Desdemona And Women

Shakespeare presents Desdemona as an utterly pure character, one that is almost goddess-like. This captivating, ‘divine beauty’ (2.1.78) presents a lack of realism; throughout the play Desdemona is constantly viewed through the lens of male ideals. Not only is she constantly elevated by Cassio and Othello, she is also belittled and attacked by Iago who has a cynical perspective of femininity. This would have been common in a patriarchal society where men were seen as superior and often abused this dominance over women. These contrasting representations of Desdemona and women in general, are extremely unrealistic which make it exceptionally hard to relate to her as she is seen merely as an ideal. Similarly, Daisy’s character in Fitzgerald’s