot...