Audience and Desdemona

Desdemona In the beginning of the play Othello, Desdemona is seen as a strong powerful women who isn’t afraid to stick up for herself. Roderigo and Othello both were in love with Desdemona. The changes the audience see are on the surface. Underneath the surface Desdemona is strong, determined, and self-possessed, “My life and education both do learn me How to respect you; you are the lord of duty, I am hitherto your daughter. But here’s my husband...” (I, iii, 197-199). As you can see Desdemona is not scared to stick up for herself. Also, she is not afraid to tell the world that she is married to Othello. Her reputation is strong, just like the love she shares with Othello. Like I said before, Desdemona is viewed as a strong woman who isn’t scared to stick up for herself. As the play progresses, so does her relationship with Othello. Whenever you see this start to develop you start to realizing that Desdemona starts to become more of a subordinate wife. She goes from a liberated maiden to an innocent victim, “By heaven, I saw my handkerchief in’s hand. O perjured woman! Thou dost stone my heart, And makest me call what I intend to do A murder, which I thought a sacrifice: I saw the handkerchief,” (V,ii, 72-75). This is what Othello told Desdemona after he thought she was lying to him about the handkerchief. At this point in the play Othello views Desdemona as a lying “whore.” Some of the characters in the play view Desdemona as a liar now, even though she in not. The audience really knows what is going on. Iago is framing Desdemona into looking like a compulsive liar, “Two things are to be done: My wife must move for Cassio to her mistress; I’ll set her on; Myself the while to draw the Moor apart, And bring him jump when he may Cassio find Soliciting his wife: Ay, that’s the way,” (II, iii., 369-374). Iago is framing Desdemona because that is what he does best. Desdemona is a morally good character. She was being framed by Iago and that eventually led to her and Othello's downfall. She never did anything bad, she just lost herself a little bit and as her relationship was dwelling, so was her life. In the audiences eyes she was a good woman who would never even think about cheating on her husband. In the eyes of Othello she turned out to be a “Whore” even though she actually never did anything. Desdemona was always and will forever be a good character.